If you are following this decision-making process, I hope you click above and read that one post, my most thought-out post yet.
If you want to hear God laugh . . .
The best thing tonight was at the end of Chapter 7 he used an often used quote from Iyanla Vanzant (without giving her credit) but one I hope to keep in mind during this whole process:
“If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans.”
Bob lives in Quepos at Manuel Antonio National Park which was one of the first places I noted as a possibility for me, so that makes reading his book even more interesting. I intend to avoid the mistakes he made and that is one reason he wrote his true story book of retiring in Costa Rica.
My Study of the Areas of Costa Rica
Costa Rica Pacific Coast Sunset by Charlie Doggett |
I’ve pretty much decided that IF I move to Costa Rica, I will start with a monthly rent apartment in the center of the country while I find a rental house or apartment that I could feasibly live in the rest of my life. Always getting ahead of myself, I’ve been reading two books and lots of websites about the various sections of the country where expats live. There are pluses and minuses for each and mostly has to do with the individual person’s interests and lifestyle. Here’s my quick synopsis for now:
- THE CENTRAL VALLEY is where 80% of all residents live, both Tico and expats. It has the perfect weather staying around 72 degrees year around; the capital San Jose is there with all its good shopping, arts, entertainment and international airport; and it would be easier living there except that the costs are not always lower there. But the further from the big city you are the more affordable it generally is. It includes some mountain villages.
- THE NORTHERN ZONE is mountainous, more rural, more affordable, and has the possibility of some great views from your house or deck. I would especially like to have a view of the Volcano Arenal like I did from my hotel near there on the Caravan.com tour. There is also Monteverde and other mountain rain forests or cloud forests that would appeal to my love of nature. Though for that I would probably like the Talmanaca Mountains south of San Jose about as much and be closer to the coast.
- THE NORTHERN PACIFIC or Guanacaste is possibly the most expensive area where a lot of rich people are building mansions and it doesn’t interest me unless I got a real deal. The combination of mountains, forests and Pacific coast beaches are beautiful and otherwise appealing, though really dry in the dry season, like 4-5 months of zero rain.
- THE CENTRAL PACIFIC is very appealing and closer to San Jose for shopping, etc. and has both rainforest and beautiful beaches. Jaco is the big tourist center which I would avoid, preferring around Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park rainforest. But it is getting more popular too and possibly crowded, but still closer to San Jose than the South Pacific.
- THE SOUTH PACIFIC seems perfect in many ways for a nature lover like me and might be my first choice, though the new coastal highway has made it more popular and the rich are buying up the land fast. It would be an area I would explore closely before a final decision. And this would be closer to Corcovado National Park and Talamanca Mountains, both of which I love. There are many waterfalls in this area, the Cinca Vintanas (5 Windows, an ocean rock formation and blowholes) all of which appeal to my photography.
- THE CARIBBEAN is probably the least popular for expats other than surfers and reggae-loving young people. But it has the most beautiful tropical beaches in the country, is less expensive for housing, has jungle right up to the beach, and is a real paradise for those who live there. It is very appealing to me except for the 4-hour drive to San Jose. The closest big shopping is Limon, the Atlantic-side port, not too far. If here, I would live in the south. The north Caribbean coast has Tortuguero park where I photographed more wildlife than any other one place than maybe Corcovado. But there are no roads to Tortuguero, you have a boat if you live there!
Questioning the “Happier than Billionaires” Video
It sunk in more after finding this funny “rebuttal” video last night by a totally different kind of guy, without money, living on the cheap, trying to get income from a travel website. He titled it “Living Like a Billionaire Rebuttal.” I have also added this in my earlier post so I am not guilty of candy-coating the cost of living overseas like the first video and most of the stuff I get from International Living website and magazine. I’m getting tired of them mainly trying to sell me something. It is interesting to note that the girl in the first video has also written a book by the same title, so the video is part promotional for her book. I bet it is working!
Second Thoughts? Doubts?
