Welcome to Costa Rica ! Bienvenidos!

LIFE Really IS BETTER in Costa Rica

2011-03-03T21:00:00.000-08:00

The Costa Ricans have it figured out... what life really is about,

and how to live a long, happy and healthy one.

The famous Costa Rican expresson "Pura Vida" is something they truly live by. Pura Vida (literally "pure life") means "full of life", "this is living" or "it's going great". It's used frequenty as a greeting/farewell, to express satisfaction or thank you. To Costa Ricans, it's a philosophy of community spirit, enjoying life slowly, and celebrating all of life's good fortunes, big and small.

Since I've been here, I've met many Costa Ricans (aka Ticos), from simple farmers to the very well-to-do, and they all seem to enjoy a peaceful, happy life. Friendliness is a common trait: When I pass people on the street, they make eye contact, smile and say hello, when I ask for directions, they offer to walk me in the right direction or help call a cab; after meeting someone for the first time, they invite me to their home. Attitudes are always positive, I have never heard a Tico swear, yell, argue or complain; any of these negative responses have only been witnessed from North Americans (unfortunately). The teenagers I've seen are content, and even though some have attitudes, it's more of a cockiness, not like the angry or distracted moods of the stereotypical teens back at home. Makes you wonder...

"Road rage" in Costa Rica: the driver looks at his passenger, shakes his head with a smile and says "can you believe that guy", and they both laugh. Believe me, the driving here is insane, and any of our true Road Ragers would have a break down here.

People here value their time with friends and family. If Sunday is their family day, that would not be traded for any work opportunity. Children here are highly treasured, and are made to always feel special. It's easy to make friends, people seems genuinely interested to meet you, and I've never come across a snobby or fake Tico.

I have several active 85-90 yr men and women in my exercise classes, and come to realize that this is not unusual, Costa Ricans have one of the longest, healthiest life spans. Exercise, whether the daily walk to/from school, a moutain hike, or yoga class, feels natural and enhances my lifestyle here, vs. at home where it was used to relieve stress of everyday life.

Costa Ricans make much lower salaries than we (North Americans) do, pay 2-3x the price for luxury items (electronics, computers, toys, shoes...), but that does not seem to create stress for them; whereas we earn much more, have more, want more, and stress over how to achieve it.

I've also meet many ex-pats (Americans, Canadians and Europeans) who have settled here, and they all say they have no desire to go back to their old lifestyles. I now understand why, and dread going back to that life myself. I am still as busy as I was in Toronto, but am not stressed out. I have a sense of peace and calm that I've never experienced back at home. My children also are different here, they are very happy, confident, adaptable, always excited to go to school and see their teachers and friends. They tell me everyday that they love being in Costa Rica. When I return to home, I will have remember the simple lessons and not let societal expectations distract me or my kids from living the Pura Vida.

Life really is better here, metally, physcially and emotionally, and social connections are strong and meaningful. We, from the advanced, world class countries in North America, have much to learn from the "PURA VIDA" lifestyle.

THE WEATHER

2011-03-01T09:29:00.000-08:00

The weather here is PERFECT.

Imagine the nicest summer day you've ever had, it's sunny, comfortably warm-hot (23-27 degrees Celcius), no humidity, with gentle warm breezes.

This is the daily weather in the Central Valley, which has been ranked by National Geographic as having the Best Climate in the World. I'm sure this plays a role in Costa Rica being the "Happiest Country in the World" (see my posting: "Why Choose Costa Rica..."). The majority of homes don't have heaters or air conditioners, neither are neccessary, as it never gets that hot or that cold... as I said, it's PERFECT!

The temperature does change by location, so it may be quite hot in one area, and a short drive up the hill and it will be much cooler, another few hundred meters, and suddenly it's misty rain. It's interested how the climate/temperatures change by region and elevation. Each region is fairly stable in their weather, so people often choose where to live based on the climate/temperature they prefer.

Manuel Antonio beach

If you want to experience extreme heat, go to the Beach, those regions are HOT! It's usually in the high 30s-40s, scorching and humid. Our first time at the Beach, it felt like being in an oven, even the ocean water was hot. On the 3rd day of this heat, we couldn't handle much more, and were relieved to go back to the Central Valley.

In Costa Rica there are two seasons: Rainy: from May-November (winter), where it rains for most of the afternoon; and Dry: December - April (summer). I've only been here for the dry/summer season so my comments are based the summer months.

