Monday Notes: Living in Costa Rica Taught Me to Consume Less

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~ kegarland ~ 9 Comments

I have much to say about what it was like to live in Costa Rica for six months. So, just warning y’all, I’ll probably be talking about this for the rest of 2026.

The first thing I realized is that I have been worshipping at the god of excess, personally and collectively.

PERSONALLY

When I moved abroad, I had prepared to be away for at least a year. I sold my car and gave a lot of belongings to charity. I arrived in CR with two suitcases, and a backpack. Dassit. As time wore on, especially after I quit teaching, I found that I didn’t need many of the clothes I’d brought. Most of the time, I alternated wearing the same two pairs of leisurewear shorts, while occasionally switching shirts. Six of the eight pairs of shoes I’d brought never saw the light of day. Even when I did in-person yoga training, I wore, washed, and re-wore the same four outfits.

After I moved from La Casa Cucaracha into a casita (a tiny house), I found I had everything I needed: one couch big enough for two people, two bedrooms with beds, a kitchen with two pans and a pot, enough dishes and silverware for me and three other people, and one TV. The bathroom was so small that at five-feet tall, I couldn’t turnaround in a circle. But that was fine because I used the bathroom to shower, pee, brush my teeth, and do my hair. That’s what bathrooms are for, right?

I immediately pondered how spoiled I was as a US citizen. I wondered why I had so many things back home, why my master bath is so large, with two sinks. At my house, there are two TVs—one in the bedroom and one in the living room, both for convenience. My husband even added a swivel thingee on the living room TV, so he could be entertained while he works from home or cooks. I’m convinced these extras are merely for convenience. We’ve mastered the art of comfort in the States, and I am no exception.

Even though I gave a lot of clothes away, I still have two closets full. I possess several pairs of jeans—distressed, black, white, flared, skinny, and barrel leg. Every time I attend a new event, I buy more clothes, including shoes, so I am not seen twice in the same outfit, in person or on social media. Owning all of these clothes is for one reason: vanity. Why else does one need so many pairs of the same thing in a different variation?

COLLECTIVELY

Costa Rican grocery stores lack diversity, and this took a minute to digest. In the States, we not only have several places from which to buy food, but we also have variety within each store. Let’s use cheese as an example. In CR, there are two cheeses: cheddar and mozzarella.

Imagine your life with two cheese choices. Nah, for real. Think about it. I don’t know about you, but I use gouda for scramble eggs. I have shredded “Mexican” cheese blend for tacos. I buy goat cheese crumbles for my homemade gourmet salads. For the past six months, I’ve had none of that. And you know what, I didn’t self-combust.

Speaking of the grocery store, I’ve been telling folks that we in the States think we’re cute with our little got to the farmer’s market and “buy local” campaigns. I don’t wanna poo-poo on the idea. It is a great start. However, what I’ve found is that in the back of our minds, many of us know that if the farmer’s market doesn’t have what we want, then we can simply go to our grocer.

Well, in CR, local and grocer are sometimes one in the same, especially in terms of produce. Generally speaking, the grocery store only seemed to have what was locally sourced. For example, one week, I had some amazing mangoes. Next week? No mangoes. It didn’t matter how bad I wanted mangoes, I wasn’t gone get none until they grew and ripened from someone’s tree.

Finally, I traveled in many Costa Ricans’ cars, which for lack of a better word were, raggedy. I don’t mean a little old and bit beat down, I mean hole in the floor, engine light beeping on the dashboard, raggedy. It didn’t bother me, though. I never felt unsafe because the alternative was walking on the side of the road, which really was dangerous. I didn’t need leather seats, dashcams, or lane assists. Are those things nice? Sure. But I didn’t need them to get from point A to point B. I arrived just fine in somebody’s raggedy car.

I think I’ve said enough for now. As I settle back in to being in the “land of milk and honey,” I’ll be thinking more about how I can use up a little less honey. Until then, what do you think about any of this? Are you a minimalist? Do you want to be?

Monday Notes: Balance (A Yoga-Teacher-Training-Inspired Poem)

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~ kegarland ~ 38 Comments

Buenas a todos!¡ Hello Everyone!

I officially became a yoga teacher on June 22, 2026. I have much to say about yoga, the process, and my six months in Costa Rica. But I’ve decided to tell you about through different modes of creative writing. Kinda like my time in CR, we’ll see how this unfolds.

First, I will begin with a poem I wrote during training. I also read this at the end of my first class during meditation. I’ll explain more as I go along. But for now, please know this was one of the most transformational experiences I’ve had in my life.

