the adventure
A Different Kind of Adventure
You’ve worked hard. Built a life. Taken care of people. Maybe life is pretty good, and you’ve got a lot to be grateful for. But there’s something you’ve been missing. Adventure, perhaps. A few really good friends. The freedom to do something just because you want to.
Imagine hiking through the mountains of Costa Rica with a small group of men who, like you, have lived a little. There’s nothing to manage and nobody needs you to solve anything. Just the trail ahead, the people beside you, and whatever the day brings.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Have you noticed that having plenty of people in your life isn’t the same as having real friends?
You miss the kind of friendships where you can laugh like a fool, talk about almost anything, and know somebody has your back. And making new friends doesn’t happen as easily as it once did. (It’s not just you. Research shows it gets harder as we get older, especially for men.) Imagine eight days of challenging trails, meals, stories, and plenty of laughter with men who are willing to just be real. You might arrive as strangers, but go home with a few guys you’ll actually want to plan your next adventure with.
Are you pretty good at being the guy everyone can count on?
The provider, the problem solver, the one who handles things. Those roles have served you well. But what would it feel like to have somebody else looking out for you for a change? Our guides handle the logistics, your luggage is transported, and we look out for each other along the way. You get to experience being supported without having to earn it. (And maybe discover that the world doesn’t fall apart when you’re not running the show.)
You’ve spent years becoming the man you thought you needed to be. Now you’re wondering what happened to the man you wanted to be.
Maybe your career is changing, your kids don’t need you the way they once did, or the goals that once motivated you aren’t quite doing it anymore. Through guided conversations and quiet moments in nature, we’ll make room for questions you may not have given yourself permission to ask. Not because there’s something wrong with the man you’ve become, but because there’s still so much more of you, and your life, to discover.
You know there’s more life you want to live.
More connection, more adventure, more freedom to be yourself. And you’ve been putting some of it off for a while now. Imagine how it might feel to stop talking about someday and actually be living it: challenging yourself, laughing until your sides hurt, and coming home with a clearer sense of what you want next.
Because the last thing you want is to wake up five years from now, still wondering when you’re finally going to start living that part of your life.
Imagine giving yourself eight days to explore what’s possible
This isn’t a retreat where you spend the week sitting in a room talking about your feelings. (Not that there’s anything wrong with feelings. That’s my jam.) And it’s not an ordinary guided hike where you admire the scenery, swap a few stories, and go home.
We’re bringing together two things I love sharing: the adventure of exploring somewhere extraordinary in nature, and the kind of personal exploration that can change how you experience your everyday life. Nature will be our meeting room. A silent hike in a cloud forest might bring greater insights than years of lectures, counseling, and talking about our shit.
We’ll hike with experienced local guides who know the trails, the communities, and are fantastic about spotting wildlife we'd never see without them. Along the way, you'll be invited to participate in conversations and experiential exercises that will help us explore the beliefs, habits, and old stories that may be keeping our lives smaller than we’d like. Sometimes that work goes surprisingly deep, sometimes it’s playful, and often it’s both at once. You don’t need to arrive with a problem to fix. Just curiosity and a willingness to participate.
The mountains are real. So is the support.
Your luggage will be transported, and our guides know how to help when someone needs a break. We’ll challenge ourselves, but this isn’t a competition to see who’s the toughest guy on the trail.
You don’t have to earn your belonging by keeping up.
You still have mountains to climb, people to meet, and experiences you haven’t even imagined yet. And you don’t have to prove a damn thing to deserve all of it.
El Camino de Costa Rica
There’s a Costa Rica most visitors never get to see. Beyond the beach resorts and swim-up bars, there’s a trail winding through mountains, rainforests, cloud forests, Indigenous lands, and rural communities where life moves at a different pace.
It’s called El Camino de Costa Rica. Inspired by the Camino de Santiago in Spain, the trail was established in 2018 and is still relatively unknown to international travelers. For eight days, we’ll experience some of its most extraordinary stretches, the kind you can’t see from a tour bus or hotel window. So we’ll do it the way we love to travel: on foot, where we can actually become part of the place.
