As the Director of Sales I have the privilege of seeing the project come to life from a various angles—getting to know the architect and his amazing plans for building tree houses, tip-toeing through delicate, newly planted mangrove seedlings on the banks of the estuary to setting a tiny turtle on the sand and watching it make it’s first steps toward the ocean.

But for me what really makes this project come to life are the people.  From the fascinating conversations I’ve been having with prospective buyers from all over the US and beyond, to the gradual familiarity I’m gaining with members of the local community.   Playa Viva is about connecting and finding common ground in deep and unexpected ways.

Over the past week this has meant taking an early morning walk on the beach with a group of elderly Mexican women in Juluchuca and realizing that though we come from different generations and different cultures (not to mention the formative language barrier), we were not so different.  As we walked we talked about our shared love of cooking, sharing recipes and stories of family and friends.

Several hours later I was in Troncones greeting a group of prospective buyers and supporters of Playa Viva.  Another fascinating group.  There were surfers from Southern California, two lively women from San Francisco, a landscape architect from Utah and a Canadian Yoga instructor.  Thanks to Playa Viva  we were not just meeting in passing but exploring the land together and sitting down to shared meals, allowing conversation to flow and time to make real connections.

Looking back on my week I realize that this is a very important (though easily overlooked) aspect of our project.  We are creating an especially fertile environment for communication—bridging the distance between people and cultures—to see what takes root.