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Would love to hear our VIP Member opinions on the recent letter I received from a retired U.S. citizen now very happily living in Costa Rica…
i have two things to say about that:
1) he is spot on; and
2) he has only been here 1.5 years. let’s get an update from him at year 3 or 4, if he is still here.
I totally agree with Maravilla. He is absolutely correct.
He’ll be here, Maravilla, simply because he seems to have already accustomed himself to the cultural differences. That in itself cost me a lot of stress during our first year.
There is no better place to be than in a beautiful country with just about any climate you could ask for (except arctic) and wonderful people.
We don’t know who he is but I would count him as a friend.:D
Hello everyone from Houston Texas! I grew up in Harlingen Texas. My mom used to take me across the border to Matamoros so often I never thought out of it as a another country until I got older.
A friend wanted me to take her to Matamoros and I tried to explain that it was not like the movies of beautiful Mexico City. I explained that it was true poverty. Her idea of poverty was to do a bankruptcy and live off credit cards for a year. Well we got to Matamoros and for one hour we drove around and I heard her gripe the whole time.
I am hoping that someday I will be able to afford to retire to Costa Rica.
[quote=”maravilla”]
2) he has only been here 1.5 years. let’s get an update from him at year 3 or 4, if he is still here.[/quote]
Agreed. I’ve lived here a shorter time and wonder to myself if the little irritations will grow over time. I also wrote recently about the things that “work” for me so far.
My conclusion is that, like many things, it depends on [b]where[/b] you live, in addition to [b]how[/b] you live.
you’d better not wait tooooooo long because the cost of living is going up here every year, and it will soon not be the bargain it once was, if it isn’t already that way.
after being here 7 years, there was an incident not too long ago where i said to myself “‘that’s it, i’m moving” but reality soon set in and then i started thinking about WHERE would i move, since moving BACK to gringolandia is out of the question. when i went through the check-list of other countries, they were sooon disqualified for a lot worse reasons than the complaint i had that particular day. every place has its warts. some worse than others. i think success in living here is predicated on whether you are happy MOST of the time, and I am. if i were to leave, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay are at the top of my list.
Preventative care is almost un heard of in the States, well worth the perhaps shabbier building.
Costa Rica is tough on immigration-good for them, would that we were in the USA.
The USA is a vacuum of cutlure and hence, no wonder why so many, like Pavlov’s dog, expect more.
Would that I could retire now ( I am only 40 and have no marketable skills in CR what-so-ever). As a Catholic that is turned off by the USA culture, I would be much more open minded and less upset over a few gadgets CR does not have, nor would I miss the cookie-cutter, blah neighborhoods and shopping centers.
Just today, reading the comments in our local news, people are cheering hte urinating-on-dead-bodies soldiers, making excuses for them and calling on the USA to dictate to the rest of the world and “turn the Middle East into glass”…..would I miss that immoral, fascistic crap? Not at all……Whatever problems CR might have, I can learn to over look them and deal with them……..
[quote=”Camby”]Preventative care is almost un heard of in the States, well worth the perhaps shabbier building.
Costa Rica is tough on immigration-good for them, would that we were in the USA.
The USA is a vacuum of cutlure and hence, no wonder why so many, like Pavlov’s dog, expect more.
Would that I could retire now ( I am only 40 and have no marketable skills in CR what-so-ever). As a Catholic that is turned off by the USA culture, I would be much more open minded and less upset over a few gadgets CR does not have, nor would I miss the cookie-cutter, blah neighborhoods and shopping centers.
Just today, reading the comments in our local news, people are cheering hte urinating-on-dead-bodies soldiers, making excuses for them and calling on the USA to dictate to the rest of the world and “turn the Middle East into glass”…..would I miss that immoral, fascistic crap? Not at all……Whatever problems CR might have, I can learn to over look them and deal with them……..[/quote]
“Politely asking generally will get a response. Sometimes it is simply that they are following rules. This is a Latin culture and things move at a different speed here…and if you give it a chance you will find it refreshing. ”
Problem-Americans in particular, but I am sure too, Candadians and Europeans, are not used to being polite. AMericans are used to dictating to the rest of the world and when lecturing and finger pointing fail, bombing and staging violence……hence that arrogance does not lend to being polite…….The attitude? We are Americans, Gods gift to the human race and you will listen, obey or die…..AMericans feel superior in their number of bathrooms, TV’s and gadgets…..that is all they have, no real culture……CR would do wise to distance themselves quick…[quote=”maravilla”]after being here 7 years, there was an incident not too long ago where i said to myself “‘that’s it, i’m moving” but reality soon set in and then i started thinking about WHERE would i move, since moving BACK to gringolandia is out of the question. when i went through the check-list of other countries, they were sooon disqualified for a lot worse reasons than the complaint i had that particular day. every place has its warts. some worse than others. i think success in living here is predicated on whether you are happy MOST of the time, and I am. if i were to leave, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay are at the top of my list.[/quote]
What was the incident, if it is not too prying to ask…..and where are you from….
I would love to retire early, looking like another 10-15 yrs, liekly then, CR out of my price range…..but, one can hope and my needs are not that high (not needing a pool, fancy house, etc….)
I totally agree with the writer of the article. If you don’t
like it then move back and live where you wanted to leave for some reason.A fellow Texan
Dave Davis
[ https://www.welovecostarica.com/members/main.cfm ][/quote][quote=”ddavis”]I totally agree with the writer of the article. If you don’t
like it then move back and live where you wanted to leave for some reason.A fellow Texan
Dave Davis
[ https://www.welovecostarica.com/members/main.cfm ][/quote][/quote]Well put, hoping to visit soon, get a little of “lay of land” and decide from there….but will keep mind open, smile on and friendly…
Camby I am in the same boat. I cannot afford CR right now but hoping that I will in next 10 years. I get my Bachelors in Criminal Justice in Aug 2013. Any kind of pay is better than what I am making now.
[quote=”Camby”]I would love to retire early, looking like another 10-15 yrs, liekly then, CR out of my price range…..but, one can hope and my needs are not that high (not needing a pool, fancy house, etc….)[/quote]
[quote=”lovelylady”] I explained that it was true poverty. Her idea of poverty was to do a bankruptcy and live off credit cards for a year. Well we got to Matamoros and for one hour we drove around and I heard her gripe the whole time.
I am hoping that someday I will be able to afford to retire to Costa Rica.[/quote]
While many of the Tico families are living on the edge there isn’t the grinding poverty that you find in much of Mexico.
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