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The Long Version
The short version is on social. This is where things get explained properly.
Song deep-dives, behind-the-scenes on the musical and the horror archive, notes on craft and identity, and the practical truth about building a life in Costa Rica.
Some stories begin here. Others continue on Substack.
FEATURED STORIES
Love Songs Aren't Only About Romance
This is a love song. I want to say that plainly, because I've noticed people sometimes hedge when a song could be read more than one way, and I don't want to hedge.
It's just that love means more than one thing, and this song knows that.
If you hear it as romantic, you're not misreading it. Play it at your wedding. Play it on your anniversary to the person who's been beside you through the years that weren't the good ones. That reading is completely true.
But if the person
What Is Silent Horrors? Inside the Archive of Small Unexplainable Things
Silent Horrors is an archive of unsettling short horror stories, strange encounters, and impossible memories. Somewhere between analog horror, psychological horror, weird fiction, and modern folklore, each file stands alone—but readers have started noticing patterns. Doors left open. Rooms that feel occupied. Mirrors behaving strangely. The stories don’t seem connected. Until they do.
The Air Between Us: A Pop Song About the Moment Before Everything Changes
“The Air Between Us” captures the electric moment before a first kiss... when breath slows, glances linger, and the air feels alive. This acoustic pop love song blends singer-songwriter intimacy with layered vocal storytelling, exploring tension, anticipation, and connection felt through vibration.
🌴 Pura Vida Diaries
The Pura Vida Diaries is your go-to guide for moving to Costa Rica and building a life that aligns with your values. Follow the journey of a queer, deaf expat navigating LGBTQ+ rights, remote work, cost of living, cultural adaptation, and jungle life. From residency and healthcare to coffee, volcanoes, and anti-hustle living — this series shares real stories, practical tips, and pura vida vibes for anyone ready to rewrite their life.
LGBTQ Costa Rica: The Real Queer Guide to Paradise
From marriage equality to rainbow beaches, discover what life is really like for queer and trans travelers in Costa Rica — where Pura Vida means everyone belongs.
Waymon Hudson
Nov 12, 20255 min read
Costa Rica Expat Challenges: The Hard Stuff No One Posts on Instagram
Living in Costa Rica isn’t all sunsets and smoothie bowls. From driving chaos to missing Amazon Prime, here’s the truth about expat life — and why it’s still worth it.
Waymon Hudson
Nov 5, 20254 min read
Remote Work in Costa Rica: Jungle Wi-Fi, Time Zones, and the Digital Nomad Life
Thinking of working remotely from Costa Rica? It’s absolutely possible — if you plan for more than sunsets. From reliable jungle Wi-Fi and coworking spots to the Digital Nomad Visa, here’s how to make remote work actually work in paradise.
Waymon Hudson
Oct 29, 20255 min read
Learning Spanish in Costa Rica: A Fun (and Honest) Guide for Expats Who Aren’t 22 Anymore
Learning Spanish in Costa Rica isn’t about grammar drills — it’s about connection. From affordable local tutors to slang like pura vida and tuanis, here’s how to learn the language, embrace the culture, and stop pointing at menus in panic.
Waymon Hudson
Oct 22, 20254 min read
Building Your Jungle Crew in Costa Rica: How to Make Friends, Find Community, and Actually Live the Pura Vida Life
Costa Rica gives you sunsets and surf… but the real magic? The people. 🌴 From neighbors with fruit to drag shows in San José, here’s how building community in Costa Rica makes expat life joyful, easy, and pura vida.
Waymon Hudson
Oct 15, 20255 min read
Culture Shock in Costa Rica: Why It’s the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me (Pura Vida, Baby)
Culture shock in Costa Rica isn’t about struggling to adapt — it’s about unlearning toxic hustle habits and embracing pura vida. From long dinners to daily greetings, life here runs on connection, not speed. It slowed me down, made me present, and taught me to live in a way that actually feels human.
Waymon Hudson
Oct 8, 20254 min read
Pets in Paradise: Bringing Your Dog or Cat to Costa Rica — and Why You Might Adopt One Here
Pets in Costa Rica are part of the pura vida lifestyle. Bringing your dog or cat is easier than you think — no quarantine for healthy pets from the U.S., Canada, or Europe. Affordable vet care, friendly landlords, and a vibrant rescue scene make this a true pet paradise. I brought one dog with me and adopted three rescues here (Daisy, Rose, and Iris). Here’s everything you need to know about importing pets, living with them, and maybe meeting your next best friend in the jung
Waymon Hudson
Oct 1, 20255 min read
🌴 The Pura Vida Diet: Farmers’ Markets, Fresh Food Culture, and What to Skip at the Grocery Store in Costa Rica
Costa Rica food culture is fresh, affordable, and pura vida. Shop at ferias for fruit that puts the U.S. organic aisle to shame, eat $5 casados at local sodas, and stock up on Lizano sauce and tortillas. Skip overpriced imports and embrace gallo pinto, fresh coffee, and plantains as staples. Here’s how to eat like a local in Costa Rica.
Waymon Hudson
Sep 24, 20255 min read
How to Be a Good Immigrant in Costa Rica (a.k.a. Don’t Be “That” Expat)
Moving to Costa Rica? You’re not just an expat—you’re an immigrant and a guest. From respecting pura vida to paying into Caja, hiring locals, shopping at the feria, and learning Spanish, being a good immigrant means giving back as much as you get. Do that, and Costa Rica won’t just welcome you—it’ll love you back. 🌴
Waymon Hudson
Sep 17, 20255 min read
Healthcare in Costa Rica — Public vs Private & Everything In Between
Costa Rica healthcare is one of the best in Latin America — affordable, reliable, and inclusive. From public care (Caja) to private hospitals, here’s how the system works, what it costs, how to access medications, and why many expats use both. Plus: LGBTQ inclusivity and why residency means paying into the system that supports you
Waymon Hudson
Sep 10, 20253 min read
Residency in Costa Rica: How to Stay Legally (Without the Border-Run Headache)
Residency in Costa Rica isn’t just paperwork — it’s the key to living here sustainably. From digital nomad and retiree visas to LGBTQ protections, here’s how to stay legally, pay into the system that supports you, and trade border runs for pura vida runs.
Waymon Hudson
Sep 3, 20255 min read
Thinking of Moving to Costa Rica? Cost of Living, Rent & Reality Check
Thinking of moving to Costa Rica? 🌴 It’s paradise — but not without a price tag. From rent in San José to beach town budgets, utilities, and even $8 peanut butter, here’s what expat life really costs. Before you pack your bags, get the real breakdown on living the Pura Vida lifestyle.
Waymon Hudson
Aug 27, 20255 min read
Moving to Costa Rica: Why I Chose Here Out of Anywhere in the World
Costa Rica wasn’t my escape. It was my alignment — a country that chose peace, protects nature like it’s Beyoncé, and lets me live openly as a queer expat. If you’ve ever wondered ‘Could I move to Costa Rica?’ …this is your sign.
Waymon Hudson
Aug 20, 20256 min read
The Anti-Hustle Queer Expat Life: How I Left Burnout Behind and Found Joy in the Jungle
After burnout, political exhaustion, and being harassed for being gay, I left the U.S. and moved to Costa Rica. I didn’t quit working — I quit the grind. What I found was queer joy, jungle stillness, rescued dogs, and a life that finally made space for me to breathe, create, and be fully myself.
Waymon Hudson
Jul 11, 20253 min read
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