In 2019 Remy Lewbel had been to Costa Rica four times. Remy Lewbel and Elizabeth Lupu-Leica would go on weekends for personal vacations, family, and a break for fresh air. “Elizabeth first invited me to Costa Rica with her family. The Leica’s took me in and treated me like family. We would return to Costa Rica for birthdays and weekends I had off school” (Lewbel, Remy. Paul Matthew Media Podcast. 19 November 2019). In July of 2019, Lewbel and Leica would soon want to share their love of the country. Lewbel and Leica would begin hosting their final trip of Summer ‘19, located in Costa Rica. “In August of 2019, I was mentally exhausted from traveling. I had been going country to country for four months. Elizabeth and I went to 12 different countries in one year. While being abroad, Sydney Irene, Sam Jenkins, Jimmy Nguyen, Claire Morin, Danard Lenoir, Paul Matthew, and Carolyn McCullen stepped up. Carolyn would join the team, officially working directly over social media. “She set standards for how we represent ourselves online today” (Lewbel, Remy, Personal Interview. 28 July 2020). TREND45’s team would be planning and pulling off one final event that summer. This event would mark TREND45’s 3rd international event in one year. “We had the same motto; we were pushing out more and more content. It was different working with this event. International calls made communication difficult between Remy and I” (Nguyen, Jimmy. Personal Interview. 12 May 2020). “My team worked hard. I would give recognition to Sydney Irene, especially. She was my point of contact while abroad. She would be the person to find the house, recruit, photograph, and manage it all and helping build the company I see today” (Lewbel, Remy. Paul Matthew Media Podcast. 19 November 2019). Pura Vida became a significant event for the TREND45 team. At this event, Claire Morin laid down the foundation for TREND45’s move to a corporate entity. The villa was an unbelievable sight. The architecture was an open concept in the middle of the jungle, overlooking Manuel Antonio National Park. With over 12 bedrooms, this villa had accessible floors as common areas for peers to connect. The house had glass doors that stretched to the ceiling. With its tropical setting, this house was a dream that became a reality. TREND45 would leave Costa Rica and complete its 2019 event calendar year in August of 2019.