Nature isn’t the backdrop, it’s the whole thing!
We’ll climb through dense tropical foliage, where a cool breeze can feel like a gift from the gods after a long, sweaty climb. We’ll cross streams and walk beneath towering trees with all the energy of a grand cathedral (but without the scary nuns). By the way, the blue morpho butterflies tend to hang out close to the river, so go stand there and be still a minute.
We’ll hike through coffee plantations and fields of sugarcane. (An old Tico once told me that as a kid, he’d cut a piece of sugarcane and suck the sugar right out of it while walking. Free energy food!) And we’ll visit rural communities where people still live close to the land. These aren’t tourist attractions; they’re real places, with real people who generously welcome travelers into their world. There may be a home-cooked meal, an unexpected conversation, or a game of Jenga with the kids of the family hosting us for the night.
Many of my favorite memories from El Camino have nothing to do with the hiking. I can't wait for you to see why.
The mountains are calling
And they’re not kidding.
There will be steep climbs, long hiking days, muddy boots, and tired legs. Costa Rica also comes with daytime heat, cold mountain mornings, humidity, bugs, and the occasional blister. It’s all part of the deal.
And then you’ll round a bend and see a view that makes you forget how hard you’ve been working. Or somebody will say something so ridiculous that the whole group dissolves into laughter. Or you’ll find yourself standing quietly beneath a canopy of trees, feeling more connected to the world than you have in a very long time.
No judgment on the trail.
My biggest “connection” to the world beneath my feet happened when I stepped off the trail to pee and found a thousand biting ants crawling up my legs. Nobody yelled, “Why weren’t you more careful?” That’s how my family would have spoken to me as a kid. Here, a couple of guys rushed to my rescue. So yes, watch where you step. But you won’t be judged when you step in it, literally or metaphorically.
A little less rushing, a lot more experiencing.
We’re not setting out to conquer the entire trail in eight days. This is a carefully selected journey through some of its most memorable landscapes, with time to actually experience them. There’s something about walking beside someone that makes conversation easier. And sometimes we’ll walk in silence through the clouds, watching the mist give us glimpses of big views before everything disappears into fog again. Who knows what might come up when there’s nothing you need to say?
The best adventures aren’t always on the map.
Our English-speaking local guides know the trails, the communities, and literally every landowner along the way. Once, a guide offered us a “long-cut” off the trail, clearing a seldom-used jungle path with his machete as we walked. The reward: spectacular views, plus homemade ice cream and fresh-cut fruit he’d arranged at a farmhouse he knew.
At the end of the day, there’s a hot (sometimes ice-cold) shower, good food, and stories to swap. And at some point you’ll realize you haven’t thought about your inbox in hours.
You’re just here, fully engaged in your own life.
NOT the ant scene - just in awe of the forest.
The places we'll stay
One of the things I loved most about hiking El Camino was discovering the little places where we’d spend the night. Sometimes rustic, sometimes surprisingly comfortable, and almost always full of character. And it's heaven if you love dogs.
Along the trail, we’ll stay in small locally owned lodges, rural guesthouses, family homes, and even covered camping platforms in Indigenous territory. We won’t be staying in luxury resorts, and that’s part of what makes this adventure special.
Imagine finishing a day of hiking and arriving somewhere you’d never have found on your own. Maybe there’s a porch where you can watch the clouds roll through, or a family preparing dinner in the kitchen. Or maybe it’s a simple campsite where you fall asleep to the sounds of the jungle.
The rooms may be simple and the showers may be cold. (Which makes that first really good shower feel like winning the lottery, as your first-world problems begin to melt away.) But at the end of a day on the trail, a comfortable place to rest, good company, and genuine connection to the people and places around us can feel like all the luxury you ever wanted.
To me, it feels like belonging.
Food, culture & a little pura vida
We’ll pass through small villages and farming communities, see how coffee and other crops are grown, and experience the warmth of people who have made this beautiful country their home for generations.
Ask any Tico (that’s what Costa Ricans call themselves) in the countryside who makes the best tamales, gallo pinto, or empanadas, and the correct answer is always mi madre, my mother. And they’re right! Most days, the “Mom” of the place we’re staying will be cooking for us, so you’ll get to judge for yourself.
