Costa Rica and Mexico 2019

Some shots from two trips to Central America for the first time(s).

View this post on Instagram

over 6 months since my last post.. wow. when I started this account I was aiming to try to be like most travel accounts and pump out content on a regular basis, but that’s difficult when you work full-time and don’t travel on a regular basis. once I realized I would run out of “good” content trying to keep up, I totally changed how I wanted to share content. I love taking photos and capturing moments of my trips, but I sometimes find myself obsessed over getting the perfect shot instead of putting the camera/phone down and just taking in the world with my own eyes instead to help cement the memory in my own head. I have so many more photos and stories that don’t make it to this account but I try to at least get the highlights out here. I hate feeling tied to the phone and needing to post on a trip.. I much prefer to intake all the media and share it later once the trip is over. This seems to help immerse myself better in the trip and worry about social media later. I love being able to share the photos I worked hard to take and experiences I achieved as a result of adventure – I just never want to feel obligated to HAVE to post. I’ve definitely moved towards Quality > Quantity and would rather not post at all then force content just to stay relevant. So if you’re still reading this… thank you. All you got was 6 paragraphs of text after 6 months of no photos but hopefully you’ll enjoy the photos I’ll be posting soon. Spoiler alert: If you don’t like Costa Rica, unfollow now because it’s the only trip I’ve taken since my last post and it’s going to consume my feed! oh yea.. the photo: I have no idea what this is but it looked cool from the plane. #somewherenearbelize

A post shared by Brian DeFrees (@triplapser) on

View this post on Instagram

I sometimes have anxiety and fear of visiting high traffic and extremely tourist places. Large crowds and noisy kids usually make it hard for me to appreciate the beauty of whatever place I’m visiting. It took some serious convincing to myself to visit possibly the most popular place in Costa Rica and I almost turned the car around when I reached the entrance based on the volume of people around. Once I got in, I was just going to walk through take some photos and leave. Someone approached me at the entrance about doing a tour and I accepted. This was actually one of the best decisions of the trip. While alone time and serenity are important, sharing stories and meeting strangers is equally important… especially when traveling alone. In this short tour I met people from all over the world and was absolutely floored by how skilled our guide was at spotting the wildlife…I simply would have missed the best parts of this place had I decided to walk it on my own.

A post shared by Brian DeFrees (@triplapser) on

View this post on Instagram

After leaving touristy Manual Antonio I decided to divert off the only main highway back to San Jose and take what looked like an alternate paved route instead. The route was almost never paved until I got back to San Jose but what it lacked in convenience it gained in scenery. I started by the sea and went high into the mountains before ending back in the city. There were barely any other cars and I got to experience a more honest and personal view of Costa Rica that most tourists never will. What I didn’t take in photos I remember in my head of the many families walking the roads, hanging at the local bars, gathering by motorcycles for the afternoon small town soccer matches. I stopped the car at some of the most tranquil and scenic places to try to take it in, enjoying brief thunderstorms in between.

A post shared by Brian DeFrees (@triplapser) on

View this post on Instagram

friday night street jammin’

A post shared by Brian DeFrees (@triplapser) on

View this post on Instagram

Mho you lookin’ at?

A post shared by Brian DeFrees (@triplapser) on