Memoirs of a Masseur

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away”, Pablo Picasso Last month, I entered my fifty-third year of living and have been contemplating the essence of my motivation when I wake up each morning. I discuss this with my peers,

Seasonal living is a challenge for every local here in Manuel Antonio. It has amazing advantages as well. For us involved in tourism and in the service industry our schedules are often hectic and spontaneous. People on vacation tend to change their minds, not realize transportation times or the wear

Energy is an interesting thing. Sometimes I feel like I live in a video game, and I have a power bar that goes up and down. Energy is an intricate part of my everyday light. I perceive it. It is something I play with, debate with, but mainly try to

Our lively hood here in Manuel Antonio is based on tourism, or at least mine is, profoundly. This is no surprise to the tourist or a local reading this article. For almost a quarter of a century I have been hustling massages, surf lessons, English lessons (back in the day)

“Honestly, I might have said that but I meant something else.” Confusing yes­? There is a situation happening in Manuel Antonio that makes me sick to my stomach. Integrity of a person or a group is often found in actions, not words. Like a politician or a street hustler, words

My dad is the biggest influence in my life. He tried to teach me everything that brought him success all while learning to be a new father and managing a three-child family at a young age. He taught me the lessons of life through sports, everything was an analogy. As

The phrase “a million little things” is what I tell people when they ask me about my experiences living in Costa Rica. Keep in mind I am not complaining, I am simply bringing to light that the cultural differences between any two countries often can’t be realized without a full

“Because an illusion is an illusion. Reality always exists despite the facade.” Kasie West Sometimes, particularly when I travel, the world seems odd to me. I’m not sure if it is my aging process, being an ex-pat for 25 years, or just a uniquely “Todd” way of looking at things.

What do you live for? That is my question this month. I’ll confess that my top three motivations in life are family and friends meaning quality time amongst them. Secondly is being passionate with the time I am gifted when massaging other people, meaning my work. Lastly time spent doing

“The best is yet to come” is something I remind myself of every day. Our life stories never stop happening. Sometimes our actions may seem repetitive or boring yet our lives are in constant change, evolving us into who we are becoming next. Like day to night, like seasons or

Anniversaries, birthdays, and general celebrations are the fruits of living. They are the times to gather with friends and loved ones to relax and celebrate. Sometimes there is music and food, other times there are libations and dance, but always remains the vibrations of love, comradery, and playfulness. The fact

Memoirs of a Masseur May/June 2023 – Todd Pequeen Washing sheets is one of my favorite daily activities. Washing machine, dryer (21 years after moving here I finally purchased a dryer as I previously hung my laundry), folding and putting away. Why? You ask. Washing sheets directly correlates to the

THE JOY OF BOREDOM – Todd Pequeen In my past I have lived out of a van. My tent has also been my home next to a lazy Colorado River. In my future I hope to again have my bed, kitchen, and living area in five meters of space. For

R.I.P. The End of an Era by Todd Pequeen ICON—noun—a person or thing regarded as a representative symbol or as worthy of profound respect. BARBA ROJA—restaurant—from 1975 until February of 2023. The most fabled establishment of Manuel Antonio’s history was laid to rest last month. It is now only spoken

Happy Face – Todd Pequeen I was leaving a client’s room last week and she looked at me with an intensity that was alarming at first. She was on her second day of vacation and we had just finished an amazing ninety-minute session. “Is everyone as happy and nice as