It is the start of 2023 and like most of you, I started the year setting out goals, particularly for Heather Lane Adventures, my travel design business.

As a new travel business, I am often asked the question “What is your niche?” See, everyone needs some type of focus, otherwise it is hard to target your audience and demonstrate your expertise. It can get very confusing to the consumer if they don’t know how to identify you.

I usually reply that I am destination agnostic but my niche is ‘responsible tourism.’ For those of you who follow me, you know that this means three key things:

1) Keep it local, genuine and authentic;

2) Bring in cultural elements and experiences to immerse my clients in the culture as much as possible; and

3) Leave as minimal trace as possible: keep it eco-friendly.

Because I have travelled to so many places and lived, worked and studied in many of them, I have many options to choose from to give my personal touch to each trip I plan.

However, it never dawned on me to talk about and focus on a country near and dear to my heart…the first country I lived in after college…the one where I really began to learn about myself and discover who I am as an individual…the one where I immersed myself into a family and really became comfortable with speaking Spanish…the country where I was serenaded by a group of men on my 23rd birthday and introduced to my favorite song of all time: “El Toro y La Luna” (about a Bull who stumbles upon the reflection of the moon in a river and falls immediately in love, but can never reach her)….

COSTA RICA – THE LAND OF PURA VIDA

Recently, I have received a number of requests for trips to Costa Rica and I think the Universe is trying to tell me something.

I mean, it is probably the country MOST responsible when it come to its tourism (if you can stay away from Guanacaste), and it has something for everyone and more: hiking, adventure, jungle, rivers, mountains, beaches, marine parks, mangroves, volcanoes, waterfalls, etc…. And practically everyone, I mean everyone in Costa Rica is eco-conscious (they teach it as a course starting in kindergarten for Pete’s Sake)

I have my favorite little nooks and crannies of the country where most other travel agents don’t even KNOW to send their clients. I know the dishes to eat and some of the best places to go salsa dancing, I know where you can likely see a resplendent Quetzal and the best time to go to see turtles nesting in Tortuguero. Heck, I can even sing the entire national anthem by heart.

I mean I REALLY know Costa Rica, and yet it never dawned on me to promote it as a place to go.

So, the Universe was telling me to get back to my heart and I am now listening. If you have ANY interest in learning more about this beautiful and special place and want some of the tips and tricks of what to do and see that is a bit different from the way everyone else experiences Costa Rica….You know where to find me: I’ll be humming along to my favorite song, drinking the best coffee in the world and living the ‘Pura Vida, Mae!”

(You can also head to my linktree and find out all the ways to connect with me there).