BALANCE

the balance you find in a pose  
is the one you can find when you go home  
 
home, home, as in off your mat 
that’s where the real practice is at 
 
when they ask for more you can do less 
there is no need for you to be stressed  
 
these weren’t just poses; they weren’t just cues  
but strategies that you can use  
 
to find equilibrium while in the fray 
to add more stillness to your day 
 
to ground yourself if you feel excess 
with an ujjayi, where you’ll find your breath 
 
to seek support in your daily life 
so, you can balance with little strife 
 
you don’t need more food or material stuff 
you don’t need more; you have enough 
 
performing more won’t do the trick 
in fact, it just might make you sick  
 
just look within; you already have it 
Intuitively shift one of your habits 
 
a boundary here, I AM statement there 
before you know it, you’ll be self-aware 
 
once you balance yourself, you’ll be doing your part 
so, the question is when will you start? 
 
© 2026 K E Garland

Mental Health Matters: How I Healed Myself: Chiron and the Concept of the Wounded Healer (PART I)

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~ kegarland ~ 62 Comments

I have been studying astrology and using it in my life way before Gen Z normalized it, way before knowing your Big 3 became common knowledge, and way, way before astrology apps and social media reels made it easy for the masses to tap in. However, I’ve rarely shared this due to fear of being shamed. But we’re living in a different time now, and I’m semi-confident no one will call me a witch or burn me at a stake.

So, prior to talking about how I self-healed, it’s necessary to begin with a small dive into my birth chart.

In 2019, my sister introduced me to her astrologer, David. Since then, I’ve received two one-and-a-half-hour birth chart readings. Within 20 minutes of my first reading, David highlighted a significant section: my Chiron placement. It is important to understand Chiron as a planet and as a Greek mythical creature before moving on.

Chiron orbits between Saturn and Uranus and was found in 1977. Initially, it was classified as a comet, later, a minor planet/asteroid (source). This planet was named after a centaur in Greek mythology.

According to mythology, Chiron, the centaur was different than his counterparts because he wasn’t violent and savage. Instead, he was known for his wisdom and knowledge of medicine. He also lived with a wound that wouldn’t heal; as a result, he would heal everyone, except himself.

Astrology combined knowledge of the two and assigned meaning to it in birth charts. Everyone has a Chiron placement, but it means something different for each of us. Overall, this is the gist:

Chiron’s placement in the chart can reveal a core wound that may take a lifetime to work through. As we grapple with pain, we gain wisdom that we can pass on to others like a magical salve. In fact, the symbol for Chiron is shaped like a key since unlocking his powers opens up a portal to deep, inner peace. (Astrostyle)

Carl Jung, who we respect for creating archetypes, calls Chiron the wounded healer, and so do astrologists.

My Chiron placement is in Aries in the 9th house. What follows is a combination of notes from my 2019 reading with David and the website, Mastering the Zodiac.

Chiron in Aries:

  • Your sense of being has been violated in some way and you may fear asserting yourself.
  • You may also over-compensate by attempting to be the first at everything.
  • Physically you may suffer head wounds.
  • You may become a pioneer in a way which will be of service to humanity.

Characteristics of Chiron in the 9th house:

  • Potential for deep self-awareness and healing
  • An opportunity to heal emotional wounds through spiritual exploration, philosophical understanding, and broadening of horizons
  • A chance to transform ‘lower’ aspects of self and ascend to ‘higher’ states of consciousness
  • Another strength is the potential for communication skills, especially in matters of spirituality and philosophy

Furthermore, David said that I would have to “release the bondage I had with my family,” and to reach a higher spiritual level, my career should be focused on “some type of healing work.” He reiterated multiple times that if I wanted to attain enlightenment, then I should be doing work that heals people.

I was given this information five years after I’d begun a healing journey and four years after I began this blog. I mention this timeline because I never use astrology to predict the future. After all, we do have free will, and it seems silly to me that my entire life would be laid out, while I just perform as a human being. Typically, I use astrology to understand what happened in the past or to confirm the present.

At the 50-minute mark, David stopped to ask if anything he’d said made sense. “What do you do for work?” he asked.

I told him about my degrees and being a professor. Then, I talked about writing. By 2019, this blog had become an intentional space for inspiration, I had written/published The Unhappy Wife (a book to help women heal from misaligned unions), and I’d edited/published Daddy: Reflections of Father-Daughter Relationships (an anthology designed to help women heal from dysfunctional parental ties).

David was shocked. So, was I.

Learning about my Chiron placement affirmed writing decisions I’d made up to that point. Understanding that my healing journey is closely tied to the themes of identity, belief, and the quest for meaning justified every published word. And knowing that I may be drawn to guiding others through their own journeys of self-discovery, and by extension, healing my own wounds, demonstrated that astrology was more than just a hokey personality test.

Finally, because I don’t use astrology to predict events, I seemed to have ignored and forgotten everything David had explained years ago. When I re-watched the recording for this post, he mentioned that I would have to reckon with my marriage in some way. He also said 2024 would be a big year where everything he’d outlined would come together. At the time, I had no idea what in the who-hay hell he was talking about. Of course, I do now.

