Costa Rica Retirement – My New Full Time Job

This retirement business is turning out to be a full-time job! I may not find time to write the Great American Novel after all!

I am discovering that I am much too busy enjoying myself and my leisure time to buckle down and get to work on my masterpiece.

Throughout my working life I was one of those folks who threw himself into his job with gusto. When my workday ended it did not mean the end of my day of work. I enjoyed my work so much that I just kept at it. My work was my hobby.

Now there is no job to go to. There are no challenges to overcome, no problems to solve, no clients to please, no money to earn. So why is it so difficult to find time now to work on all those things I didn’t have time to work on then?

Leisure can be work – if you work at it. On Sunday, I spent the entire day working out my menu for this week. In my retirement I now have time to eat “right,” so I am working at that. I’m eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, less fat, more fiber. And I’ve lost 15 pounds in five months.

Good work!

I have time to cook meals that are both tasty and healthy. I have time to shop for the ingredients I need. Living in Costa Rica, it is no small matter to find those ingredients, either! First, I have to learn what they are called in Spanish, then I have to figure out who might sell them, and then I have to discover how to get to where they are sold. No one-stop-shopping in this country!

Today, I went shopping for flowers. A young couple got married the weekend before Christmas. They returned from their honeymoon and moved into the apartment below me on Sunday. I thought I would welcome them with a bouquet, so off I went in search of “flores.” I found some nice ones, but then I needed to buy a “florero” to put them in. Then there was the business of arranging them.

Now, butch fellow that I am, flower arranging has been far removed from my experience. This afternoon, with the assistance of the Internet, I was able to give myself a quick lesson in this noble art.

Then I spent the remainder of the afternoon designing my first masterpiece in blooms – and finished just in time to meet the newlyweds downstairs when they returned from their jobs to their new lovenest.

“Para ustedes. Bienvenidos!” (For you. Welcome!)

“Verdad?” (Really?)

“Si.“

Suddenly, this charming young schoolteacher, who I had never seen before, reached out in gratitude and hugged me close, pressing her cheek to mine. Her beaming young husband, grabbed my hand with both of his and shook it vigorously, then proceeded to pat me on the back for a minute or so.

I thought I was welcoming them, but once again Costa Ricans have surprised me: They were welcoming ME – to their country and into their lives.

A thing I have learned about Costa Ricans is this: Tomorrow, the schoolteacher probably will surprise me with something she has whipped up in her kitchen. Then it will be my turn again to do something nice for them. “Courtesy competitions” such as this are legendary in this country, and I have fallen into one.

I hope I can find the time!

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.