Once upon a time, Prateek Agrawal found himself in a land of myths and legends with nothing but a pen, a notebook, and an unwavering curiosity.

In his first six years adventuring across Costa Rica, Prateek got to know his new home by chatting with locals and hearing stories passed down from generation to generation, culminating in his first book, Local Legends of Costa Rica: Exploring Costa Rica Through Folklore. His approach to the book was more than just putting pen to paper — it was about preserving history and nature, honoring the native peoples of Costa Rica, and encouraging readers to see the world differently. He carries that passion through his work at Snowflake, where he uncovers the intention and significance behind each line of code.

Meet Prateek: a solutions consultant who published a love letter to the stories that shaped Costa Rica — and even his own life.

Give us the TL;DR on your book and why it should be on a “must read” list.

It's a collection of Costa Rican folklore, written in English, to help people connect with Costa Rica in a meaningful way. All the stories are fun and easy to read — kind of like the ones a grandmother would tell her grandkids. The main focus is on people who don't know much about Costa Rica, but are coming to enjoy the popular sights, beaches, volcanoes, and hikes. My goal is to enhance the experience of visiting Costa Rica by giving them a deeper understanding of the culture and history behind the places they’re exploring. It's a fine line between fiction and nonfiction because, ultimately, it is mythology and folklore, but it's not entirely made up; it's something the Costa Rican people believe in.

What inspired you to first put pen to paper and write your book?

I started writing poetry when I was a kid. My teacher had given us an assignment to write a small poem, and it snowballed from there. My sister also played a big role in getting me into reading and writing — she’d fight with my parents to buy me books because they were expensive. But as life progressed, I eventually stopped writing.

About seven years ago, I came to Costa Rica. I couldn't find any literature on Costa Rican folklore in English at that time, so I started taking notes while talking to the locals and learning about the cultural and historical significance of places. I had zero intention of writing a book. Then, after I got married in 2021, I started to regain my passion for writing. My wife is a content writer, and watching her write reignited that missing spark in me. That’s when I thought, "How do I share these stories I’ve been collecting for years with others?" It wasn’t about making money or turning it into a business for me; it was more of a hobby and a personal interest.

A lot of people would be intimidated staring down the barrel of a blank page — what was your approach to writing and why is it important to cover these stories?

A big part is making sure I spoke to enough people to ensure I was being respectful to the story and wasn’t adding any "spice" just to make it more interesting. I wanted the stories to be as true to the original beliefs as possible.

Before Spanish colonization, there isn’t much documented history remaining in Costa Rica, which is why it's so important to preserve these stories. The native populations in some areas are extremely small — sometimes only in the hundreds, not even in the thousands. They each have their own set of beliefs, and their stories are extremely important to them. A lot of these stories are tied to nature and protected areas that are crucial to preserve as sacred spaces. They want people to understand that these nature sites aren’t just spots to snap a photo and leave. They want people to know the history of a place, the mythology behind it, and feel a deeper connection to it. That connection will naturally lead to greater respect.

Do you have a favorite story?

When I first came to Costa Rica, I met a restaurateur whose family has been living here for generations. She told me about the importance of this place called Río Celeste, which is known for its striking electric blue pond and waterfall. The story is that when God was creating the world, He was painting the sky and dipped the blue brush into that pond, which is why it's so blue, and that the drops from the splashes helped create life.

How did it feel closing the chapter on six years of work? Did you dedicate the book to someone or something special?

It was a great sense of achievement. When I got the physical copy of the book in my hands, it was so surreal, because I had never shown my writing to others before. I always wrote for myself. Well, except when I was courting my wife, as I would write letters to her. She was my first audience, so to speak.

This book is a tribute to Costa Rica. I love this place, the people, and everything I’ve learned from my time here. The very first chapter of the book is titled Pura Vida, which is the motto of Costa Rica. It’s all about not stressing and taking time to relax. It’s helped me learn how to be more intentional about my life outside of work — thinking about how I’m spending time and with who.

Turning the page — how does your approach to storytelling surface in your everyday work at Snowflake?

I would say a similarity between the book and my work is trying to understand the meaning behind something. I’m a migrations expert, so I help transition companies into Snowflake by moving their systems from another platform, whether it's Teradata or SQL. You may find that you cannot replicate a specific SQL code in Snowflake because of the nitty-gritty differences between two systems — but if you understand what that code is trying to achieve, you can find a way to replicate its purpose in Snowflake. Customers may not know what its significance is, because that code could have been written ages ago by bygone developers, so you have to work with the customer to understand what they want and what that particular piece of code means to them. It’s like when I’m talking to the locals and learning the significance of a volcano or a lake, for example.

You’ve shown how you can be the author of your own story by pursuing your passions. How has that shown up in your career journey?

Computer science and engineering, without a doubt, is what I have always wanted to do. I started coding again when I was a kid and absolutely fell in love with it. As soon as I started learning Snowflake, I got really into data engineering and understanding how data works behind the scenes. It was like a whole new world was opening up to me. I also started learning a lot of interesting technologies like Spark and Snowpark, both of which were completely new to me. It gave me a sense of satisfaction because I was already an expert in web development, and I really wanted to gain more expertise in data engineering. I hate being stagnant, so I guess that’s why technology has always attracted me — there is always something new to learn.

Before we say “The End,” the bookworms must know — is there a second book slated to hit the shelves?

Yes! I started writing poems again and have dug up some old ones from when I was young. I’ve now got a set of 200 poems that I’m in the process of refining. Once they’re ready, I plan to publish them as a collection. I’m going to dedicate that one to my wife and my sister.

For Prateek, embracing the blank page with his move to Costa Rica became the prologue to a series of defining moments in his life. Ready to write the next chapter in your career? Explore open roles at Snowflake here.

Prateek is a solutions consultant specializing in helping organizations implement and migrate to Snowflake. With over 10 years of experience as a data engineer and full stack software developer, he has delivered data-driven solutions to both client-facing and internal projects.