Hi, my name is Jef Otten.  I am writing to you from Costa Rica.  Here they call me Oso so that is the name I will use for this blog.  Let me give you a bit of background about myself.  I was born in New York City.  I knew right away I did not belong there so at the age of five (in the early 1970's) I packed up my family (Mom, Dad, two brothers and a sister) and moved to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands.  I had everything a boy could want.  Sun, Beach, unlimited summer, critters and friends.  As with all good things change is inevitable.  After four blissful years my Dad (who has a wandering toe) decided we should move to the sunny state of Vermont.  And so we did....in the middle of a very cold February.  Wow radical life change!  As kids, right away the snow was fun...for about fifteen minutes.  We then asked Dad "The snow is fun but can we go to the beach now?"  His repy, "About the beach...if there was one we couldn't go until August and only for about twenty minutes because that's how long summer is here."  So, when I was 18 I moved back to the Virgin Islands specifically to St. John the next island over from St. Thomas.  I have not lived in serious winter since.  As I inherited my dad's wandering toe I moved to Florida and then here. 

            My life can be summed up in three simple words WOW, WOOHOO and WHOOPS.  I prefer more WOW's and WOOHOO's than WHOOPS's but as I was born with the soul of a clown.  I have no choice sometimes but to take a fall.  I tend to get back up on my tricycle and peddle away to the next WOW or WOOHOO.

            So, here I am in Costa Rica "Off the grid, off the ground and out of this world".  I have been living off the grid for 2 years and have learned much.  When I lived in the U.S.V.I.  I was living in one of the first eco-resorts.  It was there that I became aware of reclaiming water, solar power, 12v batteries, small scale sewage treatment and many other environmentally friendly ideas.  When I moved to Carate in Costa Rica I learned even more and put my skills to use.

            Living off the grid has it's ups and downs.  Living by doing the right thing for the environment and living with a minimal carbon footprint feels right.  I am not an extremist or some kind of backwoods wacko in a war against society.  Believe me when I say I like modern conveniences...Air conditioning, fast food, cars, and other normal persuits.  I visit these vices occationally and they just serve to remind me of why I am living the way I am.