Every day more and more people chose Costa Rica as a place to live or retire.

The process goes like this. Usually people come here as tourists and then fall in love with the country and its lifestyle. While others read about Costa Rica or see nature programs on TV which extol the country’s beauty and all it has to offer.

After doing their research on line and reading all of the guidebooks people then decide to make the move. They usually contact a relocation expert or take a retirement tour prior to making the definitive move. Smart individuals also attend the monthly seminar given by the Association of Residents of Costa Rica or ARCR. I include this informative seminar on my monthly relocation/retirement tours. With the information and contacts from the seminar and my tours, people now feel comfortable and have the confidence level to make the big move.

After finally moving here and getting settled in their new home or apartment, the question always arises, “What do I do now?” I am in a new country with a lot of free time and have to find out how to use it. This shouldn’t be a problem since there are hundreds of activities here to stay busy and happy. There is usually a period of adjustment where you have to get use to the way things work in your new country. This is usually the point at which the honeymoon starts to end and you begin to confront a variety of daily situations. Having network of friends and getting involved in some hobby or activity can make all the difference in world in adapting to life in a new country. Your friends will be your support and your activities will keep you occupied.

I would be lying through my teeth if I said Costa Rica was for everyone. But if you make an effort to understand the culture, go with the flow, make friends and most of all have a good sense of humor, you should be able to adjust after the initial honeymoon ends and take advantage of Costa Rica’s incredible “ Pura Vida” lifestyle.

The dictionary defines Reality as “the state of things as they actually exist.”

Let’s look what’s real in Costa Rica

1. Fantastic year-round weather
2. Excellent health care
3. A myriad of activities to stay busy and happy
4. Many real estate options and living situations taking all lifestyles into consideration.
5. The country’s stellar international reputation
6. Friendly people
7. Good and bad highway
8. A user-friendly country for Americans, Canadians and Europeans
9. The only country in Latin America with a Resident’s Association to assist foreign residents
10. Some crime but nothing in comparison to neighboring countries like Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Panama and Nicaragua also have crime.
11. Bad traffic in and around San José. The country is working on improving the roads and reducing traffic
12. The most democratic country in Latin America with NO army since the 1940s. No external enemies.
13. One of the BEST lifestyles in the world.
14. Costa Rica is a brand because of its incredible lifestyle.

What things and people are real and unreal in Costa Rica

1. Costa Rica is paradise. The country is one of the best places to live in the world because of its natural beauty, incredible lifestyle and other intangibles. However NO place is perfect. Utopia doesn’t exist.
2. A proliferation of self-serving websites and videos put up by foreigners who pass themselves off as Costa Rica experts after living here for only a few years. A friend who lives here once asked, “Isn’t it strange? Gringos seem they think they know everything about the country despite only having lived here a short time.” Expertise takes time in anything in life.
3. Websites that scare foreigners with alarmist information in order to solicit services of the people who own the sites. These sites make people look like messiahs.
4. Blogs and chat rooms that provide some useful information for foreigners but disseminate more opinions than facts. The Internet is a useful tool in many cases but can give anyone their 15 minutes of fame and an air of expertise.
5. The pontificating foreigners who profess their self righteousness as the only ones who can show you the way to the promise land. These guys are a dime a dozen.