I’m having a relaxed morning in my “just right” or “perfect” house for me here in McKendree Retirement Village. As I have searched online for rental properties in Costa Rica it seems I will not be able to afford something this nice there though all the literature say you can’t base your decision on classified ads, since most people just advertise a house or apartment for rent with a sign out front. This makes my four days of free time after the August tour even more important as I see what is really available and at what price. Housing and its cost is possibly my biggest issue with moving to Costa Rica. I must be at least as comfortable there as I am here and at a lower price. A tall order!
YARD
After breakfast and reading the paper in my breakfast nook looking out at my big maple tree and bird feeders full of birds, I’m reminded of the views so many of the stories of Costa Rica claim: looking out at the ocean, mountains, valleys, farms, the beautiful Volcano Arenal – but have also noticed that the houses I’ve found online with great views are also the more expensive ones. It is like the rich buy up most of the beautiful views. Then I take my cup of tea out on my deck here, looking out at a huge oak, two huge maples, a poplar and 5 other trees I can’t name now. I have one of the most beautiful backyards at McKendree. I continued to watch the red streaks of cardinals darting across the yard, a bossy mockingbird, a little chickadee and others fly through the trees.While sipping tea I also see many squirrels, some rabbits, and the occasional groundhog. This is a pretty nice view that I have now! Of course if I can get a jungle location in Costa Rica I will have tropical birds, monkeys, agoutis, and maybe an occasional sloth. But at moments like this I’m tempted to think “a bird in hand is better than two in the bush.”
And this is just part of what goes through my mind as I pursue my “wild idea” of moving to Costa Rica. Yet all adventures have risk and not matching my current lifestyle is one of those risks. (Or having to spend more money instead of less.)
Hopefully my “thinking out loud” and being brutally honest will help someone else facing the same decision and that is one reason for this blog, along with my own personal record. I have two other things to post today, but will do them with different titles.
“Doing Due Diligence” or “Life for the Non-Rich in Costa Rica”
Another website I have discovered uses the slogan “Doing Due Diligence” which has sort of been my unstated slogan, so I like it! I hope to have many if not most questions answered before I take the August tour and be totally prepared to make a decision in September. We’ll see! 🙂 This guy is a competitor to Christopher Howard whom I’ve signed up with and even has his own shorter tour along with some interesting videos and other information on his website worth checking out:
Are You Cut Out for the Expat Life?
Well . . . she almost described me below, so if based on this alone, I’ll be headed overseas soon – but still vetting everything first – working on her point 7 below. And this part is fun to me! (You can read it on the IL website if you prefer.)
By Suzan Haskins
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Love of adventure. This pretty much goes without saying. If you love exploring new places and seeing things you’ve never seen before, then you’re on the right path, because that’s what expat life is all about.
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Appetite for novelty. Your neighbor brings you a bag of some strange kind of spiky fruit you’ve never seen before and tells you it’s good for your love life…the entire village is going to “cleanse” themselves in an ice-cold waterfall at midnight and has invited you along…at the last minute, the entire country has taken the day off to watch an important World Cup match… If you can embrace and immerse yourself in the spirit of it all, you’ll be just fine.
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Tolerance for cultural differences. Does it drive you crazy when things don’t happen at the appointed hour? Get used to it if you’re thinking of moving overseas. We joke that in Latin America, “mañana” doesn’t mean “tomorrow” but “some time in the future.” The thing is, priorities are just different outside the States (where my husband Dan and I are from). Instead of chasing the almighty dollar and punching the time clock, most of the rest of the world runs at its own pace. Family obligations come first and are always more important than work or money, and that’s as it should be.
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A large dose of self-confidence. If you believe in yourself and your ability to deal with just about every situation you might possibly find yourself in, then you’re good to go. And here I might add that you need to believe in the concept of “personal responsibility.” Trip on a crack in the sidewalk and twist your ankle… Have a reaction to the detergent used by hotel housekeeping… Forget your phone in the back of a taxi… The menu is only in Spanish… Back home, if you get hurt or, even sometimes, just find yourself in a bad mood, you can sue someone. The rest of the world is not like that. (And, of course, the good news is that it’s doubtful you’ll ever be sued yourself.)
