I recently read a quote that seems to describes the fundamental nature of this place, "When there is not much money to be made, no one goes rushing around for it".

Martine and I have been back on the OSA for 4 months. Over the last couple of years our company, StepOut Experience, has immersed itself into the local culture. At first we felt that the involvement in the Sea Turtle Volunteer program would be the extent of our cultural connection to this area. Yet today, it is much more.

Sitting on the front deck of the beach house at Finca Exotic Rainforest Lodge, we have the rare privilege of watching the OSA walk by. Local people here walk to work. They are in no hurry and seem lost in the morning ambiance. Where they are going we do not always know, but they never fail to wave. They always smile.

You know how you can stand next to someone in the subway and feel their stress. Well here you feel a sense of ease, a quiet comfort from the locals of knowing who they are, and how they see their lives. Don’t get me wrong, they strive for more, but they do not see money as the main motivator. What defines this culture is its commitment to family and community, a commitment that does not exist to the same extent in North America. Would you support your local hardware store or drive 20 km’s to Walmart to get the same thing, just that much cheaper?

Our goal is to look beyond what most tourist destinations want you to see, their cultural Disney World, and to offer our guests an authentic experience by bursting the tourist bubble and revealing the true culture of the area.

We, at StepOut Experience, will continue to look for ways to give back to the communities in which we visit. To add our energy to theirs and to get a chance to experience a life, where family, friends, and relationships are the true assets.

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