Living in Costa Rica Allows Me To Work Six Months And Take Six Months Off…

Tim and I have been living in Costa Rica for just over 6 years. I work for a large hospital corporation in San Francisco and shuttle to California every other month. We maintain a small “work house” there and have our principal residence in San Jose’s Rohrmoser neighborhood.

I am able to bring back things that we use frequently that are probably available here, but at a greater cost. So the contents of my suitcase range from six pounds of aged cheese to any small electronic item. I do bring receipts, but have not needed them, except for a flat screen TV.

Tim is here year round and we use Magic Jack to communicate by telephone while I am away. He maintains the house with a domestic employee that we could have never found or afforded in the US.

Costa Rica allows me the luxury of working 6 months a year and having six months off. When I was a manager of a large healthcare corporation I had, at most, 3 or 4 weeks off a year. The rest of the time was working long weeks, lots of road time, time away from home, and a luxurious office.

Now my office is the bedroom closet in California where I don tailored uniforms made in Costa Rica for less than 1/2 of the “rack” price in the States and walk to work.

We first lived in a rented house in San Joaquin de Flores, Heredia while looking for a house to buy. We have bought and renovated two houses. Talk about a challenge when you are learning a new language.

We both speak Spanish and recommend learning from a group setting such as CPI Heredia, www.cpi-edu.com, or a private tutor. It is not cheap, but consider it an investment in your future. Earmark the proceeds from your garage sale of winter clothes for your Spanish classes. The more you speak, the easier the transition will become.

It’s easy to arrive and immediately begin your negative list of what is different in Costa Rica than your home of origin. Don’t give in to the temptation too frequently.

Last caveat, really search for your place to rent or buy. Take the time and energy and maybe hire a translator, we can recommend several. There is a Tico price and an extranjero price, which can be lowered by your ability to speak the language or by having a local translator/guide.

Another beautiful day in Costa Rica. We are off to Coronado for a quick trip to a meat market. Once you are here you can learn where locals shop and do accordingly. The all in one concept is largely lost here, but that’s just part of the adventure and fun.

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Written by long time VIP Members Jon and Tim Montz Graham.

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.