I'm just back from the Ultimate Retire Overseas Conference in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It was great to see all my colleagues from IL, gathered from around the world to showcase the top expat hotspots, from Mexico to Malaysia and everything in between. I had two presentations on Costa Rica. But what takes place on the stage is just part of the conference.
When they left the States in the spring of 2012, Chuck and Anna were determined not to settle for mediocre. They wanted their dream. "We were looking for a mild climate, better health care opportunities, and lower costs," says Anna. "We were looking for an adventure, amazing views, and lots of things to do," says Chuck.
The most common thing I hear from friends who live in the States about my move to Costa Rica is: "I hear it's getting very expensive there." While it's true that Costa Rica may not be as inexpensive as it was a decade ago, it's still very affordable, and much less expensive than say Austin, Texas and Honolulu, Hawaii—two places I lived before moving to Costa Rica.
My husband, Paul, and I were happy with our lives in the United States. I was 45 and Paul was 55 when we met. We lived in the Baltimore area and had stable jobs making a decent income. Sometime in 2007 we started to talk about retiring early and moving somewhere cheaper to live.
For many prospective expats, the quality of medical care in the country they plan to move to is a very important factor. Of course, most hope to never find out how good the health care system is. But things happen.
If you're thinking seriously about moving to Costa Rica (if you're reading this, you probably are), there's an event coming up that you should check out.
Prospective expats often ask me about the opportunity to do community work in Costa Rica as a way to give back to their adopted home.
I visited the Lake Arenal region a few weeks back with family from out of town. When people visit us here in Costa Rica, we usually end up there at some point. Just three hours by car from our home in the Central Valley (and the international airport), it's an easy drive—very picturesque as you pass through the rain forest, farmland, and small villages of the countryside.
Head out of San Jose, crest the cloud forest-covered mountains to the west of Costa Rica's capital, and in about two hours you're on the Caribbean coast. Another two hours or so south and you're in the heart of the region. A pretty short ride...but it's like a different world. The tourist development of the Pacific coast never made it out here. So no big resorts, no golf courses, no high-rise condos...
When I'm back visiting the U.S. and tell people I live in Costa Rica...I already know the picture they have in their mind. It's a shoreline. First, the brilliant blue water...a strip of sand unmarred by footprints...a fringe of palm trees...then a rain forest with towering trees and lush vegetation alive with toucans and capuchin monkeys...and finally jagged green-covered mountains looming behind it all.