Breaking the Code: How I Escaped the 9-to-5 and Started "Hacking" Reality in Costa Rica
Wake up (maybe), grind, repeat, retire (maybe). But why, though?
I’m writing this from a thermal volcanic mineral hot spring in Costa Rica while parrots and toucans write my soundtrack. It’s truly amazing to wake up and do what I want with my time every day. But getting here wasn’t just about leaving the 9-to-5 behind. It was about learning to hack the code of reality itself.
From Boot Camp to Beach Bum
The military taught me one big lesson: movement changes everything. You’re never stagnant. After I left, I couldn’t stop moving. I jumped into a dozen different careers, from producing events for the USO to running a photo booth business. Each pivot felt like a new level of a game I wasn’t sure how to win yet.
But I wasn’t free.
Not really. I was still clocking in, grinding it out, and watching my weekends vanish faster than my paychecks. That’s when it hit me: the system was rigged. The rules? Designed to keep you playing, not winning.
So, I stopped playing by the rules.
The Light Clock Theory (and Why Moving Matters)
Here’s where it gets nerdy (stick with me). Imagine reality is like a light clock: beams of light bouncing between mirrors. When you’re standing still, the light takes the shortest path, up and down. But when you move, the path stretches diagonally. The faster you move, the more reality warps around you.
That’s life. When you sit still, you’re stuck on the default settings. But when you move—physically, mentally, emotionally—you stretch the path. You alter the system. You start seeing cracks in the code, little glitches that let you slip out of the grind and into something better.
How I Hacked the Code
1. I Changed My Frame of Reference
First, I asked myself: what’s really stopping me from living the life I want? The answer wasn’t money or time. It was me. I was so locked into the system’s narrative (buy a house, climb the ladder, retire at 65) that I didn’t see the exits.
So, I started looking for them.
2. I Moved—Literally
One-way ticket to Costa Rica. Why? Because movement is the ultimate hack. When you change your environment, you change your mindset. Suddenly, I wasn’t tied to U.S. work culture or its endless rat race.
Here, the cost of living is lower, the pace is slower, and the jungle doesn’t care about your résumé.
3. I Stopped Trading Time for Money
Thinking your time is worth $X per hour. I started building things that didn’t need me to run—like online projects and passive income streams. Once you break the link between time and money, the game changes entirely.
4. I Experimented
Every day’s a new hack. I try things, fail often, and occasionally hit gold. I’ve built apps, played with crypto, and even started writing this blog. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s momentum.
How You Can Escape the Simulation
Not everyone’s going to move to Costa Rica (though you should visit—it’s paradise). But here’s how you can start hacking your own reality:
1. Change Your Perspective: Question the rules. Do you really need a 9-to-5? Or that car loan? Or the three streaming subscriptions you barely use?
2. Move—Physically or Mentally: Travel, learn a new skill, meet different people. Shake up your environment to unlock new ideas.
3. Leverage Technology: Start a side hustle, automate your work, or invest in tech that grows while you sleep.
4. Play the Long Game: Don’t just grind for today’s paycheck. Build something that lasts—assets, businesses, relationships.
5. Experiment Relentlessly: Fail fast, fail cheap, and keep trying until you find what works.
The Jungle Doesn’t Care, and Neither Should You
Here’s the best part: Costa Rica doesn’t care about the “rules” I left behind. Nobody here asks what I do for a living. They ask if I’ve seen the sunrise over Arenal Volcano or the whales migrating off the coast.
Every day feels like proof that the simulation can be hacked. You don’t have to grind. You don’t have to play by someone else’s rules. You just have to move.
So what are you waiting for? The code’s waiting to be rewritten.
