I’m sitting at San Jose airport in transit to Tribal Gathering festival in Panama. Now seemed an appropriate time to try and articulate just how incredible Envision festival really is. It’s so much more than just a festival. It really is a movement in art, culture, education, movement, healing, permaculture and much more. Firstly, a note on Costa Rica itself.

This country has got it going on. The people here are the nicest, most caring and compassionate I have come across so far. The national saying ‘Pura Vida’ which is used as a hello, a goodbye, a response to ‘how are you’, a ‘thank you’ and just about anything else adds a whole new dimension of happiness to your daily interactions with the Costa Rican people. Translated it means ‘Pure Life’ - and this is really what you experience when you come to this country. It’s a phrase that will stay with me forever and the implications of it’s national use go beyond mere social niceties - I truly believe that these words have served to shift the entire mentality of the people of this country, and they spread this love and happiness to everybody they meet each day. You can drink the water from any tap and it’s very clean and pure, running straight from one of the mountains that are always nearby. Over 25% of the entire country has been turned into protected national parks in order to preserve the countries natural beauty. The streets are pretty much spotless, there’s no smoking in public places, and you really get the feel that the Costa Ricans care deeply about their country and about their connection to the Earth as a whole. Also, they have no army, which must save them countless millions per year, enabling them to put that money back into the country. Most taxi drivers I met offered to have me stay in their house once we got talking, and all were very appreciative that I had taken time to visit their country. Honestly… I can’t explain just how welcoming, open, warm and wonderful they are… Come and see for yourself!

I’m trying now to recall the sequence of events and how everything flowed at Envision. I didn’t really know what to expect, though I did expect it to be incredible… but I had no idea just how impressive it was going to be. I didn’t really know ANY of the music there, which was a bonus for me - It meant no strict agenda, no clock watching, and it meant I was sure to discover a load of amazing new music, which is exactly what happened. But this was so much more than just a music festival - It was a real work of art, and a work of art in progress - as the festival evolved we witnessed the creation of so much new art that it was constantly shifting and changing. Each day new delights were to be discovered….

So everything they do in Costa Rica, they do astoundingly well. From the way they construct their cities, to the way they construct their stages, there is a distinct characteristic of top quality to everything. There were 4 stages at the festival and they were all incredible… Just magic! I don’t have many photos because I left my phone in my tent about 95% of the time, and was just bopping around in nothing but my shorts with a small belt to carry my money. I can’t even describe them really, but they were intricate structures made from natural materials, with art splattered all over them. The village stage was covered in green forestry, the lapa stage constructed using loads of stones and tree branches. The main stage was a huge white wooden canvas that had the most mesmerizing light patterns and shows mapped onto it, and finally the luna stage was all milled out of timber and resembled several animals, the main one of which was the octopus, and this too utilized projection mapping to make it a truly spectacular sight come night time.

The music was some of the best I’ve ever listened to, which is difficult to say because after 15 years of festival going, I’ve seen some truly mind-blowing live acts before, but the music here was definitely the best of the best. Each stage had it’s own distinct flavor and feeling to it. The fire performances were several cuts above anything I’ve ever seen before. It has gotten to the stage where fire generally didn’t impress me that much anymore… until I saw the main fire show here at Envision… fecking insane! Every single act on the luna stage had choreographed performances along with them - acro yoga, aerial silks and hoop, a hell of a lot of LED and fire toys, and other totally cinematic shows that added a new dimension to the incredible music we were so blessed to be witnessing.

There was an insane art gallery that not only housed some of the most incredible artwork and wooden sculptures and carvings I’d ever seen, but each night we were able to witness the artists at work painting new pieces especially for our enjoyment and wonder. On the first night I spent way over an hour in there, totally immersing myself in every piece one by one, and spending a long time watching some of the artists at work, crafting masterpieces right before my very eyes.

The sunsets… OH the sunsets. Each day we would go to the beach around 5:30 to collectively watch the sun go down. I’ve never been fortunate enough to witness such an incredible display of nature’s beauty. Being so close to the equator, it was a quick affair, and being southern facing, it meant that the sun set behind the horizon of the ocean. Each evening as it neared the water it would get bigger and bigger and glow darker and darker hues of deep red. When the fire met the water, thousands of people would howl, whoop, clap and cheer in praise and appreciation of the beauty of it. From the moment the sun kissed the water it would only be around 2 minutes before it was then fully submerged, as though the sun had sunk fully into the ocean. It was so magical, and such a profound experience to share with so many beautiful souls.

