Reconnecting Through Disconnection: Costa Rica Reflections

In this episode of Shattering Ceilings, Lauren and Megan dive into the transformative power of stepping away from the chaos of everyday life. Fresh from her trip to Costa Rica, Lauren shares how disconnecting from technology, embracing nature, and simplifying her daily routine brought her clarity and focus after months of feeling scattered. From bonding with family to discovering the beauty of “being” rather than “doing,” the conversation explores how unplugging can reset your mind and help you rediscover balance. Megan reflects on the importance of presence and the allure of simpler times, while the duo discusses what it means to live more fully in the moment. Tune in to hear how you, too, can bring a bit of that peace and mindfulness into your daily life. 

Follow Meg & Lauren on IG:
@shatteringceilingspod, @meggs.n.baconnn, and @lauren__wheeler__

Season 2 Song Credit: Dimitrex "Stinky Sax"
Season 1 Song credit: Fleece Mob "Will Travel"

Transcript

SC - Episode 110
[00:00:00] Lauren: Hey, everyone. Welcome back to Shattering Ceilings. It's Lauren.
[00:00:03] Megan: And Megan, and we are here to record a little episode about some things that Lauren maybe realized this last week while on vacation.
[00:00:11] Lauren: Yeah. So you guys are hearing well, tomorrow I should say you're going to hear about my pre thoughts like pre vacation. And I don't know if I said this and actually on the pod, but like me and Megan have talked extensively about this of like how scattered I've been. Literally considered going to the doctor and like talking to them about like, do I have ADHD?
[00:00:37] Lauren: Like I literally could not focus at all. I feel like, and it wasn't just for like a couple of weeks. I feel like it's been like this for like two months. Right. Like,
[00:00:45] Megan: Yeah, a while. Mm hmm. It may have. And so guys, just in case you missed our last episode, it's all about like, feeling stuck and like releasing and allowing yourself to actually be and not feeling like you need to do more. To, you know, get over whatever [00:01:00] hump you're experiencing or whatever. So, Lauren just went to Costa Rica, where you really, I mean, you don't have much option other than to be.
[00:01:09] Megan: Most places don't have, it's not like your hotel room has big screens everywhere and there's not lights and noise and big city, like, you guys were in the mountains.
[00:01:18] Lauren: Yeah. We were, we were, and we were at the beach too. I mean, I guess in Costa Rica it's,
[00:01:23] Megan: It's all kind of very close together.
[00:01:26] Lauren: And my service was, you know, definitely spotty. Like I had service because like GPS, like trying to get around, like obviously, and being in a foreign country, I needed service, but like, I wasn't on it like that on my phone.
[00:01:39] Lauren: And I mean, we didn't have TV in our, In our Airbnb and it rained a lot. So there was a lot of downtime. Like we explored the Island a lot, which again, it wasn't on my phone. I was really just my husband and my two kids, you know, just checking out like all of like the beautiful landscapes that Costa Rica had to offer.[00:02:00] 
[00:02:00] Lauren: And then when we were back, like I said, the Airbnb, like. There wasn't like a ton to do. So we played games. We took naps every day, like, you know, and swimming that went for walks. So I really unplugged and like getting home now, I almost feel like I've been so much more focused and just like, like getting shit done and not You know, going off in a thousand different directions and starting a bunch of different things and not finishing any of them.
[00:02:27] Lauren: Like I've just been, my mind has been more at ease and just calmer since, since going there and then coming home. Right.
[00:02:37] Megan: is why this happens, guys. We live in life where there's always a million things to do, right? I'm sitting in our office looking out at the world. the paint swatches that I have painted on the wall for the hallway that I need to paint, right? There's things on the floor that need to be cleaned up.
[00:02:52] Megan: I know that there's dishes to be done in the sink. So even though I'm sitting here doing one thing, there's a million things that could be done around me, right? There's always more to [00:03:00] do, places to go, things to see, there's activities, there's festivals, whatever. Like we're surrounded by so much that pulls us to do things.
