I'm not sure but I'm certainly willing to try to improve my own lot in life and hopefully do the same for others in the process.
This end-game goal of a more utopic existance has simultaneously taken me down two different paths: a book about the proliferation of short-term thinking in America over the past few years, and the establishment of a self-sustaining community in the hills of Costa Rica.
My perspective is that man is inherently flawed as a species. As individuals we are more often than not self-absorbed. It has been the plight of individuals within "modern" society to pursue our own short term interests at the expense of the well-being of mankind and our planet in the long run. To overcome these shortcomings and create a more perfect world, man must regularly police himself and attempt to maintain a reign on basic instincts for short term self-gratification - things like power, control, and material possessions.
Well it has been over five years since I first started kicking around the idea of creating a self-sustaining tropical community in the hills of Costa Rica. Two years after finally having purchased a 150 acre finca that looks out over the Pacific Ocean, I am certainly glad my three partners and I embarked on this path together. It hasn't been easy, but the pay off in quality of life could be significant...
We are in the process of selling 24 lots (50% sold) to individuals from across the globe who possess the commen interest of treading lightly on the land and harmonizing with the local people of Costa Rica - that's it, no other agenda. Costa Rica is an incredibly beautiful and "tranquillo" place...sometimes so easy going that it can be challenging to get things accomplished. The rewards for perceverence are high in my mind, as the healthy lifestyle in this country is unsurpassed - see ABC News report about Blue Zones here.
In closing, I plan to begin releasing a chapter each month from my book Consumed on this blog spot. For starters the introduction has been linked here for all to read - comments are welcome.
Note: Other businesses owned by Al Benner - http://www.mossacres.com/ and http://www.purrfectfence.com/ (these really don't have much to do with utopia unless you are a cat gaining access to the outdoors for the first time, or a moss enthusiast who has just blanketed their shady backyard in moss)
Labels: book, costa rica, costa rica land, costa rica property, eco-village, finca, guanacaste, off-grid, self-sufficient, sustainable community