The food was also on another level. There was no meat in the festival and everything on offer was so delicious that there was no one complaining (plus the festival didn’t attract the die-hard meat eating types - I’m sure many people that attended did still have meat in their regular diet, but were more than happy to be in a place where it was not actually on offer). All of the vendors were selling the most unique and precious hand-made jewelry and clothes that came from all over the world, and I bought myself my first ever vest which I think has just become my favorite shirt ever. Pic to follow! This made it a joy just to browse all of the beautiful sparkly things that were on offer if you were ever in need of doing some window shopping.

Like all of Costa Rica, the people were so nice, and it was incredibly easy to make new friends everywhere you went. I was one of only a few British people there, and the majority of the crowd were from the US and Canada. It was really nice because, I’ve never had the chance to hang out with Americans and Canadians properly, especially the festival goers, and everyone was so gorgeous and wonderful, it was a nice experience for me and one that I very much enjoyed. Just like us, they know how to party and have a great time, and I met so many really beautiful people from all over that I really had a lot of fun with.

Permaculture is a big thing at Envision, and Steven, one of the founders and creators is a truly remarkable human being with so much knowledge on the entire subject, and alone has contributed so much to the country itself aside from what he does with Envision. His whole story is a huge inspiration, though it’s too long and I wouldn’t articulate it as well as he does so, you’re just going to have to make a trip to Envision festival yourself next year if you want to meet him and discover more about everything he has done and continues to do for the greater good of the Earth. But it’s people like him that make me realise I could be doing so much more to help our situation, and I am setting my intention to find new ways to be able to contribute in my own way after hearing his story and about the work he does.

At the end of the festival I stayed on to do a 2 day shamanic yoga retreat to finish everything off, and I’m so glad I did. On the first day I was feeling kinda low. Despite my last post, there were a few instances throughout the festival where I was struck with a feeling of loneliness, I missed my friends and I missed companionship. There was a lot of love at the festival and there was a part of me that felt lacking. Luckily, I was in the perfect place with the perfect people to do some healing. We were cooked 3 absolutely incredible vegan meals a day by a team of amazing souls who were so happy and felt totally privileged to be providing such nutritional and healthy food for us. Before each meal we would form a circle, hold hands, be told about the food we were about to eat, all give thanks and gratitude, and together we’d revel in the moment as Juan Pablo, the leader of the retreat, would share stories and lead us into the meal by making us all say ‘Yummmmm’ several times in our own way together in chorus… It was amazing. It really brought a strong sense of community and allowed us all to really bond together before we sat to eat the incredible food we’d been made. Juan Pablo was an wonderful dude, such immense energy, so playful and fun, and lead us through his own blend of energizing shamanic yoga each morning on the beach during sunrise - a special way to start the day. On the first night, when I was still feeling a little low, we all checked in together to see how each one of us was feeling. We got to talking about the whole ‘I’m not good enough’ belief that many of us have, and I felt that it was appropriate to share one of my poems with the group. The setting was magical - darkness, with coloured lights illuminating the magnificent trees around us, and fairy lights circling the whole group. Everyone was very impressed and throughout the next two days when we found ourselves together thanked me for sharing and told me how my words had effected them. The power of performance to heal me is incredible if I am not feeling quite myself, and yet again it aided me here in getting back to my normal self. After the first night, I was due to leave the next day at 1pm to get back to San Jose in time for my flight the following day. I told Juan Pablo the next morning after the beach front yoga and he said ‘Nooo man you can’t go! The real work is only just beginning!’…

I knew he was right.

So he told me of an airport close by which I could fly to San Jose in 20 minutes. Later that day, I used a friends phone to book a flight the next morning so that I could stay. Before that we did a 5 rhythms ecstatic dance workshop, and this provided the final release I needed. There’s still obviously an underlying sadness that my relationship had to come to an end last year, and it’s something that is very buried for it’s not until I go through an intense experience like Envision that it can start to surface again. Although I know beyond doubt that everything has it’s perfect place and time and has to happen, and how I was always supposed to take this journey alone to go and spread my message and my light to a wider audience, the dance was so healing as it allowed me to release some of what feels like the final few tears related to the big change that happened when we decided to split. I was so so thankful because, carrying anything like that around with me is only ever going to hold me back from achieving what I want to achieve. I put my hands together in gratitude, repeatedly and with utter sincerity thanking the universe for always putting me in the right place, with the perfect teachers and healers to help me grow and evolve as I continue on my journey. This was my first 5-rhythms dance class after being recommended it several times and wow, it was an incredible way to connect with your body and release stress and emotion that you may be holding on to. I will definitely be going back to more as and when I am able to.

