🇺🇸002: Jose Zambrano, USA, 1 year
Photos (left to right): 5-year-old Jose with his mother in Venezuela, at his cafe Guayoyo in Playas del Coco and Chasing waterfalls
This week in episode 2 we will hear from Jose Zambrano, a 28-year old born in California. Jose chats with us about being truly happy, why there is more to life than working a 9-5 job and waking up and hearing the birds.
Full name: Jose Zambrano
Age: 28
City of birth: Los Angeles, USA
Residence in Costa Rica: Playas del Coco, Guanacaste
Instagram: @mr_j_z
Instagram: @guayoyo_cr
Email: josezamb10@gmail.com
Transcription
Anisa Hill [0:05]:
G’Day friends. I'm Anisa Hill and welcome to the Move to Costa Rica podcast. Here we tell the stories of people who have done just that, moved to Costa Rica. This Week in Episode Two, we will hear from Jose Zambrano, a 28 year old born in California. Jose chats with us about being truly happy, why there is more to life than working a nine to five job, and waking up and hearing the birds. If you like this episode, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts by searching for Move to Costa Rica podcast. Before we dive in, remember to subscribe for new episodes released every Thursday, head to triple W dot move to Costa Rica podcast.com. This podcast was recorded in the office of Atlas Trust and Escrow in Playas Del Coco Costa Rica. Without any further delay, here is your host, Malcolm Hill.
Malcolm Hill [1:04]:
So G’Day friends, we are here today with my good mate, Jose Zambrano. Am I saying it correct?
Jose Zambrano [1:12]:
Zambrano, that's good.
Malcolm Hill [1:14]:
Zambrano. And Jose is going to give us a bit more info on his story in just a second. And his background, but to the best of my knowledge. Were you born in the US or born in Venezuela mate?
Jose Zambrano [1:27]:
Born in the US.
Malcolm Hill [1:29]:
Born in the US?
Jose Zambrano [1:29]:
Born in California. Los Angeles, California.
Malcolm Hill [1:32]:
And let's begin with kind of your upbringing.
Jose Zambrano [1:38]:
Yeah, interesting. Very interesting. And I've told this to a handful of people. Not too many people because it has a lot of layers. And it has a lot of episodes, I guess, chapters. But born in Los Angeles, California, my parents were very young when they moved to LA. And it was a very spur of the moment decision for them from what I know from the stories that they've told me.
Malcolm Hill [2:03]:
They moved to LA from where?
Jose Zambrano [2:05]:
Venezuela.
Malcolm Hill [2:06]:
Okay.
Jose Zambrano [2:07]:
Valencia, Venezuela is where my family's originally from.
Malcolm Hill [2:11]:
And do you know the year that they actually moved?
Jose Zambrano [2:15]:
To LA? Yeah, moved to LA in 19. I want to say in 19, either 89 or 1990. One of those two years.
Malcolm Hill [2:23]:
And you're a 91 baby am I right?
Jose Zambrano [2:28]:
I'm a 91, correct.
Malcolm Hill [2:29]:
91 okay.
Jose Zambrano [2:31]:
Yeah. So within those two years, there was a very sporadic, they were around, I want to say 19, 20 years old, both of them. And it was a very sporadic move. Young, adventurist, you know, let's go to LA. They had a couple friends that they knew were already living in LA and, and they just went for it. And then within those two to three years that they were in LA, making their lives working and everything, that's when I came to live. That's when I was born.
Malcolm Hill [2:58]:
Brothers or sisters? Like, were you the first child?
Jose Zambrano [3:02]:
I was the first. And the first and only with my mom and my dad. So that's where it gets interesting. So within the year, so I was born within the year they decided to move back. My mom, she misses her family, they never finished university. My dad, he's working like three jobs, you know, LA life, metropolitan city, working three jobs, and they're having a good time. But it's like they were fine in Venezuela. And why go through all the pressure when you can just go back? I guess. That's their story. But I go back to Venezuela, my parents divorce, and that's where I live in Venezuela from year one till I was eight.
Malcolm Hill [3:48]:
Wow. [Inaudible 3:49].
Jose Zambrano [3:50]:
Correct. So that's why Spanish is actually my first language.
Malcolm Hill [3:54]:
Okay. And whereabouts in Venezuela were you living for those, like seven years?
Jose Zambrano [4:00]:
Well, Valencia. So my parents go directly back to where they grew up, where they lived their entire lives, to where their families are from basically. So I live in Valencia, I don't remember much of Venezuela. What I do remember is the vibe, the culture, you know, the way people treat one another. So and then obviously the culture and then the language, that's what I attained from living the first eight years of my life. And then I go and then my family, my mom, she's now divorced from my dad, but she's met another gentleman. So she's married to another gentleman. And, we all come back to LA. My mom has this image of LA she's already lived there, she has contacts there. And this is around 2000 around 1999 slash 2000. End of 1999 beginning of 2000. And this is when Hugo Chavez gets elected.
