Travel Stories

I've been shared a meal with a family in the mountains of Vietnam. I volunteered in the volcanic farmland of Laos. I drove to the north east of Iceland. I've drank with mountain people in Nepal. Sat on the floor of a high speed train in China and Japan. Hunted with a tribe in Tanzania. Had intercontinental ballistic missiles rain down on me in Israel. Hiked an active volcano in Guatemala. Yet somehow, I feel the most out of place, the most different from others, at the airport in Florida I have just landed at. But that is okay, I have worked diligently to craft the person, business, lifestyle and ego I am today and it is not for everyone. The past month in Santa Teresa has taught me valuable lessons. Kyle and I came to Costa Rica this time as the Data Buddies, now we are leaving as more confident, more directed, more focused leaders and business men. When we started this business it was just about trying to get something to work, be able to have people pay us for an idea. Now that we have proven this is possible, it is about growing this life and defending it with all your power. In entrepreneurship you cannot be complacent because it can all be taken away from you in the snap of a finger. You need to have a plan to sustain and grow the business to support the amazing life we are building for ourselves. It is vital to be curious to keep on searching for new ideas, to have humility, to be able to change your mind and your opinions for better ones. To have self pride and respect so people do not walk all over you.

This is my last couple days in Santa Teresa. It has been a great 1.5 months here improving my surfing and working. I will return to Florida after 3 months outside of the US! Not 10 months like my previous trip but a commendable amount! Surfing has become a big part of my life. It is a new challenge, a new skill, and a new way of improving my brain and body. I would like to continue improving my surfing skills. That means living next to a warm weather consistent surf break! Also a big part of my life I have discovered here in Santa Teresa is Yerba Mate. I have never been a big coffee drinker or caffeine drinker. I have always loved Chinese and Japanese green teas though. Yerba Mate is a loose leaf herb that has a nice caffeine effect as well. It is also like a ritual. You need a special cup, a special straw, a skill how to form the drink. You can buy a bunch of accessories too if you desire! Lastly I should mention the work aspect of the past three months. It has been such a privilege to be an entrepreneur and my own boss. Sometimes the days are long, you have to deal with annoying customers or vendors, but it is all worth it for the lifestyle and freedom. I will continue to be grateful and work hard to not take this lifestyle for granted and to continue it. As for what's next? I will be back in Florida for a little before planning out my next attack.

Writing this straight from WhatsApp after rinsing off the salt. The sun is dropping behind the palms, Kyle is troubleshooting a sensor for one of our clinics, and I still have sand stuck to my shins. Paddling out at first light always tunes my body before the workday, and today the water was glassy enough to hear my own breath between sets. I set up a new AI assistant called ClaudeBot this afternoon. It listens to my voice notes and types them into proper posts like this one. Wild that I can breathe a thought into my phone and see it land here minutes later. I am grateful for the assist because it keeps me honest about sharing updates without needing to crack open the laptop after every surf or build sprint. Spending so much time in WhatsApp lately has me thinking about communication and presence. A voice note from the beach still carries the roar of the shorebreak, even as the words travel through fiber and satellites. Technology can easily tempt me into performing, but here in Santa Teresa I feel it inviting me to tune in instead: listen deeply, respond slowly, let the pauses carry meaning. That is the balance I want ClaudeBot to help with—amplify the real moments, not replace them. We are building healthcare agents during the day, paddling out at dawn, eating casado with the crew at night. These routines remind me that presence is a muscle. Tech should serve it, not siphon it. For now, I am just grateful the tools are letting me stay close to the waves while still showing up for the people counting on us.

I know I have not posted in close to a month. Sorry to all my fans. Here in Santa Teresa, I have been in the exact routine I wanted for the past six months, maybe even the past year. Kyle and I wake up and surf every morning, moving our bodies in beautiful nature with monkeys howling around us. Then we come back, drink yerba mate, and work hard to grow our business. We are trying to build something real that improves the healthcare experience. I really love Santa Teresa. As you know, it has helped me get my mind and body working in sync. I am also really grateful for Kyle, for pushing me to be a better man, business partner, and leader. I do not have anything deeply profound to share right now. I am just enjoying the grind and working hard. It is a blessing to support myself and work for myself. I was thinking about last February, when I was in Laos, going cafe to cafe and country to country, giving myself space to think about who I wanted to become. Looking back now, I am like: wow, how did I spend so much time just traveling and gallivanting? It was beautiful and amazing, but now I have a fire in my belly to make a difference. If a day goes by without real work, I feel a void. That is what I am most grateful for as I get closer to 26: working hard and building services, software, and systems that people pay for and trust to improve their lives. That is truly amazing. And it is within reach for more people than they think.