Next, I’ll explain explicit processes I used to heal myself. Until then, feel free to leave a comment. I’m on summer break, so I have time to engage 😉

RELATED POSTS

Monday Notes: 5 Ways to Become a Writer

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~ kegarland ~ 259 Comments

I’ve written since I was in elementary school, fifth grade to be exact. However, I didn’t consider myself a writer until 2014. Once I accepted this part of my identity, I started observing and listening to writers and “aspiring” writers. I’ve determined if you want to be a writer, then this is what you’ll have to do:

START WRITING

Now that my writing is public knowledge, people confide in me. Cousins, the man at the Florida Writers Association conference, and the woman who asked me to ghostwrite her novel each want to write. But when I ask them what they’ve written so far, the answer is nothing. I advise each of them the same. Start writing. Whether it’s a public blog or a private diary, the first step is to begin.

MAKE TIME TO WRITE

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I often thought my job was getting in the way of writing. That wasn’t the truth. And because no one was going to offer me more time in the day, I had to shift my priorities. Instead of watching TV every morning, I wrote for two hours. Then, I began my regular day. Where could you shift your priorities so that you can make time to write?

TAKE TIME TO EDIT

After you’ve written something, consider that your first draft. All writers have first drafts, and second, and thirds, and … you get the picture. As a former English teacher, rarely have I seen a masterpiece written in one fell swoop. When you take time to write, that means you might find yourself pondering over the use of the word stroll, saunter, or walk because you know each one of those words will change the connotation and flow of your sentence. So take the time to think about the words you’ve written in a meaningful way.

YOU THINK YOUR STORIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN HEARD

Probably. I mean an infinite number of books have been written and read. But not yours and not the way you can write it. Comments about The Unhappy Wife validated this concept. Years ago, Story Teller Alley approved me to sell my book on their site. One of the reasons it was accepted is because of originality. A reviewer said,

Although stories of unhappy marriages have been told before, because these are all true stories and each person is different, the stories are all different.

In Search of a Salve reviews have been similar. A BookLife reviewer said this:

Stories of addiction and recovery are familiar, but Garland’s memoir shines in its willingness to expose the author’s darkest, ugliest moments: In Search of a Salve is uniquely unsparing and, ultimately, triumphant.

I’m glad the innovation of my words shines through. Sometimes people read titles and assume they know what’s inside. But it’s a false assumption. Likewise, if I would’ve thought these book concepts were trite narratives, then I might not have written either of these books. So my advice? Don’t worry about it. Somebody wants to read it the way you’ve written it.

YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK

On my blog, I write about many things that have happened in my life. Stories include family, friends, and people I barely know. I couldn’t write half of what you read here if I stopped to worry about someone’s hurt feelings and revisionists forms of history. Initially, an Anne Lamott quote helped me forge ahead with authentic writing. Lamott said, “If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.” That quote changed my entire creative nonfiction writing life. The other part that has helped me write the truth is to separate fact from emotion. For example, it’s a fact that my dad packed up my belongings in the middle of the night while I slept. However, the emotion I experienced was abandonment. Stick to the facts and make clear when you’re describing an emotion.

I hope one of these sparks the writer in you. Trust me. Someone, somewhere is waiting to hear your voice, even if the someone is you.

Monday Notes: When 47 Is in Office

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~ kegarland ~ 74 Comments 
i hope all your problems are solved if 
immigrants are mass deported

i hope you return to one-dollar-and-fifty-cent eggs when
47 is in office

i hope all your marginalized children are better instructed if
the USDOE is dismantled

i hope you return to residual income when 
47 is in office

i hope all your employers enact fair practices if
DEI is mass disintegrated

i hope you return to a stable 401k when
47 is in office

i hope all your heteronormativity is restored if 
“woman” and “man” are strictly defined

i hope you return to a valuable dollar when 
47 is in office

i hope all your queer daughters and sons are safe if
they don't hide their identities

i hope you return to two-dollar gas when 
47 is in office

i hope all your American pride swells if
the Gulf of Mexico is called the Gulf of America

i hope you return to a replenished retirement when
47 is in office

i hope all your weather grows more clement if 
the US retreats from climate conversations

i hope you return to affordable flights when
47 is in office

i hope all your days are healthy if
Medicaid eligibility shrinks or ACA ceases to exist

i hope you return to a better economy when
47 is in office

i hope you return to a better economy when
47 is in office

i hope you return to a better economy when
47 is in office

01/11/25

Inspired by 50 Happens.

Monday Notes: Costa Rica Updates and Such

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~ kegarland ~ 43 Comments

This is a little long because I didn’t want to break it up. Take what interests you, but I hope you read the whole thing.

