Ali Long, from the Low Country fishing paradise of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, has spent the past decade collecting experiences across the globe. Her circuitous path has included stints promoting environmental awareness in Jamaica, seeking out the ultimate mozzarella in the hills of Italy, teaching South Korea’s plugged-in generation the importance of communication, and intensely studying the culinary options as a shoestring gourmand on the islands of Indonesia. That path eventually led to Costa Rica, where she has been exploring and enjoying its beauty for five years.

Erin Raub, originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a world citizen and insatiable traveler. Her globetrotting has taken her to school in the Grenadines, samba dancing in Brazil, pasta tasting in Italy and bongo drumming in the British Virgin Islands. After graduating from the University of Virginia and beginning her writing career, she turned her passion for travel into a lifestyle. Now a happy Costa Rica connoisseur, Erin counts swinging through the treetops, wildlife spotting and nature hiking among her favorite activities.

Genna Marie, born in Connecticut and moved to Georgia at age ten, has lived to travel ever since she was old enough to  buy a bus ticket. She has an intense love for Spanish, having lived for short stints in Spain and in Mexico. Her journeys have taken her all over the Americas and Europe, from the shores of the Caribbean to the streets of Amsterdam. She’s seen the Eye of London, Gibraltar’s old world monkeys, bullfights in Andalucia, and the jagged cliffs of Portugal. After studying abroad in Costa Rica in 2005, she fell in love with the country and vowed to one day call it home.