Later that night after celebrating the sunset together on the beach, singing and dancing together in unison, we ate more incredible food and after we were treated with a Cacao ceremony, followed by more dancing and bonding as a group. This was our last night together, and although we’d only been together two days, when you share these experiences with each other, forming circles before every meal to learn, grow and express gratitude, and really bond in the way we did, it’s natural that no one wants to leave and feels ‘at home’ with their new tribe. I exchanged details with many as everyone was keen to read the poem I performed in writing as they all said it resonated very deeply with them (The poem I did was ‘Better Than You’ which I am about to release the video for - one that most if not all people can relate to). I received so many gifts and a great deal of healing throughout my 2 days after Envision, which gave me time to really reflect on the festival itself, the people I met and the wonderful experience I had just been blessed with. I was so glad that I paid extra to go VIP - as we were also fed amazing vegan food there, constant snacks, smoothies, fresh fruit, as well as having a vast shaded area with no close neighbors ensuring a peaceful place to go and relax when we needed it, whilst also being part of a great community of other VIPers - If you go to Envision - I highly recommend paying extra for these amazing benefits, most of which I haven’t listed here.

So I realised this was going to be the first time in my life after a festival that I would not be heading home afterwards. In fact, it’s the first time in my life that I don’t really have a home to go back to even if I wanted to. It was a kinda strange feeling and at first I thought it was going to be a real challenge. However, I have now made it to Panama and I am just finishing this post off before getting myself together to head to Tribal Gathering, and I’m really excited. Maybe that feeling will kick in again after I leave Tribal headed for Columbia. I am in the process of looking for that next place that I will one day be able to call ‘Home’, and right now Costa Rica is definitely at the top of the list of potential places.

I am so thankful for everyone I met there, for the amazing Karolina and the whole Quesada family that gave me the warmest welcome to their country I could ever have hoped for. To her best friend Yesi and her amazing family too. To everyone I met at San Jose backpackers, to Harriet for sharing some time with me here, and to every incredible soul that shared and co-created such an awe-inspiring week long ride at Envision festival. I am so blessed and many times throughout the festival I was laughing to myself out loud at how fucking incredible my life is… Then I saw what I think is the best sign I have ever seen bopping around and above the dancing crowd that simply stated on one side ‘I Love My Life!’ And ‘I Love You!!’ On the other side. Such a beautiful sign and it brought me a lot of laughter and joy as it coincided with my own thoughts with the exact same sentiment. I couldn’t help but hear the voice of Father Jack from the old classic comedy ‘Father Ted’ shouting it in his drunken way…. And it became my mantra for a time…

‘I Loveeeee My Lifeeeee!!!’

❤️

^^ A few pictures of the view from the beach as the sunsets into the water… Such a magical moment to share with a huge group of beautiful people. This is something that should be celebrated every day!

^^ The Lapa stage - this was home to the more 4/4 house and techno music that was at the festival, though it’s unfair to plaster those terms onto the music that was available here as it was so much more than that.

^^ 1 of over 100 pieces of incredible art that was in the art Gallery. This made me think of my amazing artist friend Shindy - the whole thing was done with a ball-point pen and depicted some sort of ego-death that is possible.. My thought was DMT or Ketamine provoked this… or perhaps a combination of the 2.

^^ This was probably my favorite piece in the gallery and I let myself get lost in it for some time. It also provided more inspiration for my next tattoo that I am planning so I had to get a photo of it.

^^ This was part of a collection of incredible wooden carvings / sculptures that were on show. All made from natural Canadian woods with no stains used. The complexity of it just blew my mind. See the others below made by the same artist. There were about 9 in total but I only captured these 3.

^^ During the last sunrise set Ely, the creator of this incredible sign, came bopping along and gave me an opportunity to capture a photo of this sign that brought me so much joy 😃 The letters were gold and the heart had a seed of life engraved in silver in it. Such a beautiful sign!