Costa Rica is an agricultural country, and the food reflects it: fresh fruits and vegetables, rice and beans, pineapple, plantains, avocados, fresh juices, eggs, fish, chicken, pork, and beef. And of course, some of the world’s best coffee and chocolate. You’ll be well fed, and most dietary needs can be accommodated, as long as you let us know well in advance.
Somewhere along the way, we’ll begin to understand pura vida, the phrase you’ll hear everywhere in Costa Rica. It literally means “pure life,” but it’s also a greeting, a thank-you, and a way of saying life is good, even when it isn’t perfect.
Maybe that’s one of the best things we can bring home: a little more appreciation for the life we’re living, right now.
And perhaps a new appreciation for rice and beans. Especially when somebody else’s mother makes them and you’re really hungry.
Beyond the trail
Some of the most important discoveries won’t happen on the mountain.
You’ve spent much of your life figuring things out, making decisions, and doing what had to be done. But what about the questions that don’t have a logical answer? Like why you keep putting off something you really want. Why certain situations still get under your skin. Why you can have so much to be grateful for and still feel like something’s missing.
Sometimes the things keeping us stuck aren’t things we can think our way out of.
Throughout the journey, we’ll make time for facilitated experiences that go much deeper than talking about our lives. These are powerful, experiential practices that can open doors we didn’t even know were closed. Some may surprise you. Some might just rock your world. In a good way.
This isn’t talk therapy, and nobody will analyze you or tell you what to fix.
We’ll be immersed in experiences that help us access a deeper sense of inner wisdom, safety, forgiveness, and compassion for ourselves. Even the parts of us we’ve spent years fighting, ignoring, or hiding are welcome here, if and when they’re ready.
You’re in charge of what you explore, what you share, and what you do with it.
At your own pace. To get the most out of it, just be willing to get curious about yourself. (And no, you won’t be required to hug a tree. Unless you want to. Actually, let’s not even think about hugging a tree in the jungle.)
We’re here to live more fully, not to collect more problems to solve.
And we might discover something about friendship, too: that we can care deeply about another man, support him through something difficult, and celebrate his victories without taking on his problems as our responsibility. He’s not another burden to carry, but a real friendship to enjoy. (Please tell me we’re all old enough to know The Hollies’ He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother. It’s playing in my head right now.)
Perhaps you’ll reconnect with a part of yourself you’ve been neglecting, find freedom from an old belief that’s been quietly running your life, or discover that something you’ve carried for years doesn’t have to feel so heavy anymore. We can’t know exactly what each of us will discover. If we already knew, it wouldn’t be a discovery. That’s part of the adventure.
The goal isn’t to return home as a new and improved version of yourself. It’s to feel freer to be the man you already are.
The men in your new tribe
Come as you are.
One of the biggest surprises of an adventure like this can be the people you meet along the way. And yes, there’s the fear of joining a group. What if it’s weird? What if I don’t fit in, or can’t keep up? I won’t know anybody... I hear you. That’s all normal, and I’ve got you. Belonging is a big part of this journey, and it doesn’t have to be weird or scary. You don’t have to keep up to belong. Have your own goals, absolutely, but you don’t have to earn your place in the group.
No comparing résumés.
We’ll be a small group of men with plenty of differences. Some may have spent years exploring personal growth; others may be coming mostly for the hiking and the adventure. What brings us together isn’t what we’ve accomplished. It’s our shared curiosity about what else life has to offer. So no comparing résumés, past trips, or incomes. Come be human.
Who we’re looking for.
Men who enjoy a good adventure, have a sense of humor, and are willing to play full out. Men who can laugh at themselves, listen to somebody else’s story without needing to fix it, and are occasionally willing to step outside their comfort zones, physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally. I suspect you’re up for that. You don’t need to be particularly outgoing or have your life figured out, and you certainly don’t need to be an expert at talking about your feelings. (If you are, congratulations. The rest of us will try not to hold it against you.) You just need to be willing to show up for yourself and the other men, not out of responsibility, but simply by being there.