Malcolm Hill [4:58]:
Hugo Chavez was elected I guess you'd call him a populist official. And he made some radical changes to the Constitution of Venezuela to the best of my knowledge. And he made much of the oil revenue that the country was receiving. He made that, like state owned business. And many would say that it was the beginning of the end for the Venezuelan wars with Iran.
Jose Zambrano [5:28]:
Yes, 110%. I mean, this guy, he basically took everything that Venezuela was known for, which is we got tourism in Venezuela, the infrastructure in Venezuela was at its peak. I mean, it was extremely modern and he pocketed everything. Although around this time, it wasn't the idea. You know, like you said, it was a populist vote. It just, it was a gradual change, he started seeing the power, he started seeing the money. And then he started just, you know, taking over kind of the government, and started putting places and he started putting people in the right places, so that he can technically own the government. And we get to where we are now, Venezuela, is now which is the country's literally dried up. There's no money, there's no tourism, there's nothing coming in, nothing going out. There is no imports or exports, and there is nothing being produced in the country, which is very sad for a country that has oil, you know. So going back to the story. So around 1999, 2000, my mom decides to move back to the US, she's already has a life in accounting. So she's like, I have contacts, I want to work over there, I want to give my kids a better life, especially knowing that I'm a US citizen. Around this time, she has a newborn, which is my little sister with the new gentleman that she's married to around this time. So she says, you know, life in the US is 10 times better for raising a family for the economy. And she never believed in Hugo Chavez from t the start. And, it was a smart decision slash lucky decision. It all fell into place at the right time, because she decided to move and then look how the government ended up, you know, evolving into. But from my…
Malcolm Hill [7:18]:
Mom's new man, before you moved back. He is Venezuelan?
Jose Zambrano [7:25]:
He's Venezuelan. So they met in Venezuela as well. They met where they worked, and she worked at a local newspaper, in Venezuela. That's where they met. And then that's where their relationship started. So we move back so this is my first big move that I can remember, you know? So this is gonna lay out the entire path of my life all the way until now. Which is I move at eight years old to Venezuela or to US, from Venezuela to US. Yep, we're living in a garage of a house in downtown LA, we're talking like I see my hat or I see the garage that I'm living in. It's a one bedroom garage in the back of a house. I can see it in the local news on a regular basis because around this time is where you have all the gangs uprising, you know? All the gangs are going nuts, and just violence in LA.
Malcolm Hill [8:22]:
So those who know LA, which exact area in LA were you?
Jose Zambrano [8:6]:
Downtown LA. So my mom worked in Vernon, Vernon, which is a subsidy of LA, of downtown LA. And we were right there, Huntington Park, Vernon, I mean, all that area, that’s where we lived. And she had picked that place because her contacts coming back and getting a job and getting referrals were in downtown LA so she had no idea. But, I start school I learn English within two to three months. I mean, I'm getting like, it's a perfect time. So if you have any kids perfect time to teach them different languages, I would recommend it 7, 6, 7, 8 years old. I mean, I learned it in three, two to three months. I mean, I was getting awards left and right just because I had a special tutor and then I was also learning in English but I was having a special tutor in Spanish. But this is where it gets interesting because we're living downtown LA and quickly my mom sees the violence, sees the criminal activity, we need to move. So we moved to Downey, which is not far from downtown LA. It's I want to say it's 30, 45 minutes, but you can see a better neighborhood. You can see that there's no graffiti on the walls. You can see that your house is not showing up on a regular night at nine o'clock news, you know. So we moved to Downey. Within months, we moved to Downey to an apartment, small apartment. And now we're living four people in a small one bedroom apartment. Within a few months, we moved to Buena Park a little bit further And this and I'm going through this is downtown LA Downey is a bit further south than LA and then Buena Park is closer to Orange County, Anaheim. Winter Park is where Knott's Berry Farm is located.
Malcolm Hill [10:12]:
Is Buena Park still in LA County or is it in Orange County?
Jose Zambrano [10:19]:
I believe so. I believe its border of LA County.
Malcolm Hill [10:22]:
Okay.
Jose Zambrano [10:23]:
And then it starts with Anaheim County which is you got Fullerton and all that I feel like. I'm not quite sure where the boundaries are at. But, move to Winter Park and I'm talking it hasn't even been a year. And then the last move we go to Santa Clarita, which is the biggest move which is when my mom within that year she decided to buy a house. She was able to buy a house within a year, which is amazing, you know, very progressive. And Santa Clarita is the complete opposite of Winter Park as far as geographical location. We're looking at Buena Park is south of LA. When Santa Clarita Valley is north of LA, it's literally the most northeast of LA you can go before you get into like Fresno, before you get into like a foreign copy of California. Yes, correct. And Santa Clarita is where I have my upbringing. So within that year, I go from Venezuelan school, Downey school, Buena Park School, no Venezuelan school, LA school, Downey school, Winter Park School and Santa Clarita School. We’re looking at five elementary schools just within fifth and sixth grade.
