On June 2, 2016 my husband and I will have been here in Costa Rica for five years.  It’s been an interesting five years!

I started researching different countries a few years before we moved.  Things that we looked for were safety, access to medical care, how easy it would be to get around without a vehicle, and cost of living.  We finally decided that Costa Rica was the place for us. 

We had actually never been here before and took a serious leap of faith.  We sold everything that wouldn’t fit into a suitcase, duffel bag or cat carrier, and came on down.  What we didn’t sell we donated.  We brought two cats with us and a few knickknacks that had sentimental value to us. 

We picked a small town in Sarapiqui to move to.  We didn’t want to be by the beach and we didn’t really want to be around a lot of other people from North America.  We were moving to experience a completely different culture and way of life.  The cost of living ended up being higher than what we were expecting, but it was OK. 

It took some adjustment for us as our income was cut down by two-thirds when we came here.  But we did find a small house to rent from a German woman who only visits Costa Rica for a few weeks a year.  The house was on a nice property with a wonderful Tico family taking care of and living on the property too.  They have become like family to us.

Since then, we have bought a house of our own, a car, and made ourselves right at home here.  When we bought our house it was just a shell and a typical Tico house.  We have added on to it and really made it a home.  We love our little town in the jungle. 

We have wonderful neighbors and great friends.  We are still working on our house too, a little at a time.  We have also adopted two dogs, one that followed us home and never left!  We have taken in a few more cats, some have crossed the rainbow bridge though. 

We have thought about moving but the more we thought about it the more we decided that this was the perfect place for us.  We have everything here that we need and want.  Granted, it may take us a couple of hours to drive to the city but we don’t need to go there very often. 

We like the quietness of the country where we can hear the toucans, howler monkeys, macaws, and all the other birds.  We watch the iguanas and basilisks run through the yard.  This is our paradise.  It’s not for everyone, but it’s for us. 

The dancing photo was taken of us last month.  We finally had a wedding ceremony for our 11th anniversary.  We never had a wedding in the States as we eloped to Las Vegas. 

But here in Costa Rica, we are surrounded by wonderful friends who have become our family and they shared this special moment with us.  My husband always makes me laugh.
 

Roland and Nadene Tipper are Canadian citizens who have lived in Costa Rica since 2008. As professional real estate sales agents in the Playas del Coco area, they offer the best service possible by providing accurate and up to date information so that their clients can make an educated decision when it comes to buying real estate in Costa Rica. 

Their focus is on customer service from start to finish and beyond and the fact that their clients become great friends says a lot. 

For more information about Costa Rica condos for sale in the Playas del Coco area, please contact our Recommended Realtors in Playas del Coco Roland and Nadene Tipper using the simple form below: 

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.