Risking it All for a Dream

The Story of One Couple's Farmstead Adventure

We are Tash and JB, the faces behind the Salty Palmtree YouTube channel. Currently, we are building a farmstead near Ostional without any prior experience. But how did we end up here?

It all started in early 2017 when we met each other at a bonfire in Qatar amidst the vast desert. Our mutual enthusiasm for adventure and surfing drew us to each other, and as the night progressed, JB held my hand, and since then, he has never let go (cue the romantic music).

Under the starry sky, we pondered what we would become — a question that I think many people ask themselves regularly. With a partner in crime, we traveled and traveled, searching for that answer.

Our brief was simple — a quiet and remote location with good surf and good vibes, and if we were lucky, a place where turtles roamed (which happens to be Tash's favorite animal). We eventually found the perfect spot. In December 2019, we came to Costa Rica for a month's holiday, and we immediately fell in love with the lifestyle and beauty. It felt like it spoke to us and was a home away from home.

Unfortunately, the pandemic hit, and we were stuck in Qatar, working from home in a tiny apartment that we couldn't leave for months. It was a tough time. We ended up buying a blow-up swimming pool that we put on our balcony to escape the scorching heat. While lounging in our splash pool, we brainstormed and dreamed about what we really wanted out of life. JB suggested that we build a surf hotel in Costa Rica, and without hesitation, I said, "Hell yes, I'm in."

The next two years were dedicated to making that dream a reality. We saved every penny to buy the 2.5 acres of half teak forest and half jungle land in June 2022. Half of the land was inaccessible, and we had no idea what to expect. We didn't even know what our sea view looked like. However, we did discover a beautiful mango tree that seemed to be a sign of good things to come.

For the next few months, we slowly cut back the jungle to see the boundary line and get a glimpse of what lay ahead. We even discovered a monster tree that we decided to build our first house next to, using our storage container to create a container house.

It's now been 10 months since we began working on this land, taking on one project at a time. We've fallen in love with the process, and although it may not look like much yet, we have a plan, and we are dedicated to turning this little spot into our very own piece of paradise.

We invite you to follow our journey every week on YouTube as we learn to farm, build our home, and make our dream a reality. We are excited to see what the future holds and are grateful for every step of this incredible journey.