NICARAGUA

I was a child during the Iran-Contra Affair. So, going to Nicaragua was not on my BINGO card.

I remember hearing talking heads on TV; however, I never knew what the big deal was, just that Nicaragua was “bad,” and I probably would never visit. However, I’m living in Costa Rica, and Nica is a border country. So, my husband and I paid a tour company to transport us to Customs, where we showed our passport and literally walked to Nicaragua. Then, another person met us and provided a day tour through a municipality called Catarina and a city called, Granada.

On our day tour, I learned Nicaragua is a very poor country. The tour guide had strong feelings about his homeland: he said socialism was bad and the people and country had endured negative effects. He also subscribed to major US businesses opening there because they bring jobs, something citizens need to survive (since we’re all still using money). His opinions affirmed my thoughts that travel is one way to develop a broader global view of ideology and its effects on real people.

NICARAGUA TRIP ON INSTAGRAM

BIPOC ADOPTEES VOICES READING IN PORTLAND, OR.

In April, I flew back to the States for an author event in Portland. Three other adoptees and I read our work. It…was…ah-mazing. As many of you know, being an independent author is hard work, and people rarely respect us “real” authors. I have attended an event, where someone made smoothies five feet away while the host and I had a conversation on a live platform; I have planned events where three people showed up. BIPOC Adoptees VOICES was different. From beginning to end, my work and I were treated with care and respect. The event went well and the chapter I read was received as intended. Usually, I take lots of photos, but I was so immersed in the moment that I didn’t—no selfies, no photos of my books stacked on the table. In fact, by the time I thought about taking a picture, Salve was sold out.

ILLNESS(ES)

One of the key people in Portland was sick, so she didn’t attend. Then, her colleague, who I’d been around for a couple days ended up sick. Then, I flew back on a plane full of coughing folks and a kid who vomited in his seat catacorner to me. Shortly after returning to Costa Rica, I was sick.

While unwell, I studied for yoga teacher training (YTT). Ironically, lessons that week were about stress, the central nervous system (CNS), and the vagus nerve. Deeper understanding about my health, present and past, surfaced.

Here’s what I mean:

In March 2020, I developed a rash on my left arm that ran along my nerve line. No doctor could tell me what it was. Months later, a dermatologist did a skin biopsy and said it was COVID. I had been infected and didn’t know it. Ever since March 2020, I have been ill, sometimes twice a year: I’ve had COVID 5xs, walking pneumonia, and a host of things doctors could not diagnose. Sickness has always included a range of coughing and sneezing. My friends, I think that I have had long covid and didn’t know it.

So, back to YTT.

I didn’t know how much stress, the CNS, and the vagus nerve had to do with one’s immunity (or lack thereof). Your CNS develops within 18 days of conception and is inherited from your mother. Your vagus nerve literally sends signals to your body to tell you when you need to sit down somewhere and rest. Both help you to maintain good health. Well, unless you are born with a busted nervous system or if you have developed chronic stress. This can look like being sick from planning an event by myself or unknowingly being immunocompromised and hanging around sick people.

Sheesh. One day, I’ll elaborate on this.

MIDNIGHT&INDIGO

On a brighter note, one of my essays was published in an online magazine called, midnight&indigo. If you’ve read In Search of a Salve, then you may have wondered how I fared after choosing to have multiple abortions, not physically, but emotionally and spiritually. This essay answers that question. I had an ancestral reading last year, and my deceased paternal grandmother showed up to tell me what I needed to do to release and be at peace.

Read Àbíkú on midnigh&indigo

YOGA TEACHER TRAINING

Well, good people, there’s a reason I have a PhD and not an MD. I’ll expound on this later, too. Let’s just say, the anatomy part of YTT kicked my entire ass for two weeks. I’m more of a yoga philosophy/yoga physiology kinda girl. I’m halfway through training, though, and completely anticipate attaining my yoga cert by the end of June. I’ll share some musings on the process when I’m done.

BIRTHDAY

I turned 53 on May 23rd 🥳

I usually fly somewhere to celebrate, but since I’m already in a touristy country people go to, my husband graciously got us a hotel, and we pretended we were on vacation for the weekend. I mean, drinks in a pineapple, sitting on the beach, while a mariachi band plays/sings happy birthday vacation! I truly live a privileged life and do not take one moment for granted.

THE STATES

July 1st. That’s when I’ll be back. If I could stay gone, I would. However, I know I must come back because now, I have a better sense of what I need to be doing during these deleterious times. Also, the last six months have revealed so much, and I’m excited to share once I finished learning about yoga, which is in about a month.

Until then, how is everyone? How are y’all in the States faring with the current administration and their lack of care for human beings? We freezing? We fighting? We flying? Let me know what the vibe is in the comments.