Real connection without the performance.
There’s something special about sharing a challenge, helping one another through it, and discovering how quickly strangers can become friends. You’ll have time with the whole group, one-on-one conversations, and quiet time to yourself. On my past retreats, people have often told me they know some of their new friends better than people they’ve known for years.
And you might go home with something you didn’t realize you were missing:
A few more people in your life who really know you, and are glad they do.
Meet your host
I’ve spent much of my life creating spaces where people feel safe enough to be fully themselves, sometimes for the first time in their lives. I’ve watched people put down burdens they’ve carried for decades and rediscover joy, love, connection, and parts of themselves they thought were lost. But first, I had to do that work myself. And I continue to.
For a long time, I thought that if I accomplished enough, made enough people happy, and built a life that looked successful, I’d finally feel like I belonged. It didn’t work that way.
I was an unwanted pregnancy, born into poverty with an abusive, alcoholic father. I lost my mother when I was seven and grew up under the judgment of the aunt and uncle who raised me. Then there was growing up gay in rural, Catholic Ohio, where being myself didn’t exactly feel like a safe option. So I spent the first 50 years of my life feeling like I never belonged, no matter how happy I seemed in my perfect-looking life.
No matter our experiences, I think we all learned a lot about who we had to be to deserve love, approval, and a safe place in the world.
It breaks my heart to see men spend their lives trying to earn the love, belonging, and happiness they deserve to experience right now.
When I hiked El Camino de Costa Rica, the mountains were spectacular, but my most meaningful memories were about the people, the conversations, and the moments when I felt completely present in my own life. I’d been leading personal-growth retreats in Costa Rica for years, and I started wondering what would happen if I took the juiciest parts of those retreats and brought them along on a hike.
Then, in September 2026, my longtime hiking partner and good friend Ben died by suicide in New Hampshire. His death brought some things into sharper focus for me. That same week, I stepped away from my role as VP of Training at The RIM Institute. I wanted more time in circle, more time in nature, and more time doing what really matters to me. I realized I didn’t just want to lead another retreat.
I wanted to find some great guys to share these mountains, conversations, laughter, and sometimes the difficult parts of life with. While we still can.
I’m taking a stand for men to be free to be themselves. To discover who they are beyond the work they’ve done, the roles they’ve played, and the people who’ve depended on them. To stop missing out on the friendships, intimacy, joy, and adventure that make life worth living.
In supporting that stand, what I’ve learned to trust is simple: myself, the wholeness of every man in the circle, the power of nature and moving our bodies, and what happens when we come together in genuine community.
Speaking of support, we have trusted local guides who bring their knowledge of the mountains and communities. And we have you - Each man will bring something none of the rest of us can. We need what you bring. All you have to do is show up as you are.
We’ve got a lot of living left to do. And nothing left to prove.
I’d love to climb a few mountains with you, up where we belong. (Joe Cocker reference. Please tell me somebody got it.)
Mike
P.S. I want to be clear and direct about this - I'm NOT a licensed mental health professional, and I support emotional well-being, not mental health or illness. Some guys want to know my qualifications for holding this kind of space, and that’s a fair question. I spent ten years with the RIM Institute, where as VP of Training, where I trained hundreds of coaches and therapists techniques to work more effectively with trauma and inner-child work. I served on Jack Canfield’s training faculty, including providing emotional support for participants working through trauma at his large retreats. I’m also a TEDx speaker, retreat center owner, and Master Certified RIM Practitioner, with training in trauma-informed coaching, grief coaching, conscious aging, hypnosis, NLP, (and more certificates that didn’t add a thing to my enoughness.). Before all that, I was president of a travel agency franchise with 35 locations and built six small businesses. So I’ve had some practice leading people and handling the unexpected. Above all, I’m taking a stand that you belong and have nothing to prove.
Come home with more freedom, deeper connections, and real excitement about what’s next.
The Retreat Promise
After this adventure, you’ll come home with more freedom to be yourself, deeper connections with new friends and with the people who matter most at home, and real excitement about what’s next in your life.
Not as ideas you heard about, but as something you’ve already lived.
