Founder’s Notes: Why Costa Rica Was Just the Beginning

In October of 2019, I started noticing a pattern.

In October of 2019, I started noticing a pattern.

Every Friday night, I’d find myself browsing the aisles of my local grocery store with tears quietly streaming down my face.

It wasn’t dramatic.

It wasn’t loud.

But I wasn’t hiding it either.

It was a silent cry for help.

And still—no one asked if I was okay.

That was the moment I realized I wasn’t just tired of cold weather.

I was tired of cold people.

Something had to change.

I went home that night and typed a simple phrase into Google:

“Temperate climates.”

That search led me to Brazil and Ecuador.

I was recently retired and at a crossroads:

Should I try co-living in D.C. or L.A., or move abroad again like I had during my time in Iraq and Kuwait?

Ecuador’s Cuenca was too cold.

Brazil was too far and logistically complex.

Then I saw a $200 Southwest flight to Costa Rica—and paused.

I didn’t know much about the country. But it felt possible.

I listed my condo for sale.

Booked my flight.

The target date was January 2020—

The same day Kobe Bryant passed away.

I woke up that morning and said out loud, “This isn’t a good day to fly.”

And when the news broke hours later, my heart dropped.

What I didn’t know then was that the delay would be a blessing.

The buyer couldn’t secure financing.

We went back under contract.

I rebooked my flight for March 1st with one firm decision:

Come hell or high water, I’m leaving.

The day before I flew out, I packed everything I owned into storage.

I couldn’t bear to let it go yet—but I knew I couldn’t stay.

I landed in Guanacaste with a winter coat on.

The woman next to me asked, “Where are you coming from that’s so cold?”

I laughed. “D.C.”

But she was right—everything I was carrying, physically and emotionally, had been heavy.

I booked a studio apartment for one month.

My plan was to rest, soak up sun, and then explore the country before possibly heading to Brazil or Barcelona.

I kept to myself.

Walked to the beach.

Visited the store.

And gave myself space to feel what was next.

Just as I was ready to start exploring, the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Thanks to the U.S. Embassy STEP program, I got the alert:

Costa Rica had confirmed its first cases.

The borders would close in 48 hours.

I considered flying back.

I still had things in storage.

Closing paperwork. Loose ends.

But the thought of sleeping on my mother’s couch made me pause.

I had the studio through the end of the month—and something in me said, “Stay.”

So I did.

Two weeks later—on the date of my original return flight—I met my now-husband, Ivan.

And everything changed.

With his support, I built Melanin Tours to help others find the freedom I had fought so hard to give myself.

Costa Rica wasn’t my master plan.

It was a pivot. A prayer. A gut decision.

And yet, it gave me everything I didn’t know I needed.

But even then, I knew:

This was just the beginning.

If you’ve ever felt the call to leave—quietly, urgently, or with your whole chest—know this: it’s valid.

And when you're ready, there are people like me who can walk with you as you say yes to something more.

Your next chapter is already calling.

Stay with me—I'll help you answer it.

Here a few candid moments from our wedding….