The town I live in, San Isidro, is up a hill and cooler (low 20s) than I'd like. The days are pleasant but in the evenings you'd need a sweater. When I walk into town, it gets progressively warmer (mid-20s), and then going into the city, it'll be nice and hot (high 20s). We've actually had an unusal 'cold' streak the last week. The temperatures were in the mid-teens, with some rainy days, it was the main topic of the news. Now we are back to normal, and everyone is back to being the happiest people in the world!

Views of San Jose

Visual Beauty is Everywhere

2011-02-23T12:18:00.001-08:00

There is so much visual beauty in Costa rica, everyday I stop to admire pretty and intersting flowers, views of mountains and volcanos which change throughout the day, colourful butterflies and hummingbirds. As you probably figured by now, I'm never without my camera.

I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

For more photos, please vist my flickr photostream:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/c-ing/

"How to be Productive in Costa Rica" - UPDATE

2011-02-03T12:03:00.000-08:00

In a previous post (Jan.6) I had listed some goals I want to fulfill in Costa Rica.

Here is an update, on my 2nd week here:

1. Become Fluent in Spanish - I'm speaking Spanish daily, but still need to improve my grammar and vocabulary. I often get lazy and just speak quickly without thinking of tenses, conjugations, etc...I'm still understood, but getting sloppy, and need to focus more. Watching TV in Spanish helps with listening and stimulating thinking in a different language, so I'll start watching the news.

One of the many Courtyards in my School

2. Teach English - I've had 3 interviews on my first 2 days, was offered 2 full-time jobs (which I passed on since I only want part time), and last week I landed a part-time job with the school of my

1st choice. I'll be starting this week! Yeahh!

3. Start a Blog

You're looking at it!

Entrance to my Yoga Studio

4. Do more yoga - I've found a great yoga studio in Heredia with an incredible teacher, and plan to go 3x/week.

5. Find a good school for the boys to attend during the days, while I work on all of the above.

Montessori School for the Kids

They will be starting at a Spanish Montessori school next week right in our town of San Isidro.

The cost of private schooling here is 1/4 of the price I'd be paying in Toronto (Canada), and they will have the benefit of a new language. The staff are great, the grounds are beautiful, and it is walking distance from my house!

Ants are Everywhere!

2011-01-25T08:39:00.000-08:00

Just got my hair done

Ants are one of the most social animals in the world, and their activities can be witnesses here. Ants of all sizes are everywhere in Costa Rica, and I have learned to appreciate their incredible feats. I first saw leaf-cutter ants in the rainforest, and was amazed to see how they travel in a single row for long distances, each carrying their own piece of leaf. These ant highways not only exist in the rainforests but also anywhere there is grass or soil. In town, I noticed tiny red particles moving along the ground, it was a parade of ants, carrying red flower parts, marching across the entire soccer field.

You can`t tell by this photo, the ants are walking in
a continous line, over 1 km ( half-mile long)

Ants are also good housekeepers. If a dead bug or piece of food lands on your floor, you will see tons of ants swarming it, and check a bit later, there will be nothing there - no bug, food or ants. They do their job and leave. Living in Costa Rica, you just have to get used to the ants, they won't harm you if you let them be.

San Isidro de Heredia - Small Town Charm and Convenience

2011-01-22T08:35:00.000-08:00

Central Soccer Field - San Isidro

We are staying in a charming small town,

San Isidro in the province of Heredia. The location is perfect for convenience, one of my main priorities as I won't have a car. Our house is a 10 min walk into the town, which has every shop, service and convenience one would need. For food there are 2 grocery chain stores (Pali and MegaSuper), numerous butchers, small grocers, fresh fruit markets, and bakeries; and various bars and sodas (eateries which serve hearty homemade meals, 'casadas', for under $5). If I want to go into the main cities of Heredia and San Jose, buses run frequently, costing only .45cents. Taxis are also cheap and plentiful. The rainforest can be reached in less than an hour, a scenice walk, or to the famous Braulio Carrillo National Park by car.

San Isidro, Heredia

Welcome to Costa Rica!

2011-01-19T14:20:00.000-08:00

We're Here! Everything went smoothly, airport check-in, the 5.5 hour flight, the kids were behaved, thanks to the personal on-board TVs, and no issues with customs.

