27 Jan 2021

Finn, Fishing and Friends.

by | posted in: Travel and Adventure, Travel Without | 22

Nothing makes a momma’s heart beam brighter than when her child lives his passion. To be more specific, I love it like crazy when Finn is more excited about doing outdoor adventure activities than playing those darn computer games!

Finn and his catch. He guts, filets and cooks his catch!

One major motivator for travels as a family is to provide situations where Finn can blossom. We were fairly certain this trip would deliver, and it has.

From the moment we arrived at Kandui Resort, Finn and Dylan have become fast-friends, tied together by cast-nets, fishing poles, lures, poppers and 80 pound braid.

Dylan and Finn Jetski Fishing.

It turns out they share a lot of common interests, not just fishing. Dylan (@alldaydylan) is the eldest son of Ray, Kandui Resort’s General Manager (@alldayray). Passionate about fishing, the two of them take off on the jetski any chance they get to go fishing. Dylan recently scored himself a beautiful new fishing pole set-up after working hard to perform an alley-oop (an advanced surfing maneuver that only the most determined and talented can pull off!). His daddy promised him a new fishing pole for completing the challenge and it arrived shortly after we got to the island. The two boys (12 and 11 years young) often return with quite the catch after running around on the jetski, exploring the reefs that rim the island.

Dylan, already a very talented young surfer, recently sponsored by a big name surf company, has a bright future in the industry. Finn, an avid boogie-boarder who declared at age 7 that he ‘quit surfing’ has inadvertently corrupted young Dylan who now prefers to boogie board too! Any chance he gets to borrow Finn’s board (the only one on the island!) he does… and has a blast!

This week was a highlight for Finn and therefore, for Finn’s parents.

Dylan, his younger brother Jayden, and Finn spent all day on the little island that sits 1km directly east of where we are staying. Accessible by paddleboard, dinghy, jetski or even a good long swim if we were so inclined, Snake Island is ideally situated for a DIY outdoor adventure camp. The perfect location for young boys to play around and try their hand at survival skills, fishing and making fires, without the constant watch of adults but close enough with a radio to call for help should anything go awry. The only problem- it isn’t named Snake Island for nothing. To be fair, the snakes are sea-snakes, and very shy. Highly venomous, yes. Aggressive, no. And Finn assures me that their small mouths are so small that they really could only bite the tip of a finger or the webbing between your fingers. He also informs me that they only sometimes inject their venom when they bite, not all the time. Ok kiddo. SMH.

Let’s just be clear here- one of my recurrent nightmares has always been one where I am stuck in a small space teeming with snakes. Usually, it’s a room of some kind, but an island has popped into the picture a few times. I have not set foot on Snake Island as yet, but I suspect Finn’s persistent requests will win out in the end and I will have to face yet another ‘fear’. Only my son can get me to willingly place my toes onto the golden sands of what is essentially snake central. I am told that any piece of driftwood, any compilation of natural debris and most certainly any excursion to the ‘interior’ of the island will yield plenty of slimy, squirmy serpents. While my nightmares have been intense, they don’t transfer into a fear of my son being harmed by snakes, so, I am strangely ok with his personal quest to convert Snake Island into his camp.

Guaranteed to spot a snake on this island!

The boys caught needlefish, grouper, and mackerel this one particular day, which was quite the haul of good edible fish. Many times, they would score bigger, yet not so delectable, Jack Trevalle which, once duly photographed and weighed, would be given to the locals who are less fastidious when it comes to what fish they are prepared to consume.

Dylan, Jayden and Finn on Snake Island

Super content to make fires, and cook up their fish, each boy chose slight variations in cooking styles- more smoked, more cooked, resembling sashimi, or burnt to a crisp! Finn says his fish turned out really yummy, partly cooked, partly smoked and very flavorful! He intends to use one of the giant shells as a soup-pot for his next culinary experiment, with some coconut meat thrown in for good measure.

Finn putting his YouTube education to good use 🙂

Without a table or place to serve the fish, the boys got creative. Fashioning a table out of driftwood, they realized they didn’t have anything clean to serve the fish on. Finn went to work to create a table-covering of sorts. Using palm fronds- not too young, not too old- he made a woven table-cloth. When I asked him how he learned that, he said ‘You-tube!’. I resist the inner teenager urge to roll my eyes and remain remarkably open-minded as to the potential merits of a YouTube education.

While the story is fun to share, it is what lies beneath the tale that truly makes my heart sing. For our son to be making new friends in a faraway land is huge. He is typically a shy kid who prefers the protective bubble of his known world, to the uncertainty of the new. For him to be in a place where he can be totally independent yet safe enough, and having experiences that nurture his inner resilience and boost his confidence is a dream come true for us as parents. Don’t get me wrong- our life in Costa Rica is lovely- but sometimes it takes displacing ourselves from our habits, our environment, and all the corresponding comforts, to really start sprouting new seeds.

While reading “I can See Clearly Now” by Dr Wayne Dyer this week, I came across a quote that struck me as timely, and timeless. Henry David Thoreau says: “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavours to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

May we all nurture our capacity to dream, and by doing so, create a life we love.

22 Responses

  3. Aimee
    |

    Fantastic stories!!!!
    This made my heart so full Corynne!!!!!
    Very impressed from ocean to plate !!!!!!

  4. Nants
    |

    Great stuff. Proud of my little man. Love you all to bits. Can’t wait for the next blog. What about that volcano?

    • travelwithintravelwithout
      |

      Thanks Nants! Yeah, he is totally content here for now! Love you to bits too! Volcanos all around! Undersea, above sea.. earthquakes too! It’s quite the ring of fire yeah?! xoxox

  6. Stefan Chico Lagro
    |

    Certainly enjoying this journey with you. Your thoughtful layering and coloring just gifted me a ten-minute vacation.

    Watching Finn navigate this unique path of maturity is without a doubt extra special to both Pop & Mum.
    I can fully relate.

  7. Rosie
    |

    So happy for you all that this trip is rewarding you in so many ways and loving to see Finn and his adventures.
    💕

  8. Rosie
    |

    So happy for you all that this trip is rewarding you in so many ways and loving to see Finn and his adventures.

    • travelwithintravelwithout
      |

      Thank you Rosie! Dad was first to start me off on traveling… Fiji at 8 and Thailand at 14… must have planted a seed way back then. But I remember being in Fiji and absolutely not wanting the fish to be around my feet. I was sure they would nibble at my toes haha!!

  9. Laura
    |

    Yes! Finn is thriving. A beautiful share. Such a gift to find that perfect balance. Xo

    • travelwithintravelwithout
      |

      Thank you Laura! You remain one of his favorite teachers!! Thanks for inspiring in him a sense of wonder and adventure too, leading by example! All the best to you and your lovely family xoxo

  10. Lara
    |

    Awesome mate. The ability to learn and experience in real life is very rare.