I don’t remember which of us had the idea first, but a couple of years ago Lee and I started talking about taking a trip. A big trip. A trip somewhere overseas.

But we didn’t want it just to be a vacation. We wanted to settle in, to pretend to be locals even if just for a few weeks. We can work from anywhere with an internet connection, and while we knew it would be a challenge to mix vacation and work, the idea of traveling abroad for an extended period was enticing.

Our first plan was Rome, but after looking at rental properties, flight prices and crunching some numbers, it just wasn’t in the budget. And while I’m sure there are many things in Rome that Camille would enjoy, I feel she’ll enjoy them a lot more when she’s a bit older. When she’s more likely to appreciate fine architecture, art and history.

Right now, Camille is a nature junkie, loving anything having to do with animals (the more exotic the better) and delighting in the idea of volcanoes. After a bit more research, Costa Rica emerged as the perfect fit. Lee and I knew that we’d love the beach and the natural environment as much as she would, so it was a win for us all.

Next we began researching rental properties. We didn’t want to rent a condo in some gated tourist resort. We wanted to be closer to the locals. We found a gorgeous oceanfront home in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica, a home that promised wi-fi and offered a great monthly rate, and we booked it.

And now here we are, in our jungle office.

The vacation part of our vacation is going very well. The working part – we’re still ironing out some kinks.

First of all, I knew the house would be a bit remote but holy moses I did not know how deep in the jungle we’d be. It seems a miracle that we have electricity and clean running water. Internet? Seems impossible.

And apparently, sometimes it is impossible. It’s the start of the rainy season here, and what we’ve learned is that when it rains and the communication lines get wet, our phone and internet often go out.

It rains pretty much every afternoon. So guess what that means for our internet? And therefore our productivity?

Wah wah wah, I know, I sound like I’m whining. But owning your own business means there are no paid vacations, so it is a bit stressful. 

The phone company has been out once already and is coming out again tomorrow to see if they can get us a better connection. Meanwhile, we’re trying to work when the Internet is up, and hope our clients have patience when it’s down.

Then, to add to the challenge, a spilled cup of water has fried my computer. Do you know how many Apple repair shops there are in this area? Zero. So we’re down to one computer, and I’m without some of the files I’d hoped to have while I’m working.

But I’m trying to take it all with a grain of salt (from the rim of my margarita glass) and keep some perspective. No, the work portion of our trip is not going perfectly, but it’s temporary. The memories we’re making and the experiences we’re having will last us a lifetime. We are here, in this moment, and life is good.