Malcolm Hill [11:36]:
And you were 9?
Jose Zambrano [11:39]:
And I'm in between eight and nine, correct. Just within that year, and I finally settle in Santa Clarita and I'm in sixth grade. And at that first, like any kid, it's difficult, you know; new language, new culture. And economical structures were the hardest part for me, because I go from Venezuela, which everybody is very collectivistic kind of very similar to here Costa Rica, you know? People have long conversations, because they really do care about you. That same thing in Venezuela, it's very Latin oriented, very collectivistic. In LA, it's not like that, you know, so I go from a…
Malcolm Hill [12:19]:
Faster pace. You are right, you don’t have as much time typically for those longer conversations.
Jose Zambrano [12:26]:
More materialistic. I mean, there's a good old saying in LA or in California in general, which is the fact that you can know your neighbor, but that's it. You can say hi to him, but he could easily be killing people or stone, you know, putting people into his basement and not know about it. Just because literally people leave their home at six in the morning, they go to work, they come back and that's all you get as far as dealing with people. Exactly.
Malcolm Hill [12:51]:
Yeah.
Jose Zambrano [12:53]:
So and then the economical differences were downtown LA, we're looking at you know, it's very overpopulated with Mexicans in LA. So Mexican friends very humble, very poor, economical structure in downtown LA. To Downey and Buena apart, Buena Park is mainly composed of an Asian community and more upscale, but still in LA. And then in Santa Clarita, we’re talking like it was a complete 180 turn. I go to high school in Santa Clarita and there's kids getting BMWs as their 16th birthday, you know. So this is the drastic change, you know. I'm looking at like, I'm going to my friend's parties, and they have mansions. And I'm like, Okay, this is gonna be fun. This is gonna be different.
Malcolm Hill [13:38]:
First of all, you were a nine year old kid. And you were going through all of those changes. Spanish first language, you quickly learn English. How did people place you as a kid? Like did anybody know what a Venezuelan was? Or was it like?
Jose Zambrano [13:58]:
Not at all? I was Latino. Exactly. I was automatically placed into the demographic or the stereotype Mexican. Because I would safely assume that Mexicans or Latins in California, Southern California are actually the majority compared to the typical white, Caucasian you know. Just because there are so many Mexicans that just crossed the border. And they're Salvadorians. And there's, I'm sure there's been Venezuelans but primarily you got the Mexican culture. And you see it. I mean, there's Mexican towns in downtown LA where it's completely everything's in Spanish. Just like there's Korea Town. There's just like there's Chinatown for Mexican is the primary demographic in downtown LA so I was placed into that demographic.
Malcolm Hill [14:50]:
So you go...
Jose Zambrano [14:51]:
Especially within my friends.
Malcolm Hill [14:53]:
You go through high school in this, was it Santa Clarita? Is that where you then stayed for the next few years?
Jose Zambrano [15:05]:
Yes, I stayed in Santa Clarita, actually Valencia, Santa Clarita, which is very interesting. There's only a few Valencia's in the world. I've already lived in two of them, the other one is in Italy. But Valencia, Santa Clarita, that's where I live. And I go through, I finished my elementary school, which is the sixth grade, which is when I arrived. Go through high school, and high school in US I don't know if it's the same for Australia. Well, first we go junior high, which is seventh and eighth grade, and then ninth through 12th. Right, we go through.
Malcolm Hill [15:35]:
We have yeah, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve. And that's your high school. And you grew up, like depending on when your birthday is you graduate when you're 17 or 18.
Jose Zambrano [15:46]:
Gotcha. So we split that up in LA at least we split it up with junior high, which is the Midway school in between Elementary School and high school, seventh and eighth, and then we got ninth 10th 11th and 12th in high school. Then I do College in Santa Clarita, so I stay another two to three years in Santa Clarita.
Malcolm Hill [16:08]:
So is it same…
Jose Zambrano [16:11]:
Same town.
Malcolm Hill [16:12]:
Same city?
Jose Zambrano [16:14]:
Same suburbs, 10, 15 minutes away from where I lived. I started working my last year of high school. So I had an ongoing job. So there's a difference between college and university in the states in the US. College is more of a technical degree that you can obtain. And typically, if you want to go to a big corporation technical degree doesn't really get you there. You got to get that bachelor's. The bachelor's degree is where you get after a four year schooling system, which is a university right? But I do college because I didn't know what I wanted to do. I don't know what I want to study. I'm working on making a little bit of money. I'm still hanging out with my friends. I'm just turning 18, 19, 20. So Hollywood's right around the corner. So you know, I'm starting to party. And then when I graduate college, which is when I find out, listen, I love communications, I'm already in sales, I'm already working with people. And I decided I want to take on communications as my career. I look at two schools. And one of them is in Fullerton. So it's either I go back to Orange County area, Southern California. And the other one is UC Santa Barbara, University of California in Santa Barbara. And I freaking loved it, man. I mean, the campus is beautiful. And the reason for this is because the school has about 20 to 30,000 students, and they're all living within a square mile radius, within a three kilometer radius right in front of the beach. So very fortunate, very blessed. And the best part is, it's like I keep working. My parents helped me out a little bit, but I know I have to keep working just so I'm not in debt. Around this time, Uber starts coming up and about.