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An aptitude for self-reliance. I have to laugh when new expats complain that certain products aren’t available in Ecuador, where I live. No, we don’t get some of those old favorite (and usually unhealthy) comfort foods here. We do, however, get enough of them, believe me. You do know what Half & Half is, right? It’s half milk and half cream. Pretty easy to make yourself. The Internet is full of do-it-yourself recipes and substitution suggestions. And, of course, there are overseas destinations where you can get just about every American product there is…so if that’s important to you, see point #7 and do your research about where those places are.
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A go-with-the-flow attitude. Everything I’ve mentioned so far has been leading to this. If you’re the type of person who can embrace the challenges and, even, find the fun and adventure in them, then you’ll be just fine in a foreign country. Laugh it off… You discover so much about yourself and then have great stories to share.
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They’ve done their homework. You cannot move overseas without learning as much as you can about where you are going. It just won’t work otherwise. You need to know about the culture, the weather, the residence laws, the health systems, insurance options, and much more. And to collect in one place all the documents that will be required along the way. You’ll want an idea of what your moving and upfront costs will be. You need a plan for communication with friends and family back home, and an idea of how you’ll do your banking and manage your financial life, and more. Getting all this organized before you move will vastly enhance your expat experience.In fact, that’s my single biggest piece of advice: do as much advance research as you can. Read, watch videos, talk to the experts, establish a lifeline to some of the on-the-ground resources you’ll need (like attorneys, visa facilitators, health care professionals, etc.), and definitely talk to other expats about their experiences.
Car
Today I read some of an electronic Moon book on Living in Costa Rica and double-checked it with Chris Howard’s New Golden Door book and they both say about the same.
- It will be cheaper and easier to buy a car in Costa Rica, even though they cost about 30% more there. If you drive or ship your car from the states you pay an even higher excise tax, like 50%+ of the retail value AND the paperwork will require a lawyer.
- I could drive my old car which from Brownsville, TX would be over 2,200 miles through five countries, lots of red tape, complications, possible dangers, and the high excise tax mentioned above. But would sure be a neat adventure!
- Most people buy used cars which are well cared for there because of the high cost of cars. If I plan to frequent national parks and other wilderness areas I will need four-wheel drive on a high-riding car.
- One writer recommends the Toyota RAV4 and another said Suzukis do well there because they ride high. Most cars in Costa are Japanese or Korean.
Metaphors of Modification
Metaphors of Modification
Charlie Doggett, July 8, 2014
NOTE: I started this as a learning exercise or “Try This” activity in Janet Burroway’s book Imaginative Writing: The Elements of Craft. Thanks to her for the inspiration and the more I’m sure I’ll get as I continue reading her book. My tropical metaphors may not clearly speak to my decision-making process, but as a writer I’m still a beginner and enjoy trying.
Links to Other Retirees in Costa Rica
The original post here referred you to my website and a page there I was doing on moving to Costa Rica – well, the new website doesn’t have that, but the bulk of the post was the following links which I hope are still good to help you in your research on retirement in Costa Rica.
- Facebook Page of a woman who retired in Costa Rica
- A Working Retirement in Ojochal on southern Pacific Coast which I would love if I could find an affordable rental there – It would be close to multiple rainforests and a cloud forest where I got my photo of a Quetzal + beach!
- Living Better than a Billionaire YouTube video – Great! Younger people! (Update) Hate to admit I was caught up in the impossible illusion that I too can live like they are in their video on my SS check. Not! Well, here’s a funny and honest Rebuttal to Living Better than a Billionaire. International Living Magazine folks also give this false impression that you can live rich on your social security check. Well, I’m learning that a reality check is needed first! Having lived in a 3rd world country before, I know the reality that money speaks there too, just like in the states. I’m learning that I will not be able to afford those beautiful views that the rich already own. So I’m lowering the expectations. (updated 7/21/2014)
- Expat organization called Association of Residents of Costa Rica which I could use later to help me with the move, IF I move!
- No Finality in a Move Abroad, article in Huffington Post – just one reason I will rent – I can change my mind at any time and go back to states
- Why Are Americans Still Flocking to Costa Rica? an article on International Living site
- AARP “Best Places” Article on Costa Rica Retirement which focuses only on the Central Valley, but it is the most popular area!