[00:03:08] Megan: And just like, Your body forgets how to do so like you don't use it. You lose it, right? If we don't actually spend time being Truly still not ten minutes for a meditation where somebody's guiding you and you're still technically connected, right? Because you're somebody on your phone, but like really truly being disconnected being present getting still Practicing like you want more connection with your partner disconnect from the world actually connect with your partner How nice was it to walk out in nature with Bob?
[00:03:37] Lauren: Yeah. It was awesome. And just like the conversations that we had and, you know, I could see him, he relaxed, right? The space. Yeah. He was relaxed a lot. And, you know, just connecting with our kids one on one or together, like whatever it may be and showing them a new experience. You know, it's, it's so different from all the vacations that really I've, I mean, besides going to the Jersey shore, then [00:04:00] again, that's just like being home, you know?
[00:04:01] Megan: right. But even so you go to the Jersey Shore. You're on the boardwalk You're at you know, you're doing all the rides. You're getting the curly fries. You're whatever. There's a firework show There's something to always do so there's not like I don't know about you But I know if there's something on my plate like I have to go teach one yoga class today It will take up about two hours of my time in the day, but my body feels a sense of like urgency and pull in everything else that I'm doing.
[00:04:25] Megan: So I'm like, Oh, I only have so much time until I have to go teach this. Oh, I got it. You know, I got to do this first. I got to do this first. So it removing that obstacle, right? You have no, I mean, I know when I went to Costa Rica, we had no electricity, you know what I mean? Like we were, we were in an eco lodge.
[00:04:42] Megan: So like, we really did it. We were in the jungle. I had no other choice but to sit back and watch the monkeys and the sloths and listen to nature and go just watch the water and walk the beach for hours. Like, so it regulates you in such a way that like we can't even experience. [00:05:00] Really in the place that we live now, because we are, there's EMFs fucking every like, you know, let's get a little weird for a minute, but like, there's constant, constant motion, even when you're not aware of it, you know, constant influence.
[00:05:14] Lauren: it was really just stripping it down and like, this is so stupid, but like, even like my hair guys, like it was, it's rainy season in Costa Rica. Right? Like, so it was so hot and humid and rainy almost every day. Like the first half of our trip, I was like, I can't even fucking do my hair.
[00:05:30] Lauren: And at first I was like annoyed. And then I was like, well, you know, we're going out in the rain, we're getting rained on. And I'm just like, whatever, who cares? You know, we're doing what? And like, it's so much easier obviously than to try to tame my curly ass hair. So like, I just went curly and then it was like, Oh, this is easier.
[00:05:47] Lauren: And then people like, I posted like a video of me talking about the trip or whatever. And people are like, Oh my God, your hair. I love it. And I'm like, it's like, you almost forget sometimes. Like how simple things [00:06:00] can be and how beautiful they can be when they're just natural. Right. And untouched. Right.
[00:06:06] Lauren: And so like everything was just more simple and I really enjoyed it that, and I, and I think, yeah, like the older that we get and the more that we go into, I don't know, whatever in the 21st century or whatever, it's like the more technology, all the things, right. Like the more we are distracted. And so it was just really nice to peel it back and get back to like, Just enjoying each other, enjoying nature and just being fully present.
[00:06:32] Lauren: Like that was my favorite
[00:06:34] Megan: feel everybody's posting all the time about back to simpler times. Right. That's what it, that's what it actually looks like. Y'all
[00:06:40] Lauren: That's what it actually looks like. Yeah,
[00:06:42] Megan: like before cell phones, before we had. You know, the world in our pocket all the time calling it. I mean, I can't sit still for a second me like, Oh, I need to look up this recipe.
[00:06:52] Megan: Oh, maybe I'll paint this this color, you know, like something it there's just something constantly going on every whim that you [00:07:00] have, we can act on now. It's not like before where you had to, you know, You know, I don't know, plan to go into town for the day to go do all of your things, or you had your chores at home that were like taking care of the land for you to live on, right?
[00:07:15] Megan: Which was work, but so simple. You're doing one thing. You're not, you don't have headphones in. You're not I don't know, trying to get done before you have 17 fucking practices at 4 p. m., you know, and whatever, like one thing at a time.