Your investment
May 12 to 19, 2027
Early bird: $3,697 (through January 15, 2027 early bird deadline])
Full price: $4,897
Most accommodations are shared, camping tents are usually private.
How to book:
- Reserve your spot with a $1,000 retainer.
- Complete a short application that we’ll email you. It isn’t a test of whether you’re “enough.” It helps make sure this group is right for you.
- Book your first Life to Live call with Mike to finalize your reservation.
Your retainer is non-refundable, except if the trip is cancelled or your application isn’t accepted.
The balance is due 30 days before departure.
Not sure yet? Send Mike an email or schedule a short call. No pressure, just a conversation.
What’s included
Your journey
- Seven nights of lodging: locally owned lodges, cabins, hotels, family homestays, and covered camping
- Three meals a day (let us know about dietary needs well in advance)
- Transfers from your San José arrival hotel to the trailhead, and to the airport on the final day
- Luggage transported between stages, so you hike with just a daypack
- Entrance fees to private areas along the trail
- Camping gear: tent, mat, pillow, and sleeping bag
Guides and safety
- A certified guide and an Indigenous Cabécar guide
- An evacuation plan in case of accident
Your personal journey
- Transformational experiences and ceremonies throughout the trip
- Private sessions with Mike before and after the trip
- Group sessions before and after, to prepare and to anchor what you discover
- A pre-trip group Zoom to meet the group and answer your questions
- A detailed packing list and tips, so you arrive well prepared
- A twelve week pre-hike fitness training plan
- Mike’s playlist from our ceremonies and circles, to revisit the experience at home
- Dogs are generally provided for your enjoyment (strays are common, and family pets are common at many accommodations).
Not included
- Airfare to San José, Costa Rica
- Your first night’s hotel in San José and any extra nights before or after (we’ll recommend hotels with breakfast)
- Travel insurance, which is required and should cover rescue and evacuation (Travel Guard and World Nomads are popular choices)
- Gratuities for the guides, typically about $200 per person, which can be paid together at the end
- Beverages and snacks between meals, alcohol, and personal items
- Spa services, or activites not specifically named
Good to know: cell service, internet, electricity, and hot water aren’t guaranteed on the trail, especially in Indigenous territory.
It is part of the adventure. Satellite cell service is available and usually working at all lodging points, including camp sites.
What you take home
Eight days in Costa Rica will come and go. You’ll return to your familiar routines, responsibilities, and the people waiting for you at home. And perhaps something will be profoundly different.
You’ll have hiked through extraordinary mountains and cloud forests, seen a side of Costa Rica most tourists never see, and probably surprised yourself along the way. You’ll know what it’s like to take on a real challenge with other men cheering you on, without having to prove anything to anybody.
So what’s different when you get home?
You might find yourself saying yes to something you’ve been putting off for years. Or no to something you’ve been doing because you thought you were supposed to. You may have a clearer sense of what you want from this next chapter, beyond being the dependable guy, the provider, or the problem solver, and more confidence to actually do something about it.
Imagine bringing some of that home to the people you love. Being more present. Asking for what you want. Having the conversations you’ve been avoiding, or simply enjoying each other more. Maybe even remembering how to have fun together. Remember play?
And you’ll have shared an adventure with men who know something about you beyond what you do for a living. Men you’ve laughed with, struggled alongside, and maybe opened up to in ways you haven’t in a long time.
You don’t always have to be the strong one, figure everything out alone, or earn your place by keeping up. That’s more valuable to bring home than coffee beans from the family that grew them, or out-of-this-world organic dark chocolate. (But bring those home too.)
It’s not that the mountains fix everything, though it does feel magical. Sometimes getting away from the life we’ve built, and actually experiencing a different way of being, shows us what else is possible. Every detail of this adventure is designed so you come home feeling more alive, more connected, and clearer about what you want.
Not just with ideas about a different life, but with the experience of having already lived a little differently. Because the next decade doesn’t have to look like the last one. And you don’t have to wait until you’ve earned the right to enjoy it.
Testimonials
Testimonials
Over the years, I’ve been honored to work with some incredible people in retreats, workshops, and personal-growth programs. Here’s what a few of them have said.
