I live in sunny lovely Costa Rica and trust me if you don’t have financial support you are going to have a tough time. That said you can make it here but not in the fashion you are accustomed and while work-trade might sound great it can also be a nightmare. Not sure where you are looking at doing this but I know of plenty of places that offer this sort of deal and it can quickly become slave labor feeling depending on how remote the location is (bus service once a week and such is not unheard of hear).

Ask yourself this – what if you got there and it was the exact opposite of what you thought – would you be able to leave the situation and find other accommodations? Would you return back to the states? How would you support/care for yourself here in Costa Rica if you were not at the yoga retreat? Have you ever traveled abroad before?

Don’t get me wrong I fully support someone who wants to cut the purse strings and forge their own way in life…. I just don’t get the feeling you are fully committed given your wavery post. Think about where you want to be in 5 years and if you think this will make any difference other than a cheap vacation to talk about. I think you need to sit down look at what it will require from you to be without any support and see if you are comfortable with it. If you can afford the airfare, being gone for 3 months and then having money when you go back to pay your rent and such I say go for it. If not you might take this a kick in the pants to get yourself closer to being independent for the NEXT opportunity that comes up. I promise this opportunity is not unique – it might be fabulous and the best thing you ever do but it is not unique.