[00:07:30] Lauren: One thing at a time. Yeah. And it was, there was no plan. And that's the thing. Like there was nothing that we had to like, think about doing or rush off to do. It was just like, what are we going to do today? I guess we're going to go drive around and go explore. And so there was just no agenda other than just like kind of going off and seeing what was available and what was around and, and that was it.
[00:07:51] Lauren: You know, taking it all in.
[00:07:54] Megan: that sounds so cool.
[00:07:56] Lauren: yeah, it was. And then talking to the locals too, you know, [00:08:00] they pretty much live their life that way. Like they don't, you know, financially plan for retirement and this and that, like they live day to day. And like, some of us can look at that and be like, Oh shit, I could never do that.
[00:08:12] Lauren: And I think there's a lot of us that couldn't do that. Like, I don't know if I could fully go like live there forever. There are some things I would have missed, but at the same time, like, It was just a different, a different type of life and it just was easier in a sense, you know?
[00:08:27] Megan: Yeah, I think if nothing else, it shows you the possibility that there is more than one way to live.
[00:08:32] Lauren: Mm hmm.
[00:08:32] Megan: You know, yes, we live in America where, you know, society does require, you have to plan ahead, right, unless you're going to be working until the day you die, you have to plan ahead, you have to take, to live in this society, you have to take certain steps, I think, to create that security for yourself.
[00:08:48] Megan: But in Costa Rica, it's a culture where, like, they're, everything that they have, right, the potential for it to get washed away happens every year during their flood season. So, Something we talk about a lot here is like not attaching to the outcome of something, right? Not [00:09:00] attaching yourself to material things or anything like that's what that looks like in practice, right?
[00:09:05] Megan: We live for the moment. We don't have an abundance of things, right? We don't have the latest trending clothes and makeup and all those things, but what we do have is peace and ease and space.
[00:09:17] Lauren: Even the way they dress like completely different. You know what I mean? Like, no, Bob was like, who gives a shit what you wear? Like no one cares around here. And I'm like, yeah, you're right. Like, so I literally wore like gym outfits every day. Yeah.
[00:09:31] Megan: they just wear what's comfortable and it's what allows them to most. easily and fluidly live the lifestyle that is required.
[00:09:39] Lauren: exactly. Exactly.
[00:09:41] Megan: You know, some people walk around barefoot. There were so many people walking around barefoot when I was there.
[00:09:44] Lauren: Yeah, there were. I mean, I definitely saw people barefoot. I mean, people walk pretty much everywhere. Like not a lot of
[00:09:50] Megan: bicycles everywhere.
[00:09:51] Lauren: Bicycles. Mm hmm. And so dogs and cats
[00:09:55] Megan: going to
[00:09:55] Lauren: all kinds of animals,
[00:09:57] Megan: everywhere. Oh my gosh. Sloths, [00:10:00] monkeys.
[00:10:00] Lauren: which my kids wanted to like, take home like the local stray dog, which was, but we fed them every day. Like that was something that like that they were like, they looked forward to is seeing the dog every day, then feeding the dog. You know what I mean? And
[00:10:11] Megan: And they're all friendly. The animals are also friendly because everybody does that. Like I remember I went and we were eating in some restaurant that was like open, you know what I mean? Like
[00:10:20] Lauren: They're all open.
[00:10:21] Megan: covered restaurant, right? And there's a dog that walked in and if we were in the US, somebody would have shooed that dog out immediately, right?
[00:10:27] Megan: Some freaking Karen would have screamed. It would have been a whole situation. They fed the dog and then the dog left, you know, like they, everybody takes care of everybody. There's one lady came in looking for a cat. Oh, yeah,
[00:10:40] Lauren: right. And I'm just like, wow,
[00:10:44] Megan: totally
[00:10:45] Lauren: just how they do there. You
[00:10:46] Megan: They support their little communities. They really like have each other's backs.
[00:10:51] Lauren: it
[00:10:51] Megan: And I mean, I'm making a lot of statements about a place that I spent two weeks in. So I'm sure that there
[00:10:57] Lauren: Yeah, of course.
[00:10:58] Megan: other, you know, real life. They're all [00:11:00] people. But
[00:11:01] Lauren: right.
