Introduction: Hello, STEEMIT!! My name is CostaPete and im passionate about life, making home movies, and family.

THANK YOU STEEMIT

My name is CostaPete and i work as a elementary school teacher in Minnesota. I also have lived in Costa Rica for a number of years, and built a home on a mountain overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Mal Pais.  I feel grateful to have found this community and to be able to share my story, videos, and pictures with all of you.   Thank you for having me!

Everything can be taken away from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedom -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.

– Viktor Frankl 

Growing up in Minnesota was a gift.  A day at the lake and a evening with smores was all a kid wanted. It was the early 1980's and life was simple back then.

Growing up family is all that you know.  Starting off small we soon multiplied quickly and i was surrounded by brothers and itchy sweaters.

Life was fun and free in Minnesota and i developed mad skills at a young age. Enjoying the pool or the ski slopes didn't matter..as long as i was outside or playing music I was happy. Friends were always around to share smiles.

Without a good start, things can fall apart. I have always felt fortunate to have the most awesome loving mom and dad. My biggest source of pride comes from being a part of their story. Thank you and love you guys!! 

When i was in my teens i got down to business..but also kept exploring my wild-side. While preparing for college i was able to see live music acts such as Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Green Day and a few more early 90's gems. Music became a source of inspiration and the fuel to drive my dreams moving forward. I loved to Dance!!

Then in the fall of 1995 i saw these goof-balls and the game had changed. I was jaw dropped at the wild un-tamed fearless attitude that Phish was demonstrating on stage for their live shows. I had seen nothing like it. It then became what i can only call as ....an obsession. 

   

Even getting down to Mexico to Paddleboard into a Phish show and fly my drone to capture this awesome video!!

College was winding down and i had done a lot. Transferred three times and changed majors twice. I was graduating with a degree in Early Childhood Education from Wisconsin and so happy to get on with the "real world".

This was a turning point. I was moving out into the world. The great unknown. What happened next is a fun story to tell. Reading blogs and posts back then i found a backpackers website and made a post about my dream to learn how to surf. I wrote that i was finishing college in two months and wanted to take an adventure. Like something out of a movie...an email from a backpacker came through that post and offered to send me a plane ticket to Byron Bay Australia in the spring of 2001. It had changed his life and he wanted to .."pay it forward" and send me! Here is my story of Swaggy Dude and the Free Ticket To OZ.

In the years that followed i worked in California and did my own thing. I was able to start my own business and have success but always missed the freedom of traveling Australia learning to surf. In 2004 a few things happened. George Bush stole the presidential election and Phish broke up. Both these things focused my dreams away from the make a lot but spend a lot California lifestyle that seems a bit superficial. I knew you paid no admission fee to go tothe beach and that surfing was a free and unlimited  source of happiness. So i went to check out Costa Rica.

 

I LOVED IT!!!   I wanted to find a way to stay forever. Mal Pais, Costa Rica was my new dream and i wanted to do whatever i could to spend as much time here as possible.  I took my savings and bought land. On the end of a mountain road you could not even drive up. No power, No water..what was i thinking? ;) Truly off the grid.

Villa Icculus was born:

It took 10 years. Started off as a small idea to just live there and it grew and grew and Grew. I had finished my home and wanted to share this amazing place with anyone willing to travel this far to find it. IT was at the end of the road where many would never go. Maybe a comfortable location with just enough comforts to really unplug and enjoy a moment would entice to my home for a vacation? My Airbnb was born, and its been a pleasure to invite anyone to Villa Icculus over the past three years and counting.  

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4588063

Thanks for reading my Intro and i hope you enjoyed the stories. I'm back where i started in Minnesota and in a loving relationship with The most amazing woman and family. Love you Jessica Renee!!  Thank you to STEEM and this great community. Here are a few of my Surf Adventures that you can enjoy on your own time. 

PURA VIDA

CostaPete

scratching the Surfish

Mountains in the Mist

New Drone surf day

Pepe the House Iguana

THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO MY LOVE FOR CARMEN

see you next week girl! miss and love you forever!