“Michael is an excellent trainer, brilliant at creating a deep sense of intimacy and connection among people. Authentic, transparent, and dedicated to making a difference in the lives of others.”
Jack Canfield, author of The Success Principles and co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul
“Simply put, the week we spent with you was one of the most profound experiences I have ever had. The work we did - you and I - on our last day has changed me in a way that is almost indescribably positive. I have, until now, lived my life in the shadow of my father's cruelty. Up until now, it had controlled how I thought and how I felt. It influenced my decisions and the choices that I have made throughout my life.
Chris Sargent, Vermont
experience and uncovered some things I hadn’t been expecting. But as I looked at the things I uncovered, I started to see how it was impacting my life. I’ve been able to move forward in a lot of unexpected ways. So many people have told me that I’m a different person since that experience, and I am so grateful.”
D. Favorite, Denver
“Since doing RIM, I have a lot less brain chatter, I’m more confident, I listen better, I’m a better parent and partner (less angry, and I find the right words), and I’m better at doing things for me, not only for other people. And I think I have a little more clarity about the next chapter in my life.”
V. Wilsher, San Francisco
“Thank you so much for the session. First of all, I felt like I was talking to my brother on the phone with you. I don’t know you, but was very comfortable. I am feeling like a load has been lifted off my back. I am standing taller and feeling strong.”
J. Lee, Alberta, Canada
“Working with Mike has been an absolute game-changer for my work, my relationships, and my mental and emotional health.”
Rusty Osborn, Health Coach for High Performers
“I feel more complete, like a ‘piece’ of myself returned. Also, I had more moments of certainty throughout the week, not second-guessing my instincts as much.”
A. Ratliff, Chicago
Frequently asked questions
Email Mike for a conversation. After you pay your retainer, you’ll also get a short application, both for your own reflection and to start a conversation before we finalize your place.
This is an important question, because it’s a small group, maximum 12 guys. We're inviting men who are at a similar place in their lives, on a similar path, in a physically and emotionally safe place to grow at your own pace. We don't have age limits, and I expect to attract men roughly from 45-70, with an average of 60-65.
Huge question, everyone asks. Unlike life at home, you don’t have to be Superman. It isn’t about proving anything so you don't have to worry about keeping up to belong. You do need to be in reasonable shape to walk up to about 10 miles a day, with elevation gain, carrying your daypack. We'll provide a guide for tips to get in shape in just 12 weeks.
About 5 to 6 hours, on 7 of the 8 days.
You don’t have to earn your belonging by keeping up. Our guides know how to help when someone needs a break, and this isn’t a competition to see who’s the toughest guy on the trail. And we have support and options if someone can't hike on a particular day so they can still belong.
No. There is no "have to". You’re in charge of what you explore and what you share, at your own pace. All we ask is a willingness to get curious about yourself.
No. We won’t be doing talk therapy, and nobody will analyze you or tell you what to fix. The work is experiential: guided conversations, practices, and quiet time in nature. Sometimes it goes deep, sometimes it’s playful, and often it’s both.
Click here to start customizing
We’ll send a detailed packing list, and we’ll hold a live Q&A with the group well in advance, where we’ll share our packing successes and failures, so you’ll be well-equipped to be well-equipped!
Travel insurance is required, and it should cover rescue and evacuation. Travel Guard and World Nomads are two popular choices.
I would encourage the friend. Accommodations are generally shared anyway, so you can room with a friend, (or not), just let the guide know. And if you have some resistance to coming alone, I would invite that as a possible sign to step into that resistance and do it solo. You will not be alone when you meet the guys this trip will attract. And, we'll all meet each other on Zoom at least a couple weeks in advance, and setup the Whatsapp group a week in advance to start connecting.
Let's talk to be sure. You know yourself best, and if you have specific questions about support, or facilities like refrigerated meds, or other needs, we can talk about it. Dietary needs are pretty easy, gluten free and vegetarian is becoming commonplace in Costa Rica now, and the private homes along El Camino have learned how to support most requests and our guides are there to help coordinate with our hosts.