British Citizens Living in Costa Rica – Carol Marianne

Carol Marianne, originally from London, England, first came to Costa Rica in 2004 because she’d heard about it and there was a cheap flight from Miami. “I was looking for somewhere I hadn’t been to before.”

Though she had no preconceived notions about what Costa Rica held in store for her (“I was just traveling around so had no fixed idea about finding anything,” she says), what she did find was “a beautiful country, with gentle people, lots of expats and a way of life that I took to immediately. It was very relaxed and friendly and fulfilled my spiritual needs as well as my social needs.”

Currently residing in Barrio La Trinidad (between Piedades and Ciudad Colón, west of San José), Carol says she chose this area because it felt familiar. “When I first arrived, I lived with a family on the San Pedro side, east of San José, and didn’t like it at all. It was cold and very built up. Then I came out west and immediately fell in love with the greenery and the feeling of space.

I shared a house in Piedades with some American ladies and then rented my own one-bedroom apartment (also in Piedades), so when I came back I naturally gravitated to where I was happiest. Plus, most of my friends live around here, too!”

Some of the things Carol particularly likes about La Trinidad are that “it’s warm, it’s accessible, MultiPlaza is a 15 minute drive down the highway, the views are great and I live in nature!” Something she could definitely live without? “The potholes in my road!”

Before moving to Costa Rica, Carol says she worked doing “mainly self-employed admin-type work and buying and renovating properties for resale.” She didn’t particularly enjoy her work, however, saying, “It was something I had to do to exist and bring up my son.” When her son graduated from high school, she was ready to leave it all behind. “Enough was enough — my son graduated and so did I!”

Carol first came to Costa Rica alone and knowing no one. Her family took it in stride, though: “They’ve been used to my leaving ever since I was 19 years old!” Carol admits to having done no homework about Costa Rica “whatsoever, other than talking to a few people who had heard about it.”

Before she moved here, she says her biggest concern was “spending too much money on hotels.” What does Carol wish she had known before coming to Costa Rica? “How sophisticated it was and how much more expensive it was than other Latin American countries I’d been to.”

After Carol’s first two-and-a-half year stay in Costa Rica, she says she “had to leave to sort some things out in the UK. I just came back three months ago to see a friend, found this awesome house and decided to stay.”

From that point, it was just a matter of nailing down the details. “I just decided to set up shop again. Rented a house, got some furniture, bought a car, got Internet connected, had a housewarming party, told all my friends to come visit, and here I am!”

Though Carol didn’t plan on staying in Costa Rica the second time around, she says, “It just happened when I came back. It felt so right being back here — I fell right back into comfortable living. I just felt this amazing well of happiness well up.”

Carol’s 23-year-old son, who lives in the U.K., has visited his mom in Costa Rica. “My son visited the second Christmas I was here, and we went up to Arenal and then the beach. He loved it! But thought it was a bit mountainous!” Carol says that while her son speaks some Spanish, her own skills are “excellent” (having learned Spanish in school), and she personally feels it is vitally important to speak Spanish here. “It makes communicating with the general population easier. Also, you can understand what people are saying behind your back!”

A typical day in the life of Carol Marianne consists of going to the gym, shopping, having lunch, attending group gatherings, and doing charity work. As far as a job, Carol says she’s too busy enjoying herself!

For fun, Carol likes to meet up with friends, take side trips, go to movies and talks, go on retreats, get a massage, and go to dinner parties.

Carol says the craziest thing she’s ever done in Costa Rica was “driving down from Monteverde in an automatic Jeep Cherokee that kept cutting out, so there was no steering until I managed to start the engine up again! I made it though – such a trooper!”

Carol says her biggest surprise in living in Costa Rica has been “finding so many like-minded, spiritually enlightened, free-thinking people — mainly expats!” While Carol has both expat and Tico friends, she says, “Ticos are a little more reserved and don’t have quite the same sense of humor as Brits or some Americans I know.”

She says it has been very easy for her to make friends here. “I joined the Newcomers Club and the Women’s Club, the Little Theatre Group, Unity, and attended lots of gatherings.

I also got involved with the British Embassy‘s Queen’s Birthday Party committee and anything else that required willing volunteers. I found the expat community to be very open and receptive.” It may come as no surprise, then, that Carol says her friends are her best source for advice and support.

When asked if health care was a concern for Carol before she moved to Costa Rica, she answered, “Not really. I found out when I got here that they had excellent health care in the shape of Hospital CIMA and Clinica Biblica – I have used both and highly recommend them.”

Nor was crime something she worried about when moving here. “There’s crime everywhere in the world – I’m used to being careful and would never deliberately expose myself to unsafe situations.”

Carol has had one experience with crime in Costa Rica, which she blames on herself: “When I was parked outside the Little Theatre Group in Escazú for a rehearsal, someone smashed my car window and made off with my stereo. But that was my fault for forgetting to remove it before leaving the car.”

As far as education, Carol finds that there is a good choice in Costa Rica. “I’ve come across a few private schools through knowing people who work in them. I’m particularly impressed with the new United World College in Santa Ana, which is a first-class facility for 16-19 year olds from around the world who want to study the International Baccalaureate.”

Carol says her biggest challenge in Costa Rica has been “getting a sim card for my mobile phone. It seems Costa Rica is the only country in the world where outsiders cannot use their mobile phones unless they have an ICE contract.

It’s crazy – I’ve traveled all over the world and all I do normally is buy a local SIM card and off I go, but not here.” A few other things that drive Carol crazy about Costa Rica are “the phone, electricity, and water monopolies and the paperwork.”

Carol feels the five most important character traits one needs to live happily in Costa Rica are “patience, understanding, gratitude, openness and a terrific sense of humor.”

She offers some words of advice for those wishing to move to Costa Rica: “Come with an open mind and be prepared to be patient and go with the flow. Never expect things to happen when someone says they will happen. It just doesn’t work like that over here. You have to expect things not to happen the way you want, and if they do? What a wonderful surprise!”

As far as her future in Costa Rica, Carol says, “Nothing is ever guaranteed, but for now I’m quite content to enjoy my life here. If I move on, well, that’s a whole other story!”

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Written by Wendi Patrick. Wendi Patrick is a California transplant who currently lives in Ciudad Colón with her husband, son and ever-growing menagerie of animals.

Besides being the editor of Costa Rica Outdoors magazine, Wendi’s articles have also appeared in The Tico Times, and she is the author of several children’s stories. Her Costa Rica adventures have included falling in a muddy ditch while hitchhiking in Tamarindo, running from a troop of angry howler monkeys in Manzanillo and holding a baby crocodile in Atenas.

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.