[00:11:02] Megan: the overall, you know, lifestyle that everybody lives is very, very different than what we have here.
[00:11:10] Megan: There's so much pressure. And we put it on ourselves.
[00:11:14] Lauren: And that's, you know, again, talking to the people who are like expats from Canada. I didn't really talk to any Americans. They were all from Canada for the most part, but like, that's what they said. They were coming down to visit and vacation for years and years. And then finally they were just like, fuck the matrix.
[00:11:31] Lauren: I don't want to be a part of it anymore. And they sold all their shit and they moved. To Costa Rica. And some of them, you know, there's a chiropractor who she's in her seventies. She doesn't drive. She literally either hitchhikes or walks and she'll come up to the one community that we were in and she will go see people for 40 bucks a session.
[00:11:48] Lauren: And like, that's how she makes her living. You know what I mean? There's people that all that open up like surfing schools. You know, and that's their
[00:11:56] Megan: we were there, there was girls. So especially, you know, different countries where they [00:12:00] have more time to take off, there's these two nurses from Norway that had spent like a month at a surfing camp and like, people will travel all over the world. You just, whatever it is that your heart desires, you know, if you can do it there, you open up your little business and live your little life, have your little, you know, I don't know, surf shop down by the ocean.
[00:12:20] Megan: Like it's,
[00:12:22] Lauren: One woman I talked to, she's like, every day I just come down here and I go fishing every morning and take my walk with my
[00:12:28] Megan: there's your fruit for the day.
[00:12:30] Lauren: and go
[00:12:31] Megan: Pick some fruit off the local trees. It's crazy. Very, ah, that sounds so glorious to me. Like, I don't know if I can live it forever, but it does sound really enticing.
[00:12:42] Lauren: So I think now, you know, cause we were talking about this too, Meg, like vacationing looked like Disney world. It looks like going to my conference in Vegas and it is, it's do, do, do like you're not refreshed when you get home. You're like, Oh my God, I'm so exhausted.
[00:12:57] Megan: I gotta take two days off after all that travel. [00:13:00] It's the opposite of what a vacation is actually meant to
[00:13:02] Lauren: Yeah. So now I'm like, I think I need to do at least one vacation a year. That looks like that.
[00:13:10] Megan: Mm
[00:13:10] Lauren: You know?
[00:13:11] Megan: You know, that's something Erin and I, Used to do with the kids like we got something we've been missing here. Is we would go we'd pick a little town Right, we did Lancaster We did outside of Pittsburgh where we were like close to a city if we wanted to or like Lancaster had its little like Town area where you could go and eat ice cream and stuff But But we really, we just get an Airbnb, we'd find things to do out in nature, whether it was caves or hiking or whatever, whatever that place has that is, is beautiful and untouched by humans for the most part.
[00:13:44] Megan: And we spent most of our time there. We did laze around. We did take naps. We would, you know, be prepared ahead of time. Sometimes I'd even make food to bring with us. So it's something that we didn't have to worry about at the Airbnb. If we're eating out and we did. Nothing. And we do it like two or three times a year [00:14:00] just for like three or four nights at a time and you come back so rejuvenated.
[00:14:04] Megan: It doesn't have to be this huge. I guess why I'm saying this. It doesn't have to be a big coaster
[00:14:08] Lauren: It could be a stay ca, like a staycation, but like literally you have to be disciplined enough not to clean or cook or,
[00:14:17] Megan: Right. It can be hard in your
[00:14:19] Lauren: or all that.
[00:14:20] Megan: Yeah. But like do a good deep clean one weekend knowing that the next week you're going to do nothing. You know, prep some food and throw it in the freezer so that the next week you have nothing on your plate, you know, we're in my kids are all break right now.
[00:14:33] Megan: And we ended up having a very lazy day yesterday but the intention was and we'll catch up and do all this today. Get the basics of the house cleaned meal prep for the week, and then just hang out we made no fucking plants. We are not going anywhere. We have no
[00:14:48] Lauren: hard was that though? Not to make plans.
[00:14:51] Megan: Honestly, not.
