Our Why
We have been friends for 23 years, 10 as husband and wife. From very different backgrounds, we are a match in how we naturally partner to cultivate community. For over a decade, we've had a dream to be in business together and a specific desire to open up a bed & breakfast. Friends that spend time in our home call out the spirit of hospitality we embody.
We are a powerful combination to achieve this goal. Working in film, government, and philanthropy, Virginia has a keen aesthetic sensibility, strategic vision, and 20 years of project management experience. Working front and back of house for 20 years, David is a talented chef with a business education and an authentic presence with anyone he meets.
With the pandemic and Elijah's birth in April 2020, the stakes have changed. We recognize that we need to choose how we will live as a family for the next 20 years.
Where this next chapter happens must be connected to the dream. Since our first visit in 2016, Costa Rica has impressed something upon us that hasn’t let go over time. We have fallen in love with the people, culture, and beauty of this country. And Nuevo Arenal and its region, mountains filled with rainforests and removed from cities, attract people searching for adventure, nature, and community like us.
The current owners of Toucan Lane, in their 60s, left completely different careers in Canada to live in a country they fell in love with. They have renovated Toucan Lane with care and have cultivated community and a strong reputation. We want to continue this legacy. The business is viable, prepared, and positioned to grow.
In our 40s and with Elijah almost four, the dream is now or never. We have the skills and courage to make this leap, but our barrier to entry is money. With a boost from your generosity, we can do this.
And we want you to be our first guests at Toucan Lane.
The Bersches
For us, life centers on creating experiences that bring people joy. David does this through food, the table, and his unshakable ability to meet strangers in conversation authentically. Virginia does this through longer-term strategies that create a sense of home and give others the freedom of unexpected adventure, a legacy from her dad. Elijah does this as he spontaneously hugs a child or says hi to strangers who look sad.
Together, we want to show up for each person in ways that leave a mark on their path, whether they are passing through on an adventure or have looked upon Arenal Volcano for decades.
Virginia grew up in nature. She began in the film industry and has spent two decades in government and philanthropy.
“I am a storyteller, designer, and change agent. I believe people are made for beauty. Costa Rica offers what people deeply need, to experience nature and remember our place within it."
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David grew up in the city. He is an incredible chef with a history in food and hospitality.
"Every day is an opportunity to make a tangible impact in someone's life. Having spent a lifetime making a difference in Baltimore and New York, I'm excited to love the people of Costa Rica, and all the visitors that come to embrace its beauty.”
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