Annoyances? What Annoyances? Retired In Costa Rica

Recently, an acquaintance commented that I must have a high threshold for minor annoyances in order to be able to live so happily in Costa Rica.

The assumption, reached because of the incessant complaining for which some expatriates become legendary, is that life here must be a series of complications great and small.

Bah humbug!

I don’t have a high threshold for minor annoyances at all. I simply do not find
many things here annoy me.

I’ve wondered why others do get so annoyed. The conclusion I have reached is that the fault lies with them, not with Costa Rica and not with Costa Ricans.

Some people simply did not prepare themselves to live in a culture that
is different from their own.

There are quite a few expatriates who harbor a belief that their culture’s ways
of doing things are preferable to how things are done in the culture of the country in which they live. I do not believe that one culture is preferable to another.

They are just different. “Viva la differencia!”

That “difference” is what is going to result in me having lived a long,
healthy, productive, mentally-stimulating life. If individuals wish to insure
themselves against mentally-incapacitating illness such as Alzheimer’s, then I
suggest they start learning a brand new language when they reach the age of 60!

Those North American expatriates living in Latin America who are the most well-adjusted have a couple of things in common:

First, they smile – a lot! Most North Americans don’t. It is not part of that culture to smile. And that, my friends, is a sad commentary indeed.

Second, many of those well-adjusted expats I’ve come to know are both quite healthy and quite old – and it isn’t a coincidence, either! Smiling, walking, more fruits and vegetables, less stress, and yes, less little annoyances – that appears to do it.

I heard a guy boast a bit about how his diet and health had improved greatly since moving to Costa Rica. His friend responded, “Yeah, and one of these days
you are going to wake up to discover that you have died of nothing!”

Some time in the far distant future, I hope they say of me, “Remember Lair?
He died, you know. Of nothing really. But he was smiling when he left.”

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Written by Lair Davis who occasionally “works” as a travel consultant arranging “untours” for small groups of solo travellers. These “untours” work well for single folks, particularly women, who like the security of traveling in groups but do not like sharing rooms with strangers. You can find Lair Davis on Facebook, and can drop him a line there if you are interested in his services.

If you are serious about buying a home, apartment or land in Santa Ana or Escazu, then please contact us 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.