Malcolm Hill [17:58]:
Okay, so what year are we up to around now? Maybe 2012 2013?
Jose Zambrano [18:05]:
No, because I graduated 2010 High School. Yeah, I did three years in community college.
Malcolm Hill [18:12]:
Yeah.
Jose Zambrano [18:13]:
So 2013. So 2013 is actually when I go to UC Santa Barbara, University of UCSB, and it's in 2013.
Malcolm Hill [18:21]:
You would have been there for four years?
Jose Zambrano [18:24]:
Typically, if I would have gone there as a freshman, then yes, but since I had already done the technical work, the technical degree, which is an associate's degree in communication. That kind of levels me up to a junior. That puts me at a Junior Grade. And all I need is to complete the last two years. And that completes the four year mark. And the best part is, I had a good time, man. And one thing I've learned about life is like, if you're having a good time, then everything just kind of falls into place. And I'm not talking about having a good time, because of the party. I'm talking about being truly satisfied with yourself, being truly happy. I mean, when I moved to Santa Barbara, I had no idea what Santa Barbara was. I didn't go with any friends from high school, none of them met the requirements. It was a tough school to get into. And it was completely new. It was my first adventure solo, you know? Moving to a whole new city, living by myself, and I lived it. Man, best decision best time of my life because I was a good college kid who went out to eat whenever he felt like it, paid my entire college career, you know. Whether it's books to going out, and then some and then I saved a lot of the money as well.
Malcolm Hill [19:46]:
Unreal.
Jose Zambrano [19:47]:
And this is where the adventure starts. I think to myself, I was like, I always told myself I wanted to travel. I always told myself I didn't want to be in a committed relationship because I wanted to travel. I always told myself I didn't want to get a job right after college because I wasn't ready for the real world, I wanted to travel. Traveling was just in my head.
Malcolm Hill [20:04]:
Just there.
Jose Zambrano [20:05]:
It was there, exactly. And I saw an opportunity with UC Santa Barbara. Since I was going to graduate, I could not be another year in campus. But I could. There was a loophole in the system. If I told them that I needed more credits, then I could be another year as a student in a different campus. And I said, what are my options? And they said the world. I said, Thailand it is. And this is why I said, let's do it. As soon as I graduate college, or in “graduate”, I do the whole walking ceremony. Basically, I walk, but I don't get my certificate till a year later, because I told them, I need more extracurricular credits, more time, and I used that, basically student visa to move to Thailand. So how do I find next…
Malcolm Hill [20:56]:
Why Thailand
Jose Zambrano [20:59]:
In my head, I wanted to get a different experience out of the world. In the sense I already understood the Venezuelan collectivistic culture, I moved to the US and I understood the materialistic and the shark mentality that US and being in LA, kind of drills into you. And I thought to myself, you know, I want to go to Europe, but I feel like it's going to be somewhat similar to what I already know. I want to do something just completely different. And that's when I kept telling everybody. Everybody kept asking me the same exact question, why Thailand, you're not going to come back. And guess what people would tell me?
Malcolm Hill [21:40]:
It's pretty. Like and it's not necessarily somewhere. I've been, thankfully, very luckily to Thailand twice.
Jose Zambrano [21:50]:
Yeah.
Malcolm Hill [21:52]:
When I was there, I'm interested to hear your experience about it. For me, it was amazing and spectacular. And there are cultural things, which were really exciting. However, it wasn't somewhere I could see myself feeling as though kind of always one of like, I could integrate into the culture. That's the best one. Yeah. So when you went to Thailand, what did you do?
Jose Zambrano [22:17]:
I went to Thailand. Remember, I was still a student. So I still had to go to school. But I took all Thai classes, which was very interesting to study Buddhism, studied Thai history, Thai culture.
Malcolm Hill [22:27]:
In English obviously, I guess.
Jose Zambrano [22:30]:
In English, yep. English. Correct.
Malcolm Hill [22:31]:
Okay, so you've been in Thailand for years, did you head back to California after that?
