Why Costa Rica?

Why in the world would you leave the first world for Costa Rica? But many people have, you see that once you are here on the ground in Costa Rica.

I have lived in Costa Rica before, and I have about 20 years of experience with Costa Rica. I studied abroad and worked for an international company in San Jose years back. I have wanted to come back with my kids but I had a lot of lingering concerns on my mind that stalled the move. The pandemic created the perfect situation to give Costa Rica a go as a family.

1. How could I afford to live in Costa Rica without local work opportunities, not yet being retired, and how would that affect my eventual retirement?

The pandemic took care of this problem almost overnight. With my work going fully remote I was free! Finally! Obviously, I got lucky to be approved to work abroad with my job, but more and more work from anywhere jobs are opening up as work trends continue to shift. Of course, with continued work in the United States, I am still able to make progress on my financial retirement plan.

2. Would my kids have access to a quality education while abroad?

We were in a great public-school system in the United States. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit, and the larger nature of that school system created many logistical issues for the administration that made it nearly impossible to open in person. I am sympathetic to the administration’s decisions and why they made them, but having my kids isolated at home and stuck on a computer trying to learn was not working for us. We did it for six months and that was more than enough. I had to work, and they needed to be healthy; emotionally, mentally and physically.

The private school my oldest daughter attends, Costa Rica International Academy (CRIA), has been in-person and has handled the pandemic very well. I am confident that she is safe and is making strides academically. In Costa Rica, she is learning a second language, learning to adjust to a new culture and is able to be active outside year-round. The routine of going to school in person, being able to socialize with friends, and continuing forward with a strong education has been so beneficial. There is a stark difference between the experience her friends are having in the United States to the one she is having here.

3. How could we move in a calculated manner?

We rented an Airbnb for the first two months to make sure we were going to like living in Costa Rica. We didn’t bring our car or household items immediately. We came with five suitcases of necessities: clothing, shoes, school supplies, and toiletries. Now that we have been here for six months and know that we want to stay, we will be shipping more of our personal items here.

The slow and steady approach has worked well for us and we look forward to making our new life here in this beautiful country.