My Monthly Journal
Gatekeepers abound, Write for yourself, find freedom, Your voice, your own path.
In this month’s journal, my five favorite things to explore and share include musical events, art and culture, my progress on writing and the upcoming audiobook planned for release soon and much more.
1. My new office is here in San Rafael, Escazú, Costa Rica. There is no exact address, as Costa Ricans do not believe in labels — they navigate by distances to landmarks.
My routine here is very similar to my routine in Canada. Instead of shoveling snow, I am sweeping sand and dead leaves from my porch, terrace, and patio. No problem.
The temperature ranges from 20°C to 25°C every day — perfect weather in my opinion. Did you know that Costa Rica ranks number one on the happiness scale? The residents I have had the pleasure of meeting are lovely people. The happiness factor is real. I know this perfect weather is truly a pleasure.
2. The area where I am staying is close to Escazú Central. The weekly farmers’ market in Central Escazú takes place every Saturday from 6 a.m. to about noon, and we go every Saturday we can. Fresh fruit and vegetables are in abundance and at much better prices than in the local stores.
This suburb of San Jose is about a 20-minute Uber ride from the capital city of Costa Rica, San Jose. Home of many museums, art galleries, and the National Theatre. This week, we ventured into the city to visit the Jade Museum. A great experience that brings you awareness of the origins of the Costa Rican civilization.
A self-guided tour takes you through five floors of exhibits with some permanent displays and some temporary displays. A well-laid-out, incredibly beautiful experience.
3. My house is about fifteen minutes from my fitness studio, Escazú Fitness, where my partner Nina and I train in yoga, fitness, and karate. For the last two years, we were a 45-minute walk from the gym, so this is a welcome change. We go three times a week.
Have you ever thought about the correlation between fitness and aging? For many, many years I have considered motion to be a lotion for the body. Perhaps a level of fitness, flexibility, and hard training is the proverbial fountain of youth.
4. While in Escazú, I always keep an eye out for interesting musical entertainment. At Jazz Café, I reserved a table and caught New York Latin jazz pianist and vocalist Ariacne Trujillo — a dance party ensued. I wasn’t going to write about it, but I did. My review should be published in either Latin Jazz Net or ‘that Canadian Magazine’, and an interview may be forthcoming as well. I have left that up to the artist.
I’m also walking about 10,000 steps every day, exploring lots of cafés and sodas — the family-run, home-cooking restaurants that are simply the best. One of our favourites is Soda Mirabel in Escazu, as close to home cooking as you get.
5. This past week, I participated in an online session about getting your books into Indigo/Chapters/Coles on consignment, coordinated through my writing group, WCYR. About 20 authors attended, along with two Indigo representatives. It was a very informative meeting.
Samba Book ‘4’ is complete. Now all I have to do is have it proofread by my editor and, no doubt, address whatever issues she finds. The next step is uploading to the distributor for printing and putting it out into the world. As mentioned in last month’s journal, my publishing date is tentatively set for April 2026.
What’s next? I want to produce an audiobook — and in fact, I am working on the post-production of it as you read this. Sound quality is a key factor for me, and likely for most folks who will want to listen to my storytelling.
I also have a new bedtime story for the kids — well, not exactly new, but an excerpt, or perhaps a chapter, from a new story I am working on. Check it out on my, patreon.com/PaulYanuziello . Become a member if you aren’t already; it’s completely free for now. That may change in the near future, so get on board while you can.
Thanks for reading, and remember — if you know someone who would enjoy my journal, please pass it on. All my books are available from your favourite bookstores.
Stay safe, be well, and keep on reading and writing.
All my books are available online through your favorite bookstore retailers.
Copyright © 2026 Paul Yanuziello, PNJ Services, All rights reserved.
Follow my journey: @PaulYanuziello
Support my work: patreon.com/PaulYanuziello