Jose Zambrano [22:38]:
I did. So I come back to California and I'm just scavenging for a job. And I go through about three or four different companies. And then the last company or the last brand that I worked for, which actually leads me right up to Costa Rica, is Eco Shield. So I started listening to audiobooks, I started listening to yeah, pretty much audio books, very spiritually based audio books. Wayne Dyer off the top of my head is basically one of the guys that kind of led my spiritual knowledge and led me to finding myself, led me to connecting with myself, and led me to thinking that there is more to life than working a nine to five job, you know. And already living in Thailand already kind of process this information. Wayne Dyer, which is giving me the words to my thoughts, which is awesome. Then obviously, I started talking to my mom about Wayne Dyer, which she's my biggest supporter in everything that I do. Me and my mother, like, you know, two peas in a pod. And she starts feeding me information. And then, we start going into Esther Hicks, we start going into YouTube channels, you know. So just different people who are correlated within the same line of work, which is I think Wayne Dyer says he says, My goal in life is to help people, is to teach self-reliance is what Wayne Dyer he's dead now, but that was his legacy. I want to teach self-reliance. And that's ultimately what I obtained from him.
Malcolm Hill [24:19]:
So question, you working as an account manager?
Jose Zambrano [24:25]:
An executive, yeah.
Malcolm Hill [24:26]:
Not exactly.
Jose Zambrano [24:28]:
Manager.
Malcolm Hill [24:29]
You drive all over LA, you
Jose Zambrano [24:30]:
Listening to Wayne Dyer? This is…
Malcolm Hill [24:31]:
All day long. Mind boggling my head. Yeah. You're Brian's exploding with ideas.
Jose Zambrano [24:35]:
Yeah.
Malcolm Hill [24:36]:
How does Costa Rica come into the picture? And is this about two years ago now?
Jose Zambrano [24:43]:
So this is about four years ago because there's one more company before I come to Costa Rica eco shield. And in the back of my head was I'm doing this to traveling. I'm doing this to get out of the rat race. I wanted to get out of the rat race. September 4th is my birthday. So September 1 hits, and I book it. I think this is the first year after working with Eco Shield. So then this is when I visit Australia. This is when I visit New Zealand. I visit Umberto, Buenos Aires is right beside.
Malcolm Hill [25:18]:
Umberto for those listening is Jose's cousin to the best of my knowledge. I guess, to primo and primo. And explain that encounter with Umberto. Because I imagine that's going to tie really nicely into this Costa Rica story. So let's talk Buenos Aires that's in Argentina and Umberto was hidden. What was Umberto doing there at the time?
Jose Zambrano [25:46]:
So around this time, around the same 20 years that I'm out of Venezuela, he's also been out of Venezuela. Except his path was he goes to London, studies, culinary food and beverage, moves to Venezuela, stays a couple years in Venezuela and then ends up finishing his schooling in Buenos Aires. So he has all the connections in Buenos Aires. He did all his schooling. And that's when he actually started to work for Four Seasons in Buenos Aires in Argentina. I'm like, I'm thinking to myself, and I'm thinking who I can partner up with. I'm thinking who I can create a business with. And that's when Umberto comes into my head. And I call him up out of the blue.
Malcolm Hill [26:26]:
You’d just been to Argentina to see him or you…
Jose Zambrano [26:27]:
I had not been there.
Malcolm Hill [26:39]:
Okay.
Jose Zambrano [26:30]:
This is still September. This is I just finished off Eco Shield, I'm celebrating my birthday. This is September, and I'm in my head I'm like remember I did this job so that I can create something. And I call up Umberto right out of the blue. I hadn't even met him as an adult. I knew him when I was a child yet they had been 20 years window in between since I had last seen him. I mean, Umberto has a kid, Umberto is married, Umberto has worked at a cruise line. He's traveled all around the world, and is now living in Buenos Aires.
Malcolm Hill [27:05]:
And as a chef, right?
Jose Zambrano [27:08]:
As a chef, yeah. He started off as a chef. Yeah, he started off as a cook moved up as a chef. And then in Buenos Aires when he got hired on for the Four Seasons team. He was actually more manager duty, manager type of work. But I call him up right out of the blue. I said, cousin. We haven't talked in years. And if we talked it was like how are you happy birthday? I mean, nothing. Really? Nothing. Yes, very superficial conversations. And I knew he was doing big things in the sense of travel. He was very like-minded. We were very similar in those things. I just never knew him as an adult. And I said, Listen, I'm working the rat race. I'm working corporate America. I want to leave this corporate America lifestyle. And I know you have kind of the same edge. And if anything, he's 10 years older than me so I know he has more experience in the work field than I do. So I'm thinking cousin let's do something let's make this happen. And the first thing he says is like well, I don't know you, you don't know me. Come down and check it out. I mean, Argentina is beautiful. Buenos Aires has a lot of sorry, somebody knocked on the door who said Buenos Aires is a lot of money. Buenos Aires is a lot of activity, we can make something happen. And within a week I’m in Buenos Aires. I stay in his house, met Susan, which I've never met before. Met Susan, met Samuel, which is my little cousin, spent almost a month. Spent three weeks with them. And around December he calls. Umberto calls me up and says they're giving me a promotion with the Four Seasons to move to Costa Rica.