[00:14:53] Lauren: No, that's good. That's
[00:14:54] Megan: Yeah, like, we've, just, I think because we've been so over packed, that like, everything that [00:15:00] comes our way, we're like, no thanks, no thanks, like, it's so easy to say no because we all need it. You know? It's like, and it's just a week, it's just a couple days, but I can tell you we are all gonna feel so good. Everybody slept until 7 o'clock at my house this morning. That is unheard
[00:15:16] Lauren: amazing.
[00:15:17] Megan: I know, like, I got up to go to the bathroom thinking that it was gonna be like 3am and I was like, oh my god, it's 6.
[00:15:22] Megan: 50. Shit. The day's gotta start. But it really, I think, we can get so caught up. There's so much, you know, we talk about this a lot, there's so much calling you in every different direction. All the time, and it's easy to get caught up because it is all exciting and magical and there were humans. We want to experience.
[00:15:43] Megan: We want to take in. We want to see things we want. It's part of what we are. We're curious. Right. And like, turning that internal a little bit right and getting curious about what we actually need. And not what we're seeing on the internet that we feel like then we owe [00:16:00] to our kids or, you know, like, Oh, what is life going to be if I don't go to Hershey park this summer and everybody else comes back and they've gone to Hershey park.
[00:16:07] Megan: Like, look at how homeschool people are doing it, like, just or people that go camping on their trips, the level that they operate at, even when in a public space is very different, right? Seeing a family that just came back from Disney. That's a very different energy than a family that just spent four days in the Ozarks off the grid,
[00:16:28] Lauren: Right. Right. So
[00:16:29] Megan: you know,
[00:16:31] Lauren: I think our call to action is to get unplugged more,
[00:16:34] Megan: yeah,
[00:16:35] Lauren: you know, even if it's for a day. Yeah.
[00:16:38] Megan: or a half a day Maybe you have something in the morning and you can open up your afternoon and just do nothing and give yourself full permission without guilt Like that Aaron and I that's something that we I will say it wasn't hard not to break plants What's been difficult is actually relaxing Like, Ender wasn't feeling great yesterday.
[00:16:55] Megan: He wanted to watch a movie and I would lay with him for 10 or 15 minutes. And then I'd get like this [00:17:00] urge to like get up and I needed to do something. And then I'd go outside and Aaron was like playing, you know, a little handheld video game thing, DS or whatever. And. I was like, when are you just playing video games?
[00:17:11] Megan: He's like, yes, and I'm trying not to feel guilty about it. So shh. Like, but we were having to remind ourselves throughout the day, like, you don't have to feel guilty for doing nothing. It's actually okay for you to sit and watch that whole movie. It's actually okay for you to sit outside for two hours when there's beautiful weather and play on your fucking video games or whatever.
[00:17:26] Megan: Read a book, take a nap. Like, it's okay.
[00:17:30] Lauren: Well, now I fully understand, I think the quote or the saying, whatever, you know, like that rest is productive. Like now I fully get it. You know, like before I thought it was necessary for my health, but now I understand that I needed that time off last week to really unplug and recharge. And now that I'm home, now I do feel more productive and I am getting more done and I am more focused than I was
[00:17:56] Megan: How invigorated do you feel to actually do the things?
[00:17:59] Lauren: [00:18:00] Yeah, I do. And I'm excited that that's the thing. Like I lost my sparkle for a little bit. I lost like that. Drive to want to like, it's like I did in my head, but I couldn't get my body to do it.
[00:18:11] Megan: Like things become like a chore, right? Like we know we need to do them. We know that we're going to benefit from them, but it's like the, the joy around it has kind
[00:18:18] Lauren: The joy was missing. Right. And so now I feel like the joy is back and I just needed, again, those couple of days of just like being unattached to anything, right.
[00:18:29] Lauren: To really get it back. So now I know I need to do more of it, you know, and not plan my whole fucking life away.
[00:18:39] Megan: or being less doing, right. Just
[00:18:41] Lauren: More being less doing. Right.
[00:18:43] Megan: it.
[00:18:44] Lauren: Right. Right. I need to wear my hair curly more. 
