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Lidia's fresh breakfast of eggs, bread, and fruit would
float around the farm, drawing volunteers and family
members to the large wooden picnic table to discuss plans
for the day. We slowly ate breakfast and sipped coffee
made in traditional Costa Rican fashion by pouring
boiling water over a mesh pouch containing coffee
grounds. After the first few sips of coffee passed
everyone's lips, we were ready for the day ahead.

On most days, Jorge, the eldest son and the only one
in the family who spoke English, made plans for the day
based on what the family's chocolate business needed. La
Iguana distributes chocolate to many areas of Costa Rica,
as well as the other farms in the area that host volunteers
looking for an authentic souvenir. Jorge gave us
instructions, sending the experienced workers to do the
hard labor while those of us just learning were given basic
tasks that allowed us to understand the workings of the
farm. Feeling no less important than those volunteers
doing intricate work on the irrigation system, we set off to
the beautiful hills of the farm with enthusiasm.

While we cheerfully turned compost, built chicken
coops, and collected cow manure, there was no sense of
urgency or stress. For four hours, we did what we could,
motivated by the feeling of hard labor on our bodies.
Though hardly a typical vacation, La Iguana allowed me
to slow down and simplify my desires. As I shoveled cow
manure into a burlap sack, I had conversations for hours
with another volunteer who shared many interests of
mine, from barefoot running to vegetarian cooking. Our
simple tasks made our backs hurt and our hands blister,
but the vast, green hills and the wide blue skies that stood
as the backdrop to our mornings pushed this pain to the
back of our minds. There was never a lack of conversation
amongst strangers who had a passion for travel and
discovery. Jenna, a stunning, tall woman from Finland,
always had an observation on life to share or a story to tell

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