Our only concern was how we were going to tranport all our stuff: 8 pieces of luggage, 4 backpacks, a stroller and 2 carseats.

Our Costa Rican friend Alberto, was picking us up at the airport, and we warned him about how much stuff we had, which wouldn't all fit in the car. We figured some of us would have to take a taxi, but he surprised us with his own solution... he brought his son along who showed up driving a huge coffee truck! That said it all: Welcome to Costa Rica!

How to be Productive in Costa Rica

2011-01-06T11:51:00.000-08:00

Since I will be living here for awhile, I wanted to be productive and do/create/learn something that will make this trip more meaningful. So before I left I made a few goals:

1. Become Fluent in Spanish - I know enough Spanish to get by but there's still much more room for improvement. It should not be hard as I'll be immersed in the language, as long as I make the effort to listen, read, and speak it every day.

2. Teach English - there are many language schools here, and I'd love to teach a class for the new experience. I'll send out a few resumes before I leave.

3. Start a Blog, and use my photos and social media (ie. Facebook) to generate interest. Eventually I'll learn how to apply all these tools to my business.

4. Do more Yoga!

5. Find a good school for the boys to attend during the days, while I work on all of the above!

Why Choose Costa Rica? The "Happiest Country in the World"

2010-10-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons why people choose to live in Costa Rica. This country is proven to offer something special : HAPPINESS!

This has been scientifically studied and measured:

Costa Rica noted as the leader in happiness out of 148 nations by GLOBAL HAPPINESS INDEX 2009 http://worlddatabaseofhappiness.eur.nl/trendnat/framepage.htm
Costa Rica was voted #1 country on the Happy Planet Index (HPI) 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Planet_Index

When asked why I choose Costa Rica to try a new/different life, my own reasons include:

It is a stable and safe country, and the Costa Rican people (Ticos) are warm and friendly
It's a popular choice for retirees, expats, and people seeking to leave the 'Rat Race', so I want to see for myself what it's all about, and experience the "PURA VIDA!" lifestyle
I love nature. cliche yet true: I want to hike and zip-line in the rainforest, see and photograph exotic birds, monkeys,colourful frogs and butterflies, waterfalls and volcanos, go to Beaches.

Manuel Antonio Beach

Most of the amenities, services and luxuries found in North America also exist here. Their world-class hospitals offer quality healthcare (good to know, hope never to need). There are large modern shopping malls and grocery superstores, fast food chains, trendy restaurants, "Wal-mart"-type stores. Some cities are highly developed and commercialized, where many expats live in gated communities. There is some comfort to know we have these options if we desire, but I am looking to live in a small town, amongst the Costa Ricans, shop at the local markets, eat the comida tipico (typical-style CR food), while enjoying a slower pace of life.

Leaving the Rat-Race to live in Costa Rica...with KIDS!

2010-10-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

Time for Something New

So I've done it! Booked ourselves (me, husband, 2 kids) tickets to Costa Rica, leaving mid-January! I don't have an exact plan yet of where we'll stay or what we'll do, but I know we need to get away from the constant rushing around, trying to complete non-ending lists of things to do, and take a break from this city,(Toronto, On, Canada), driven by work and "success", which often feels like a defective hamster wheel on full-speed!

As the leaves have dropped, and winter is approaching, the thought of continuing this daily cycle in the freezing cold is even more dreadful. It's time to experience something different from my daily-wkly-mthly routine, to expand my knowledge and to accomplish something new (again not sure what yet) while living in a beautiful and inspiring environment.

I'm not the 'typical' traveller, or someone who can just drop everything to get away. I have a husband, 2 young children, a mortgage, bills, and a full-time career in real estate. BUT....I don't want to use the above as excuses not to go. I want us to experience more of life, now while we're healthy, physically mobile and relatively young! (actually, I believe people can be young at any age, until they decide they're "too old" to try or learn something new). Of course this adventure may be a challenge with 2 young kids, but hey, everyday life with kids is not easy, so I figure my options are: A) taking care of the kids HERE (with the bonus of winter season) or B) taking care of the kids in Costa Rica (in the warm weather)...this time I'll try option B.

Now that I know I'll be starting a new life in Jan. 2011, I have to start working on my new list of things to do!...this is one list I'm looking forward to completing!

Autumn in Toronto, On, Canada.