Malcolm Hill [28:47]:
Okay.
Jose Zambrano [28:48]:
And it's a promotion. I'm going to be subdirector to food and beverage, blah, blah, blah. It's like, you know, I got to think for my family. And it's moving closer to Venezuela. It's moving close to the US. I'm going to take this opportunity is what Umberto tells me.
Malcolm Hill [29:02]:
So you have this phone call with Umberto, he sparks the seed of something here in Costa Rica or how did that turn out?
Jose Zambrano [29:09]:
That's exactly it. That’s exactly how it went down. And he's already been working for a year in the Four Seasons Costa Rica. And he says listen, I have the same tingly feeling I want to get out of my corporate job. Let's pick this subject back up and let's do something. Let's create something. He starts calling me he started saying you know, I want to get out of the rat race. I want to get out of the corporate job, the Four Seasons. I've been here too long. And it's just not working out for me. This is November, December. He says I'm in the middle of festive season. Right since high season was not when he's working nonstop. You know it better than I do. He gives me a call and says listen, I have a chance to get out of this corporate job. They're going to leave me off with a good pension because he had already worked with them in Buenos Aires so he had this a couple years. Yeah. And then at the same time, he's having this newborn Benjamin. So he's like, I got to make a decision. If we do this, we either stay here in Costa Rica, and Benjamin is a Tico is born in Costa Rica and then I can apply for residency and whatnot. Or I have to look into you know, going back to Buenos Aires which is where my contacts are at, which is where I graduated college, and I have networks. Or, I look into moving to Venezuela, or I look into moving into the US, but…
Malcolm Hill [30:34]:
It was hard for him.
Jose Zambrano [30: 37]:
For Umberto, correct. And I told him and I said, Umberto, this is perfect. Actually the fact that we're in Costa Rica is we’re only five hours away from LA. So even better. The culture is very similar to US, because it's, you know, because I've had these times over centuries, you know, let's go for it. What's your idea? Because I've never been to Costa Rica in my life. I don't even know what in my head at this time is I think of Costa Rica and I think jungle, I think beach, and I think monkeys. Which is I think that the stereotype of Costa Rica for any American.
Malcolm Hill [31:12]:
That's what you knew.
Jose Zambrano [31:15]:
That's all I knew about Costa Rica. And I think if you watch the Zac Efron special, that's all he mentioned, to where are the monkeys, where are the monkeys. But anyways,
Malcolm Hill [31:23]:
About Costa Rica, Umberto convinces you like there and then to start a business or does he say, Come on down? Check it out?
Jose Zambrano [31:30]:
No, no, he's like, Listen, if we're gonna start a business, I live in Playas Del Coco. One, I guessed it. In my head I'm like, what is that Spanish? One I guessed it and I'm like, Okay, he's like, it's a small beach town. There's some dirt roads. But there's a shopping center opening up soon. And there's a small shop in there that we can squeeze into. I know the guy cuz his daughter goes to the same school as Samuel blah, blah, blah. But what we can do is coffee. Costa Rica is known for its coffee. And there's actually no, like, there's no really good coffee shops with the same demographic as Starbucks in Costa Rica. You may find them in San Jose, but in the country, t you're not finding a lot of like, you know, Starbucks based coffee shops. So he's like, if we're gonna do this, it's gonna be coffee. I don't even drink coffee. I think I've admitted this to you a few times. I didn't drink coffee. But I said, you know, this is my opportunity to leave the rat race, leave corporate America. And again, start a new adventure, which I'm a sugar for adventure. As you can tell. At first, it wasn't my choice. You know, when I was younger, it wasn't my choice to be in adventures. But now it's like, I love them. And that's what my life path has taken me into is more adventures. So I said, let's do it. Let's do coffee. I have no problem with that. I'm actually any excuse to get out of the corporate America. So then that's where I end up here.
Malcolm Hill [32:59]:
You decide on this in early 2019?
Jose Zambrano [33:02]:
Early 2019, literally, I said yes to him on last week of December or second last week of December. He quits Four Seasons in first of January, because he had to go through the 31st. He had to go through New Year's years. He said they can let them go first of January, he starts to work on the coffee shop. And I'm talking like real work like Umberto is in the back of the building where we're going to set up the coffee shop, just grinding down like making tables and making chairs and everyone we're going to put this everything. Everything from the ground up from January 1 to January 31, which is when I arrived. Umberto is just from shopping to making tables. He's taking care of it all. And then I arrived January 31, of 2019. February 13 of 2019 is when we open Wayoyo coffee shop. And in those 13 days of two weeks, same thing. I get here and I'm just sweating bullets, man. I'm just like I've never like straight up to work.
Malcolm Hill [34:13]:
So you get into this country, you've never been here before, you're starting on a new business you've never had anything to do is, you don't even know.
