Maven the Raven: Tree of Life

This blog is the best way for me to do two things: 1) to keep my family and friends up to speed on my upcoming summer travels and 2) to use this platform as a way to draw others into a story that I’ve been writing for more than seven years.

It’s a story called Maven the Raven: Tree of Life, a novel in which all of the characters are birds. I know, random…but true. I’m now 85% complete, and I’ve decided to fast track the remainder of the writing process by going off the grid for what will undoubtedly be a trip of a lifetime.

I’ll start out in Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, or the “Osa” as it’s referred by the locals (so I hear). It’s located on the southern Pacific edge near the Panama border. One third of the Osa is pristine tropical rainforest better known as Corcovado National Park, which the National Geographic once referred to as “the most biologically intense place on earth.”

And for good reason. It’s a place where lush jungle meets the roaring Pacific, producing a densely humid environment, the effects of which create a seven-month rainy season that extends from May through November. The lush habitat is the perfect breeding ground for a teeming wildlife population that boasts jaguars, pumas, tapirs, crocodiles, bull sharks, monkeys, snakes and, last but not least, Costa Rica’s largest population of scarlet macaw—the primary reason why I selected this destination.

One of the characters in the Tree of Life is a macaw named Perception or Perce for short (pronounced Pur-see). Perce is a member of the Moshi tribe, a mysterious group of warriors from “Turtle Island,” who defend a secret truth.  In researching my trip options, I saw the pictures of the Osa—its wild macaws, rustic beaches, the remoteness of it all—and couldn’t help but see the similarities with Turtle Island. This is why I’ve decided to finish the remainder of my “island chapters” writing in a remote beach hut situated 150 feet above the black sands of Carate Beach.

When I’m not writing, I’ll be spending my days trekking through Corcovado, learning to surf, birdwatching, lounging; you know, doing the things I’ve always wanted to do before life got so complicated. One of the reasons I started writing Maven’s story was for experiences like this. It’s never easy believing in something that no one else can see. I’m hoping this trip to the Osa, as well as a second trip to Alaska in July, will help give you all a better perspective, and I’m looking forward to sharing more of Maven’s story in the weeks and months to come.

Follow me on Instagram at @Joshua_Maven or @HonchotheVan, on Twitter @MaventheRaven or Facebook at Facebook/TheLastImperial.

Pura Vida