Costa Rica November 2020

“I landed in San Jose in Costa Rica on November 6th 2020 and I hadn’t been there since I was in my relationship with Elizabeth. That was back in August 2019, to be honest the memories still ftill my brain and it blows my mind it’s been that long. This trip wasn’t to bring those memories back though. It was to make more” (Lewbel, Remy. Personal Interview. 17 November 2020). Remy Lewbel would be joined with Jimmy Nguyen, Bianca Malatesta, Chad Dolan, Maya Ciechanowski, Alyssa Cooley, Sydney Jeney, Jessi Joplin, Caroline Hopper and another girl named Jenny. We would be staying in Jaco, Costa Rica in a penthouse overlooking the ocean. Same city Remy Lewbel would be a year earlier. “We would all arrive all together and enjoy a weekend with warm vibes and good people. Take a breath away from the toxic election and the negativity from America. In fact, I was so eager to leave the country that as soon as the border opened in Costa Rica we were on a plane that week” (Lewbel, Remy. Personal Interview. 17 November 2020). Lewbel and friends would party to late hours of the night, taking photos and creating video on VHS. “On the 2nd day we would all go swimming. I’m used to swimming big waves and have familiarized myself with the current from this beach. Everyone else? Not so much… Chad and I are deep in the ocean away from the break of the wave. We noticed that the girls and Jimmy were starting to push to where we were. Chad and I were at least 50 meters out. The undercurrent and riptide took control of Bianca and Alyssa. From what I was told, Maya and Jimmy started swimming back. They could tell they were losing control. Meanwhile Jimmy gets to shore and sees the current has swept Bianca and Alyssa in deeper. Jimmy went full Baywatch and ran to them to save them. At this moment Maya and Caroline were at shore. Those two were were safe. Jessi and Jenny were inside in the penthouse. To my best understanding Jimmy grabbed the two girls and all three lost control and were pushed out even further. Chad and I started swimming closer to them to realize all three were panicking and drowning. We had no idea till we got there. Chad went for Jimmy and I went for the girls” (Lewbel, Remy. Personal Interview. 17 November 2020). Remy Lewbel had been an aquatic instructor from 2013-2015 working at Goldfish Swim School and a lifeguard Manager from 2016-2017 at Birmingham Athletic Club. “I had to first calm both girls down. Alyssa almost drowned me from panicking. During that time I had to put each girl around my arms and kick breaststroke. I went on my back and started kicking slow to save my breath. My ears were ringing cause of the girls screams and the waves kept pushing into my face headfirst. I held my cool, breathed out through my nose and kept swimming. Not a clue how far I am out or how deep the water was. I brought both girls to safety, to quickly run to help Chad who had successfully brought Jimmy to shore as well on his own. At this moment after I knew everyone was safe, I collapsed. Jessi and Jenny came over after we all looked like beached whales from exhaustion. To know everyone was safe I could then relax” (Lewbel, Remy. Personal Interview. 17 November 2020). Lewbel and friends would not re-enter the ocean the rest of the trip. “Drowning wasn’t the only exciting opportunity we had. We got to celebrate Mayas 21st birthday and I got to look at property and meet with architects. You see I have a lot of goals for what I want to do with hospitality. I had been very busy in the months leading up to November. Finally, being able to observe a property to maybe build on. I’ve looking to purchase property out there. With that we should be able to create TREND45’s own creative compound. Similar to what kids are doing in LA” (Lewbel, Remy. Personal Interview. 17 November 2020). Bianca Malatesta would leave a day early. “To be honest being stuck with someone resorting only to Facetime for 5+ months really gets you to grow with that person. What it doesn’t do is prepare you for how real the interactions are when in each other’s company when you really see each other again in person. This time it was harder for me to say goodbye understanding that yet again I won’t know when I would see her again” (Lewbel, Remy. Personal Interview. 17 November 2020). Remy Lewbel and the rest of the group would leave Costa Rica on the 10th and head home safely.

Costa Rica September 2021

“It’s crazy to think another year is passing. I look at all my memories and ask myself how is life going this fast? (Remy Lewbel, Personal Interview. September 14th, 2021). Remy Lewbel and Jimmy Nguyen would be joined with Raul D’Souza for Remy’s 25th birthday in Costa Rica Manuel Antonio. (Remy Lewbel, Personal Interview. September 14th, 2021). There Lewbel, Nguyen, and D’Souza would ride horseback, relax, and enjoy the beachfront all while exploring investment properties. Lewbel would be still hunting for places to purchase in Costa Rica. In recent years Lewbel’s birthdays would be large and would be with many people. “This would be small. It would define me to learn that I am no longer the child I felt like I was. The more I understand MJ’s childhood the more I understand. I have spent the past four years traveling the world, missing birthdays, weddings, and all different types of celebrations and losses. That makes me think a lot. You’d never realize the kid traveling the world would be missing out more at home. I never had friends growing up. Now once I made those friendships, I’d be on an airplane months later. Friends fade and memories grow” (Remy Lewbel, Personal Interview. September 14th, 2021).

Costa Rica November 2021

Lewbel would touch down in San Jose again in Costa Rica on November 23rd, 2021. There he would be joined again with Raul D’Souza. D’Souza would also bring his family with him. Remy Lewbel would be traveling alone this time to Costa Rica spending the holidays with one of his best friend’s family for the holiday. “His family and I would go back to Jaco. It’s the same town I’d been to so many times. I think this trip to Costa Rica was slower for me. I spent a lot of time waking up early in the morning and walking alone on the beach. Listening to music to make me smile and try to enjoy the sand between my toes. But there’s no harder realization that time is going so fast. I’ve retraced my steps again and again almost like feeling what it would be like in the past. Something like feeling the way I did back then. Maybe that’s the way I keep coming back?” (Remy Lewbel, Personal Interview. December 1st, 2021). Remy Lewbel would spend the week showing Raul’s family the restaurants and things to do in the coast. “Almost like my last did to me” Remy Lewbel, Personal Interview. December 1st, 2021).