Jose Zambrano [34:20]:
I've never done any woodwork in my life. And I'm here sanding down tables. He's like, be careful. Don't chop off your finger. Just do it like this. And I'm assuming Umberto, I mean, we 30 days prior to this. He also hadn't done any wood work or mechanical work to this sort. So we're learning as we go. And you can tell I mean, you're going to the coffee shop. You've been all the tables are very rustic and very rustic.
Malcolm Hill [34:46]:
They're really good. I love them.
Jose Zambrano [34:48]:
And it feels nice because I made them, you know?
Malcolm Hill [34:50]:
And you'd have a sense of pride every day when you walk in there, you go like.
Jose Zambrano [34:56]:
Exactly, exactly. I made that table. But yeah 13 days into it and I'm working as a craftsman which I've never done before in the back, in the dirt, getting bit by mosquitoes sweating like no other. Just going home just completely covered in sawdust, completely covered in sawdust, allergies I work context. So allergies off the roof, I mean, just as breathing in all this dust and everything. And that's that we opened the doors of Wayoyo in 2019. February 13 of 2019.
Malcolm Hill [35:30]:
Amazing. Now you arrive here, right at the beginning of February 2019. I guess Because you got straight into work, it's not as if you had time to kind of get acquainted with your new home, because you were just working straight away. But what were some things that stuck out to you at the beginning, considering you hadn't lived in a Latin American country since you were 8 years old.
Jose Zambrano [35:57]:
It was very similar to Venezuelan culture in the collectivistic type of mentality where people care for you. The conversations that we were talking about people really want to have the deep conversation. A lot of kudos either obviously, a lot of people are relaxed, but there's no superficial conversations.
Malcolm Hill [36:18]:
Tell me about getting used to like the new vocabulary.
Jose Zambrano [36:25]:
And yeah, at first I don't even understand it. I was like, this is not Spanish. Because it's very different. And it's not extremely different. It's just some of the words it sounds like they learned English first and then they learn Spanish. The accent for a bunch of Costa Ricans. And I think it has to do with the region. I think it has to do with San Jose, to be honest. But if they come from San Jose, they slur their Rs. And in that sounds exactly like a gringo, like an American or like a Caucasian who's learned English first and wants to learn Spanish. So I'm looking at these Costa Ricans speaking perfect Spanish, but they slur their Rs and I'm like, what’s going on here? But and then the Por la Vida and it's like, I love it. Man. It's very similar to the Venezuelan culture at the same time which is what makes it interesting. Coco, you have the Canadian and the American expats. Right. So that's what I really enjoyed. And that's where I really just took off. Because everybody who came into the coffee shop, it's either I spoke Spanish to them or Umberto spoke Spanish to them, or I would speak perfect English to them. So I mean, I think if you look back on our TripAdvisor reviews, or Google reviews, it's like, oh, and they speak English. And they speak English. And one of the guys speaks English. So it's like, it worked out perfectly to be honest.
Malcolm Hill [37:50]:
Let's talk about life here now. After more than or after almost 18 months now, right?
Jose Zambrano [37: 56]:
Yeah, I'm going into a year and a half now going into two years. Yeah. Well, in 2021, it'll be two years.
Malcolm Hill [38:05]:
When you arrived here, was there kind of a confirmation of a lot of that thinking you've developed over throughout your 20s? Or, like, yeah, what's the transition been like? And what are the things you love most of your life now?
Jose Zambrano [38:20]:
No.
Malcolm Zambrano [38:21]:
What part of your life when you lose in LA or anywhere else?
Jose Zambrano [38:25]:
Working didn't feel like work. Let's start off there. So opening off the coffee shop, it didn't feel like work. I would work 12 hours yet I would still have time to I would walk home basically because I was living near you actually. Yeah. In Las Palmas.
Malcolm Hill [38:37]:
We about 50 meters apart when you moved here, I think.
Jose Zambrano [38:43]:
Exactly, exactly set. In my head. I'm like, I get to walk to work. I wake up early, but I listen to the birds and the howler monkeys. And I wake up to and if I want to, I can wake up a little earlier and take a run on the beach. That's when I start to realize there's more to life than making money. You know, that's when it starts. That's when all the Wayne Dyer starts to come back. When I get to go on my walks on the beach, when I get to spend time with my cousins, when I get to spend time with the Americans and the Canadians, the expats that I meet here in a coffee shop or through, you know, Tsar Bay or through they going out to eat at restaurants and everything because it's a very tightly knit community. It's a very closely knit community. So when I start to hang out with all those people, which are quality people, very interesting people that also left their homes or left their home country for a different lifestyle. And I'm thinking, shoot, I did the same thing. Yet I'm making not even a fraction of what I was making back home. I'm working more hours and more days a week than I was working back at home. But I feel happier and I feel more satisfied. I feel more grateful about life. The connections I've made in this entire year and a half I mean, people like Berto, who's my Yogi Master. Yeah, I don't even do any yoga with him. But just the fact that I have him as a friend that I get to contact him on a regular basis that I get to go on retreats with him. And he gets to, and I get to pick his brain. I told you the other day, I honor you for being a parent, bro. Like, you don't get to think about the stuff. Of course, like I never thought that I would hang out with two parents, and a little kid running around and still have a good time. But we do that. And we have great compositions. And you guys, when I think of how I want to be as a parent, I want to be just that. I want to be a cool parent who still gets to hang out with other adults, and have their kids running around and still have a good time. Why not? You know why do kids?
