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I have a great deal of respect and admiration for anyone who has the outright gumption to pull up stakes from the place they were born and move somewhere completely different to better themselves in some way.
I was wondering if any forum-ers here would care to share their motivations for making this intrepid life changing move to CR.
How long have you been here, what was adjusting like for you, and how do you feel about your future in CR as opposed to life where you emigrated from?
I first visited Costa Rica in 1996 on business to meet with accountants and attorneys and I LOVED the place so when it was time to make a move in 1999 I chose to live in Costa Rica….
I felt that there was ‘opportunity’ for me here and thankfully I was right …
Prior to Costa Rica, I was living in the Cayman Islands and before that, in the U.S., in the U.K., Cyprus, Nigeria, Liberia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Belize and a few other places…
Costa Rica has certainly changed but I still loving living here…
Scott
[quote=”VictoriaLST”]Why? Obama.[/quote]
That’s right Victoria! Answers, short concise and to the point, lol. Now Eric Holder thinks the drug dealers in jail have been dealt a bad deck in life and wants to cut short their time in jail.. The news seems like something in a movie, but sadly, they are still cleverly working to destroy our beautiful country.June and I were 10 days in C R last month and plan to check out your area next year. I still have a few years before I can come to C R but it can’t come fast enough.
We spent time in the central valley but Atenas, Escazu,etc just didn’t feel right. Once we got back to Dominical which was our second time we fell in love with it all over again.
We also looked at properties in Manual Antonio, and really love that area too.We learned on this trip that we can’t tolerate anymore traffic and know that the more remote area is for us.
There’s just something about Dominical that we really resonate with. At this juncture we like the idea of lots of glass in the house overlooking the Pacific. However, we have not made any decisions and still plan two trips a year to explore your area as well as others.
We also love the easy going non pushy nature of our Realtor and we learned a lot.
We looked at homes as well as lots, many very impressive but 98 percent of the homes are way over priced. I hear from 3 different realtors that a home with fine finishes, well appointed will be 160,000 sq ft to build.
Many of the larger used homes are listed at substantially more than that and some have sat for years.. So, at this stage we will build once we get there, unless we come across a firesale once we are ready..of course we want to explore your area very well as I’m aware of the awesome beauty.
So, we are still in the early stages of due diligence but are really enjoying the learning process. I will stay in touch!
we have been here for four years. the best advice I can give is to leave attitude at the border,be patient. The Costa Ricans are kind and helpful. things move a little slower that the states but that is a good thing. Food is terrific almost everywhere we have been. The produce is excellent with fruit markets in a lot of towns, there are great trips you can take and see things you have never seen before.We like Arenal..Monte Verde. We got lost so many times I cant remember but found some wonderful things while we were lost. Buy a GPS for Costa Rica and mark important visit so you can find your way back. Great place to live. We were in our late sixties when we moved here.
I forgot the reason we moved…visits here showed a great lifestyle, expenses were less than the states for the most part if you live like a Costa Rican.
[quote=”barbara ann”] …Food is terrific almost everywhere we have been. The produce is excellent with fruit markets in a lot of towns…[/quote]
Isn’t it funny that despite the USA’s onerous health codes and restauraunt requirements that your odds of becoming ill after dining out are so much greater in the USA than in CR? In my small experience with CR, I tried the food at 2-3 places a day for the whole time I was there, never felt ill once.
It’s this way because of the costs of doing business here have restaurant owners making things stretch as far as possible to keep the wolves away from the door, which sometimes translates to food being kept around longer than it should be. Sad, isn’t it?
[quote=”VictoriaLST”]Why? Obama.[/quote]
Can’t say I blame you there, lol. I will admit that I voted for the guy, not knowing at the time he was just another pathological liar whose main talent is putting a ‘passable patina’ on a train wreck.
What a set up that was, eh? BushCo. bankrupts half the civilized world, the powers that be hand us this shill peddling Hope and Change, and what we get is just another mouthpiece for the overlords of darkness.
….jeez. I’m a cynical guy, ain’t I?
Ah yes, restaurants in CR.
Every restaurant should have a cat or a dog in evidence. After all, if the animals won’t eat there, neither should you.
My wife and I made the decision in September 2006 because we were tired of perpetual war and expecting the U.S. economy to end up in the toilet.
Carl, are you interested in the views of a ‘snowbird’? I am not an “ex-patriot” as I still feel patriotic to the other countries in which I have lived, and did not chose Costa Rica to get away from political decisions with which I disagreed.
If you care to know, I will send a more complete description of how the choise was made.[quote=”anneliseped”]Carl, are you interested in the views of a ‘snowbird’? I am not an “ex-patriot” as I still feel patriotic to the other countries in which I have lived, and did not chose Costa Rica to get away from political decisions with which I disagreed.
If you care to know, I will send a more complete description of how the choise was made.
[/quote]Go for it Snowbird. Sounds like an interesting journey already
[
Go for it Snowbird. Sounds like an interesting journey already[/quote]1st part: My parents, with 3 children, emigrated from Denmark to Canada in the 1950s, not for political reasons but because the economy of most European countries had difficulty becoming re-established after the 2nd World War. Thus, a new culture, a new language was acquired. This was not difficult for me as a child (age 9) but required a great deal of effort on the part of my parents. [age 45 and 38]
We maintained much of the Danish heritage. This is encouraged in Canada, which is ‘a mosaic’ rather than a melting pot.
I am a Canadian citizen and proud of my country’s accomplishments but am also proud of the heritage given to me by the caring culture of the Scandinavian countries.
