A weeklong vacation in El Salvador provided the recharge I needed. Leading Groove Management and LeaderSurf is more than a full time job. It is my passion, but it is also very difficult to unplug. When my wife and I told friends and colleagues we were planning a trip to El Salvador, the reaction was often “why El Salvador?” , “Isn’t it dangerous?”, “why such an exotic place?, “Isn’t that where they are sending deportees?”. The commentary only excited us more about our trip. We are not sit on the beach and relax vacationers, we are adventurers and celebrating our 29th wedding anniversary with another adventure was just what we wanted.
I was drawn to El Salvador by the world class surfing. It was the only country in Central American that I had yet to visit. My wife had been to El Salvador many times in the past for work. Ten years ago when she would travel to El Salvador she would have a an armored car and a security detail. Over the course of the past several years, El Salvador has gone from being one of the most dangerous countries in the world to the safest in Central America.
In my work I help leaders to push aside stereotypes and to stop listening to the perceptions of others to make their own decision based on fact and experience. Our trip to El Salvador provided a first hand opportunity for me to debunk the concerns voiced by our friends and colleagues.
No American Tourists
Historic District Town Square
We flew from Charlotte to Miami on a plane packed with loud obnoxious American travelers. When we boarded our connecting flight from Miami to El Salvador, we quickly relized that we were the only non-Latins on the plane. The plane was filled with El Salvadorians returning to their home country to visit family or to vacation. We travel a lot and have visited over forty five countries. El Salvador was the country we have visited with the fewest Americans. That was the first refreshing realization. We rented a car from the airport and drove into San Salvador the countries capital city. Driving was easy with impressive infrastrastructure project all around. The country is investing heavily in new roads and modernization. We checked into our hotel struggling a bit with the fact that no one spoke fluent English and our Spanish is terrible. Once checked in we walked an hour through the streets of San Salvador to the historic district. The walk really emersed us in the culture and the people. We felt safe the entire time. The historic district includes the Presidential palace, the national cathedral and newly constructed super modern library with interactive sections for kids. The town square connecting the building was all newly built with beautiful cobblestone.
After a night in the city, we enjoyed a breakfast at the hotel with one of my wife’s former colleagues. She had helped him and his family move to Chile to escape the dangers in El Salvador and he had just moved back two months earlier. He explained with pride how excited he was to be home and to see the progress his country was making. This pride in the country became a common theme among the people we met on the trip.
The Santa Ana Volcano
After breakfast we drove two hours to the Santa Ana Volcano area where we spent the day at Lake Coatepeque. We enjoyed an awesome waterfront meal and watched El Salvadorians enjoy swimming, jetskiing and playing on the lake. At dinner that night we met several El Salvadorian families who live in the USA. They were on vacation in their home country and they too were so proud of the positive transformation occurring.
The next day we hiked the Santa Ana Volcano. It was a five hour hike which provided for amazing views of the volcano lake and views of the coast. While our guide did not speak much English we were fortunate to meet Raphael an El Salvadorian who lived in Miami for thirty years before recently returning home to El Salvador. He acted as our translator and shared his story of fleeing and returning to El Salvador.
El Tunco- The Beach
The last portion of our vacation was spent at the coast. Sunrise surf sessions were my daily routine followed by amazing El Salvadorian coffee. El Tunco (The Pig) is a world class surfing town also known as Surf City. This was the first place we encountered a few more tourists from the USA, but very few. El Tunco as well was filled with El Salvadorians enjoying surfing and the beach life.
The flight back to Miami was a photocopy of the flight from Miami. Me, my wife and a plane full of proud El Salvadorians. Once we landed, we were back to the reality of the USA. The trip was amazing. We made many great memories, recognized how broken our own country has become, yet saw how a country can turn itself around by making smart choices.
Reflections and Flow State
Sitting on my surfboard in the Pacific Ocean is one of my favorite places to reflect on my life, my work, my impact on the world and my dreams. It is almost ironic but I feel more grounded when floating on the water than I do when standing on the shore. For me the ocean provides flow and given all the uncertainties in the world, being in a state of flow where you are constantly having to make minor adjustments to maintain your balance is a great metaphor for life. The ocean as teacher is the premise for the LeaderSurf program. While currently being run in Costa Rica, El Salvador is definitely on my radar for future programs. The location of the program can also be a tool to push people out of their comfort zones and into the learning zone.
I rested, I learned, I grew through my week in El Salvador. It was one of my favorite vacations and while I hope tourism doesn’t tarnish El Salvador, if you do have an opportunity to visit, I would highly recommend it.