[00:18:47] Megan: Much, how much time, let me just ask a random question. How much time in a week do you think it would save you if you wore your hair curly
[00:18:53] Lauren: Oh my God. So much time, like probably hours. How crazy is that? [00:19:00] Like,
[00:19:00] Megan: Very
[00:19:01] Lauren: yeah, I know. I know. And I think that's another thing too. Like, you know, when Bob was like, who cares what you're wearing? I was almost like, it was actually like the permission I never knew I needed to just be myself too. You know, because as much as like, okay.
[00:19:14] Lauren: I think that I'm in my authentic version of myself and, you know, my confidence or whatever, like I'm really not, you know, I really still care what I look like more, way more than I probably should. And so,
[00:19:28] Megan: our, like being in our confidence can kind of get intermingled with like, What's trending? Like, oh, I'm in my confidence. I'm rocking because I've got my fucking crew socks and my bike shorts and my little on trend outfit. Like, but that's not it. That's really just us. Like, oh, we did good at fitting in the box today.
[00:19:44] Lauren: yeah, right, exactly, exactly. Way to call me out. Yeah.
[00:19:52] Megan: the same thing. And it's so crazy how a trend can catch you, right? Like things that you'd never think you'd want. And then you see someone wearing it and you're like, damn,
[00:19:59] Lauren: [00:20:00] Yeah. Yeah.
[00:20:01] Megan: is cute. It is a good trend, right? Things are trends for a reason. Cause they are fun and
[00:20:05] Lauren: And it's comfy. I will say that. But yeah, I mean,
[00:20:08] Megan: a mom out, I'm here for a mom outfit.
[00:20:10] Megan: I love the direction we're going. I need socks that are not going to slide down into my shoes. Right? Like we get the crew sock, but it's like when the functionality matches how we feel.
[00:20:21] Lauren: I, yes. So now I just need to, I think it's all about embracing too. It was another thing that, you know, really came to mind while being there. It's just really embracing whatever the fuck was happening, however you were in that moment, you know? And that felt good too.
[00:20:38] Megan: to feel and be like, how many times do you have like a day where maybe it's a really rough day and you're like, okay, I've got 10 minutes to be in my feelings and then I got to turn it back on,
[00:20:50] Lauren: Mm
[00:20:51] Megan: know, like, I wonder what would happen if we took a little space, like, is there one thing you can take off your plate? You create a little more space to just be [00:21:00] and to tend to yourself in smaller moments so that we don't need a week long vacation all the time to just remember that we can be still for a little bit.
[00:21:10] Lauren: Right. And I think that's definitely like a good point is that how can we find those pockets of time or whatever it is, like,
[00:21:18] Megan: Build them into our routine.
[00:21:20] Lauren: yeah, but like taking what you actually need and, and, and, and knowing what you actually need, because sometimes I don't, I don't think we, we think we need X, Y, and Z and more of something when really we actually need a lot less.
[00:21:32] Megan: Yeah. Like maybe we just need a nap and a snack.
[00:21:35] Lauren: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, or a really good conversation with with a friend that's genuine, you know, Or get whatever is off our chest or go for a fucking walk in nature and not listen to something. Just listen to the birds, the air, the wind, like the leaves crunching under their feet, like whatever it may be, you know?
[00:21:59] Megan: Can you make [00:22:00] some space this week to take the time to sit with yourself and ask what you need? Right? What do you need this week? What do you need today? Can you take 20 minutes? Give yourself a little bit of what you need. I feel like that's a really easy doable way to start practicing being, right?
[00:22:22] Megan: Not tuning into a meditation. Not fucking watching a show or whatever. Like, what is something that disconnects you from all the sounds and all the hustle and bustle? Is it the conversation? Is it sitting in silence? Is it reading a book? Is it closing your eyes? What do you need today? Can you do that for yourself?
[00:22:48] Lauren: All right, guys, I think that brings us to the end. DM
[00:22:52] Megan: We would love to know what you found time for in your week or what, in that moment of quiet [00:23:00] checking in, right? What did you find that you needed that you weren't allowing yourself the space to have?
[00:23:06] Lauren: us and let us know, guys.
[00:23:07] Megan: Mm hmm.
[00:23:09] Lauren: All right. See you next week. Bye.