I grew up, was educated, and am now retired in Canada. How does this relate to Costa Rica?2nd part: I married another Danish immigrant to Canada and he liked to play soccer. As a more senior player, he and his team of recreational players joined a league called S.O.S.( Super Oldie Soccer) which had annual tournaments in various hosting countries. When the tournament was hosted by a Costa Rican team (1996), I happened to have a vacation coming and joined them for the trip.
As I departed from Juan Santa Maria airport, I felt as if the very air of Costa Rica reached out to embrace me. We stayed at The Best Western Irazu in San Jose and Best Western in Jaco. The Canadian team played in Heredia, Alajuela and Jaco. Although we lost the soccer games we were all enchanted by the country and the kind manners of the Ticos. In the bus, somewhere on the road between Atenas and Jaco, completely enamoured by the living fences, I said to my husband, “Someday when I retire, I would like a big garden and a small house in Costa Rica!”
He replied, “Why not?”
3rd part: research, research, research! Having gone through the process of changing countries of residence once, we knew that learning a modicum of the local language was essential. I took Spanish lessons in Canada, while still working, and returned to Costa Rica during vacations to attend language schools in 3 different locations to learn the pros and cons of various climate zones. While attending schools and living with a different family each time, I also learned something of the culture. I joined A.R.C.R. and attended several seminars. By chance, the year that I retired, World Vision Canada advertized requesting volunteers to teach English as a second language to the local people of Costa Rica. W.V. does not operate in the wealthy districts or tourist areas, so during my 3, 1-month, sessions I learned a great deal more about the culture and where I did/did not want to live.
This research led us to set requirements for a retirement home.ie: west side of central valley for the climate; in coffee growing area for fertile soil in ‘my’ garden; rural area for the wonderful people, but a short walk from a road with a bus route; house with water, electricity and telephone; maximum price.
We must have seen about 50 properties with several real estate agents before we found the right one. It is a little paradise! The lawyer from A.R.C.R. helped us with the paperwork and as foreigners, we are allowed to own property in Costa Rica.
4th part: Why am I only a ‘snow bird’? Canada is a lovely country, but for a Danish emigrant, there is nothing lovelier than May in DK, when the beeches are greening and the storks return (see Hans Chr. Andersen) and at that time it is raining in C.R. and still cold in Ontario.
Moreover, June, July and August are great summer months here in the Canadian north. The evenings are long, twilight is a great time to sit out in a garden or a park. September to mid-October is most beautiful around the Great Lakes with the colours of the maples, elms, birches, and evergreens; so I surely do not want to miss that show. Oct. 15 to Dec. 15 really ugly in the north but gets me there to the end of the ‘green’ season, when Costa Rica is most lovely and I can plant in the garden.
A genuine White Christmas needs snow and Grandchildren, so that is spent in Canada. Since I no longer ski, I have no use for snow in January, February or March. With a short visit to Granada, I can stay in Costa Rica till the end of April and then follow the humming birds north.
Problems adjusting? Not really. Some things take longer, but I have plenty of time. The personnel at the grocery store call me by name and no longer ask for I.D. when I use the credit card. At the BNCR the guard opens the door for me and asks how I’m doing.
I do the same and sit down to wait for my turn. I have grey hair and use a cane and the treatment here makes me think that they all loved their grandmother.
The paperwork was taken care of by the lawyer and I use the need to pay taxes in person and get the marchamo for the car as an excuse for an outing.
I volunteer at the local school, both during the day for children and in the evenings for adults, teaching and practicing English.
I attend a local church and greet my neighbours when I meet them. When I need repairs to the car of in the house, there is always a local tradesperson to help me.
Yes, I may pay a little more than a Tica would, but the hourly wage is still less than the minimum wage up here.
I myself am not an “expat” yet but will likely be one within the next 5 years. In my case I was fortunate to be the son of a career U.S. Foreign Service officer.
As a result I was born and raised in places like Saigon, Lagos, Abidjan, Rio de Jaineiro, Kinshasa Congo etc. etc. Almost all my schooling up until 11th grade was in British and French schools.
Being raised amongst different cultures is in my blood and Costa Rica is the perfect fit for me. I speak fluent French and Portuguese and am conversant in Spanish.
There are so many positive attributes that CR has that make this a no brainer for me as far as where I want to settle down…Climate…Political Stability…Economically Affordable…Proximity to US to visit family and last but not least the sheer Beauty, Magnificence and Tranquility of CR.
For those that have experienced living and traveling abroad the decision probably comes a lot easier.
For those that have never traveled or lived abroad the conventional advice which is repeated over and over is travel to CR. Travel several times if needed. Try living there for 6 months or so etc…etc.
There are many great reasons to consider settling down in CR but the reality is that it is also not for everyone.
As a self-employed person most of my life, I knew very early on that I would be an ex-pat some day, somewhere. SS in the US just would not be enough. So my partner and I researched (before computers) for a couple of years and decided on Belize. He died and I moved back to be near my mother. Ten years later, after I had a major heart attack (Type A personality), and my mother died, I realized I could retire in a foreign country alone.
Started computer research and also realized that Belize was no longer an option financially. More research and I realized that Costa Rica fit all my requirements at the time. Climate, affordability, different value and tropical flowers as well as politically stable. I had planned to visit before moving, and when that fell through, I moved here in 2004 with 11 plastic boxes, and against all my family’s wishes, and with their dire predictions.
At first, people here would ask how long I would be staying here and my answer was always the same. For today for sure. And my mantra was “tranquillo”. Type A’s need that mantra here.
Now, 9 years later, I am still here. However, when people ask “would you go back?” my answer is “Not Today”.
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