Memoirs of a Masseur

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

Germinate by Todd Pequeen Welcome back to the Quepolandia. What a breath of fresh air! In 22 years of writing for this publication I have never been edited or advised on a topic. My writing meanderings have been, some would say, all over the road. My original Health is Wealth

We are born into this world from a liquid state.  Then gravity takes hold. Although our bodies are 75% water, the earths gravitational pull toward it’s center gives us our body mass. It is our friend, it keeps us grounded. From the moment of birth this pull is the weight

I love Manuel Antonio. I sincerely do, with all my heart. In the past year I have been asked, more than ever before, about the validity of the community and its future. There are plenty of doubts, questioning, and sometimes negativity that gets filtered through me while I am massaging

Most nights I go to bed around 9:00 pm and wake up at 5:00 am. That said, my schedule varies widely due to being an independent massage therapist and completely submerged into the ebb and flow of tourism. I rarely have a set schedule and more often than not my

I woke up early today. The clock said 4:40. I am not a religious man but when I am in a creative artistic mood my mind does funny things. I have never done this before and I wouldn’t label myself as a religious man but I opened my laptop and

What’s better than a massage? A good night of sleep! This month’s article is dedicated to my wife and to those out there that suffer from insomnia or simply turning off those monkey minds… Solid sleep habits, especially when accomplished night after night, is truly an essential elixir to a

I moved to Costa Rica the day after my nephew turned one year old in May of 2000. It seems as though some time has passed. He just came down for a three-week visit, is now a graduate of Florida State University, and will be twenty-three in May. I could

I have been writing since I can remember. I was first published in second grade for a poem I wrote about a cat named Scat, that I didn’t even own nor did it exist. My Buffalo, N.Y. family never had pets, nor am I big fan of them today as

It is August of 2000 and after traveling up and down the coasts of Costa Rica for two months my destiny brought me to Quepos. I had been in Jaco and paid a taxi driver/friend $20 to drop me off on the beach here in Manuel Antonio. I remember giving

I tell my nieces and nephews to not be part of the herd. I suggest that they live their lives in a conscious manner recognizing what their peers are doing then choosing to do the opposite. I believe that creating an exceptional and rewarding life often means finding unique ways

I expand my possibilities by cultivating the opposite in myself. When I was young, I did not have much choice. As an adult I do, so I use my free will to be the antagonist from within. I understand that no matter how correct I think my decisions are, or

Has anyone recently reminded you that life is supposed to be lived passionately and led by the heart? Too much practical thinking and uninspired months then years will make even the best of us sink into the depths of depression, thoughtless routine, and boredom. I was reminded of this by

I spend a lot of time outside. Particularly in my garden around plants and trees. Although I have no formal training I had landscaping jobs as a teen and into my twenties; in college my work study job was in the university greenhouse, growing plants for science experiments and observations.