When a work retreat becomes one of the best vacations of your life

March 30, 2026

When you think of a work retreat, what comes to mind? You might be picturing a hotel located near an airport. The various board rooms are teeming with people dressed in business attire, donning their required company lanyards. Maybe you’re sitting for hours-long talks by strangers meant to inspire you, connecting with people on LinkedIn, and doing the whole networking schtick.

That is the exact opposite of what we did. We took our happy asses to Costa Rica. Together, we had delectable dishes for every meal, watched stunning sunsets, and truly connected with one another in a way I didn’t anticipate.

Litson brought the majority of the team and our plus ones to Nosara. I believe the actual count was 30 of us. Not only did I have my husband James with me, but also my built-in best friend and cousin, Laney. Her husband is a co-founding partner at the firm.

Even though we had a jam-packed itinerary, the relaxed lifestyle was infectious. The locals call it “Tico time,” which basically just means they will get to their scheduled events whenever they feel like it. They define their lives not by deadlines and urgency, but by ease and peace. Did I mention we’re a small boutique law firm with a lot of competitive, high-performing litigators and Type-A personalities?

I went back and forth on how best to capture the week. I danced the line of living in the moment and making sure I didn’t forget the little things. And of course, I battled the ever-present urge to take pictures and videos to share online. I bought a small journal to write down special moments. Laney didn’t miss the opportunity to get a dig in on this one: “Oh, you wanna wite down youw wittle feewings?” Yeah, I did! And my favorite moment of the trip was with her!

I’m just going to wing this post. No AI assistance here, folks.

The picture above is from the day I made my favorite memories. Laney and I wanted to see some surfers and also catch another mind-boggling sunset. It was Laney’s last night (she left early) and we just ~leaned in~ to the moment. We swam in the ocean—something I don’t typically do—just laughing as the sun was setting. The waves assaulted us when we forgot to go under them. We are typically Gulf Coasters, so we’re used to jumping any waves. We tried to body surf like we did when we were kids. It was just such a pure moment of child-like fun. I felt so lucky to experience it with Laney.

Speaking of surfing, did I mention—ok psych! I definitely did not surf. But I did pose for a picture like I did. James managed to shred some gnar, and I was so proud! I have a reverent fear of the ocean most days so I decided not to risk it.

Another reason why this was my favorite day: have y’all ever seen monkeys in the wild? Because I sure hadn’t. I learned that howler monkeys sound like actual demons if you impede on their territory. Lemme tell ya, when the power goes out, your sound machine shuts off, and you hear the guttural growling of those suckers around 3am, well… it’s not something you’ll soon forget. But they sure are cute in the daylight!

I learned that these monkeys are constantly on the move. They don’t have a “home” they return to at the end of each day. They have territory they keep to, but regularly travel in “troops” of 4 to 20.

In the above video, you will hear some of our commentary regarding one male’s massive… balls. There’s simply no other way to put it, y’all. Apologies.

From growlin’ howler monkeys to talking birds. I mean come on, these guys were just stunning. Paradise Villas, where the majority of the group stayed, had a bird sanctuary on the property. They were YAPPERS.

Let’s talk accommodations. Because honey, it was fabulous. As I mentioned, the majority of the group was at Paradise Villas. This property had a massive pool dining lounge area where we had the majority of our meals.

And while this was the main meeting point, James and I stayed right down the road at a VRBO called Casa Bonita. The main house had three rooms with two separate casitas in the back. James and I had a little casita to ourselves. It was peaceful and beautiful.

We were well fed. The team from Alegría prepared and served up the tastiest, healthiest, freshest meals. I am what many would consider a picky eater. I’ve even fondly described myself as having a chicken tender palate. But hear ye, naysayers! I enjoyed everything that was prepared. The team was so kind and thoughtful. You could tell they put their love and passion into every meal. I certainly was grateful for it.

We also had some delish food and elite vibes at the two restaurants we went to for dinner. Coyol is mountaintop restaurant that’s approximately 1,269 feet above Nosara. The ride up the mountain was treacherous, I won’t lie. Big ole vans driving on precariously unpaved roads. No bueno. But we made it. And it was worth it!

The second spot we went to was a beachfront restaurant called La Luna. Some of us went during the day for drinks, and as we were walking, a lovely gentleman named Frank pulled up in his 6-seater golf cart. He asked if we were looking for a ride, and we said yes. I know that’s typically frowned upon, but I’m telling you… the safe, friendly, positive lifestyle was infectious. Also James was there so we wouldn’t have done that if he wasn’t.

I mentioned our packed itinerary. It was intense. On Day 1, a lot of folks took part in surf lessons. I did not do that. But I was happy to cheer them all on.

Day 2, we split up between ATV riders and zip liners. James and I went ATVing, and it was DUSTY. I was glad I packed some of my dad’s bandanas. But it really didn’t make a difference. We were covered in dirt.

We had a few stops along the way. We hiked down 154 steps to get to this swimming hole. The waterfall was lacking in majesty, but we did have fresh watermelons and coconuts. The hike back up was brutal. I was wheezing. Thought I was going to faint.

Once that brutal hike was complete (nobody warned me in advance), we got to make our own pure sugar cane juice! The owner of the property was trying to get some of us to go faster when juicing the stalks. I simply could not be bothered.

But the juice was delicious and sugary and pure. I can taste it now as I type this.

We also had some vaca (cows) blocking our path. I told JP to keep honking. He wanted to let them meander along as we lost the rest of our group. All ended up just fine.

I am hopping all around on the chronological order of events here, but stay with me. It’s probably just my family and friends sticking around at this point.

Another excursion was our last full day, and we went kayaking. The group split into two, with one following a German woman who was very structured and to the point. Usually, that would be me. But not on Tico time. We ended up in the last group with a local guide who gave us all kinds of fun facts about the environment and the animals.

The team also went on a catamaran at sunset, but I did not attend. I was reaching my breaking point in needing some isolation and quiet time. I think it was probably in everyone’s best interest that I did so hehe

Throughout the week, we split into 4 teams and competed in various tasks. Bocce ball, cornhole, trivia, pool games, beach kickball, pickleball… we barely slept! But it was amazing. There was no drama (at least that I was aware of) and everyone just sat wherever they wanted at the dinner tables. We mixed it up regularly. It honestly couldn’t have gone better.

I couldn’t wrap up this post without thanking the people who made this happen. First, Alex Little, who wanted to share a piece of paradise with the team he built at Litson.

Second, Catie Toole, who was heavily involved in the planning and execution of a huge group traveling internationally.

And third, Heather Miller, of Retreat Planning Nosara. She helped in countless ways to ensure that every need was met, every hiccup quickly addressed, and managed all of our personalities! I don’t have a picture of her. But if you’ve ever watched Below Deck, consider her the Chief Stew who listened to every request and whim of our massive group with a small on her face. We are grateful!

One of the best parts of the trip was seeing the night sky without light pollution. The moon and stars were so bright. Obviously that does not translate into pictures.

If there’s one thing I’m taking away from this trip, it’s that sign a few scrolls up:

Oh and Tico time. I’m going to be saying Tico time for the foreseeable future.