Malcolm Hill [40:50]:
If you can set that combo up, it's pretty old. But it doesn't always work. It’s a day to day job.
Jose Zambrano [41:00]:
Of course I can imagine. So putting all that together. I mean, I figure it's very easy to make friends here and have those connections a lot easier, at least than back at home. I would say that comparing the connections and the network that I have here in Coco or here in Costa Rica are 10 times more profound and deeper than the ones that I have back at home, which I spent 20 years back in California and a year and a half here.
Malcolm Hill [41:33]:
But another question for you, which I think you will have a unique perspective on because of your heritage, because of your travel experience. What is something about the Costa Rican culture that is unique to Costa Rica, that you haven't seen anywhere else?
Jose Zambrano [41:49]:
I would say that the connection, the connection with people. I would say the connection that people have with people. You know, I think it's beautiful. I think it's beautiful how people want to help one another. I think it's beautiful how people like I said the conversations and like I said, I'm basing it solely of Coco and I haven't had any negative confrontations with anybody to be honest. I've only met but the best people in Coco. And I'm biased because that's what I look for. That's ultimately what fills me up inside his relationship with people. It's like I said, I studied communications. But I think that's very unique. And I think it has to do a lot with Costa Rica because of what you eat. You know the vegetables here are the lunches sumptuous.
Malcolm Hill [42:37]:
Yes.
Jose Zambrano [42:38]:
See, the fruits here are amazing foods, foods good. The nature, you're five minutes away from the beach walking distance. Or, you know, you're 30 minutes away from a volcano to do hikes and explore waterfalls. I think there's an energy that we can connect to. That comes from things that are outside of us. So there's an energy within us. This is what I believe. There's an energy within us and how we can make that energy more powerful is being close to nature and eating healthy stuff. And I think Costa Rica offers that. Subconsciously, we may not know it, subconsciously, the tacos may not know it, or the people who live here may not know it. But I think it has a lot to do with how people treat one another.
Malcolm Hill [43:30]:
Definitely a fact.
Jose Zambrano [43:31]:
Has to do with the place that we live in. I think it's beautiful. I think it's amazing. And honestly, there's no comparison.
Malcolm Hill [43:38]:
I want to say just a massive thank you. Like is there anything more that you want to add or any message you would have for friends or family back home who you know, who you want to say something too about living here?
Jose Zambrano [43:54]:
You know, if there's anything I want to leave this off with is life is short, man, life is very short. And really I'm 28 years old. And this is me saying this. It's an interesting life. I'm actually very excited, man, I'm in a very good point in my life. I'm very excited for what's to come. And even the little project that I started last night I was telling you about which is getting all the small entrepreneurs in Coco, getting them together and just talking about the struggles, talking about the good stuff, talking about the bad stuff, just talking in general. I mean, I don't know what I'm doing with my life, but I know it's been a good time and I plan on having a good time. I find that no,
Malcolm Hill [44:34]:
[Inaudible]
Jose Zambrano [44:35]:
That's what it is man. Thank you. I appreciate it. Malcolm. I appreciate you as a friend, I appreciate you as a human being. You're a role model as a father and as a friend and thank you for not only supporting me as a mate, but also in the coffee shop. I mean, Malcolm you're here all the frigging time with your family. I appreciate this and best of luck to you and please keep me in the loop with anything else that you know that comes across you.
Anisa Hill [45:12]:
Here's a sneak peek of the next episode. In Episode Three, we speak to Norwegian Hannah's Storrosten. She shares her experience growing up in Eastern Europe, sitting in LA traffic versus living close to nature and working her dream job as a surf coach.
Hanna Storrosten [45:28]:
Every month, every day gets better and I think that's something a lot of people feel when they live here. That the first month or year could be tough settling in. but then, when you get your roots settled, dude, it just gets better and better every day.
Anisa Hill [45:49]:
If you enjoyed this conversation, please rate, review, and share it with your friends on social media. For a full list of show notes, episodes to your inbox, information on becoming a guest on the show, and how to support the show on Patreon, head to triple W dot move to Costa Rica podcast.com. Remember new episodes are released every Thursday by 6am Costa Rica time. Thanks so much for joining us. Until next time, Pura Vida.
