The Jungle Princess follows the fabulous life of a Abby Tegnelia who packed her bags and left her life in the states to live and work on her celeb news site in tiny Playas del Coco, Costa Rica. While she describes herself as more of a “neurotic workaholic” and less of a high-maintenance princess, The Jungle Princess got her name when she showed up in Playas del Coco in August 2009 with her blond highlights and stiletto heals. So take a journey to this little Costa Rican village with us as we explore The Jungle Princess…

Abby’s blog explores a wide variety of her experiences: from the time she was robbed by a local to a quick trip she made with a friend to Nicaragua, Abby’s writing style and flair for celebrity culture makes it seem as if she is one. When she’s not keeping up with the Kardashians, it’s clear that she’s not afraid to get her feet wet and really experience something different from the lives she’s known in Miami, Los Angeles, and NYC, and now she calls Coco home:

“Ten months after I moved to a small fishing village in Costa Rica, I’ve come to an interesting revelation: I most feel at home in Coco (population: 3000) because of the time I spent in New York City. I’ve moved around so much, that those five years living in Manhattan are my record, as long as I’ve lived anywhere. From there, I moved to Austin, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, all which ended up being temporary stops.”

One thing about The Jungle Princess that makes it particularly fun to read is that Abby seems to write about topics as they seem important to her. She doesn’t fall under the routine of doing a certain type of post on certain days of the week that appears to be an increasingly popular trend. Abby is often kept awake by Howler monkeys, so she includes a post (and video highlighting how loud they are) here.

Abby’s posts about her mom’s visit, expat life in Costa Rica, and her social life give the reader a more complete picture of what to expect if he or she has aspirations of embarking on a Costa Rican gap year of his or her own. She dives into some more serious issues of living as an expat as well – more specifically, that of loneliness in this post. She explains that “Loneliness, sadness and bone-chilling fright are common ailments of living the dream, believe you me” and also dives into dealing with the dichotomy between her big city roots and her small-town, Costa Rican ex-pat life here:

“After all, at the end of the day, I’m still the only person in my new small town attached to her BlackBerry, and instead of hoofing it on a bike, I call myself a taxi. I think fast, I talk fast, I sometimes can’t turn off my brain in order to get a good night’s sleep. I also compare myself to others more than I’d like and work too much at my computer, even as I live near the beautiful beaches of Costa Rica.”

Abby’s blog is captivating because it weaves together her own musings about her life, as well as her day-to-day happenings. Abby’s blog doesn’t bore the reader with minute details about how her Spanish is progressing and how she earns a living than some similar blogs, and thus the reader can’t but help want to know more about Abby’s life in Costa Rica and plan an extended trip there himself!

Abby’s blog is easy to read, witty, and smart. She may be The Jungle Princess, but Abby’s no damsel in distress.