Rent or Buy in Costa Rica

As of the last six months I've been toying with the idea of either continuing to rent here and keep my house in Texas, or sell my house in Texas and build here in Costa Rica.

When I moved here I decided to keep my house in Texas and use it as a rental property to give me an extra income. It would be very tight living just on Social Security. I can do it, but it would be painful. It also turned out to be painful trying to have a rent house while living out of the country even with a management company. That in itself is another story. Just be warned on how good management companies are not. Really, no one can protect you from a bad destructive renter.

As it turns out it is very tricky buying property in Costa Rica. For me, I think I would have made some really bad mistakes or financially disastrous mistakes if I had moved here and bought immediately. You really need to know all the rules and laws and to feel out your area to decide where you want to make your permanent home. This includes climate, convenience, closeness to your friends, views and all things that might be important to you. Then there is the fact that nothing in real estate in Costa Rica works the same as in the States. First of all, just because a person says they have lived on a property for the last 20 years and want to sell it to you does not mean they own it at all. Many a person has moved here and excitedly bought their dream property only to find out that it was not a legal sale. The person never had the land legally put in their name, so they could not legally sale it. It would still belong to the person they bought it from even if totally paid off. There is a legal search and document called a Uso de Suelo that will prove the ability of the seller to actually sell it, you can build on it and you are able to bring utilities to it. If a property is within a certain amount of meters from a water source you cannot build on it. The city I live in now is water short. No one can build new here. Once again, you really need to have an attorney to make sure everything is on the up and up before you sign or give money.

After living in Costa Rica for a year and half I have come to the decision that I am very comfortable here. My stress level is 98% less than it was in the States. The weather here is so comfortable. The never ending views make my eyes happy every day. I have made some very nice friends and the Costa Rican people are truly the sweetest. Not to mention, with the cost of living in the States being what it is, if I went back I would have to get another job and work until I die. That is not what I want for my life.

So, I went to Texas in November after my renter moved out in the middle of the night with no notice and made the decision to repair and fix my house to go on the market. It officially hit the home listings on Monday. Hopefully it will sale quickly and I will move forward.

After looking around for months I have come to the conclusion that it is less expensive to build new rather than to buy existing. I am losing the extra money per month from the rent which has played into my plans on what I want to do here. Once my home in Texas has sold I will be on the active look for a nice piece of land to build on. It must be large enough to give me some privacy and above all it must have a drop dead view. All of Costa Rica is a drop dead view, so that is actually the easy part. I have already talked to friends that have built here and have decided on my builder. I know that I want to build a comfortable home for myself, but I am going to build a story and half. The half will be a short term rental for people on vacation. I will advertise through Airbnb. This will cover my loss of the extra money from my rent in Texas. I have several friends here that do this in my area and have been very successful with it.

There are so many things to consider if you are thinking about moving to Costa Rica. My personal advise would be to rent for at least a year. Get comfortable with your needs and wants, and above all talk to people that have already been through it and hire an attorney.

Pura Vida!

My First Doctor's Appointment At The Caja

I had my first appointment with a Caja doctor, and everything went swimmingly. I had heard horror stories of having an eight o'clock appointment and not getting in until eleven or later. Everything with my appointment went off like clock work. My appointment was for 8:00 AM. I weighed in, had my blood pressure taken, saw the doctor and was out at 8:45.

My new doctor's name is Dr. Carolina. She looks like she might be 25 years old but, of course, she is older and so sweet. She is a general practitioner but wants to go into internal medicine when she can. She has to work in the Caja for at least a year first. She asked me a little about my history, but told me she would talk more in-depth after she got my blood tests and mammogram back. We went over the medicines that I take on a regular basis. She was able to prescribe everything except medicines for menopause until she gets back the mammogram. In the mean time, she told me to just go to an outside pharmacy and purchase my Estradiol. No prescription needed! After our visit was over I went to a check out window where they stamped all the prescriptions she had written for me three times with dates and other information. I took these to the pharmacy in the CAJA, and they were all filled for three months for FREE! When they handed me the bag full of my medications I had the urge to run just in case they made a mistake in giving them to me at no charge!

Dr. Carolina also gave me prescriptions for blood tests and the mammogram which I was to take to another building called CISA and make my appointments. It also turned out to be a very easy process. Luckily I ran into my friend, George Lundquist, who speaks Spanish. I would have been in a little trouble with this part of the process if he had not been there. In the end, I now have appointments in November for all my free blood tests and mammogram. In January I return to my doctor to go over all the results and finish my physical.

Yesterday I ran into my new doctor in the grocery store. It made me so happy. It was such a warm feeling like being back in my small home town of Greenville.

Doctor's Office and Free Pharmacy

Pura Vida!

How To Make A Doctor's Appointment In Costa Rica

I did it! I guess it is silly to always be amazed when I accomplish things here, but I always am. It is a different country with a language I understand very little of. It has different customs and the medical system is Social. It is the opposite from what I am familiar with. So, today I walked into the Ebias, found the window for Ebias number One which is the area I live in, and made my first doctors appointment.

I thought I could just walk into any doctor's office, hand them my Seguro Social (Caja) card and make an appointment. Wrong. First I had to find out what area I was actually in. I called my neighbor, Manuel, and he told me I was in Ebias number one. From there I found out I had to go to the Seguro Social office, find the number one area, and make an appointment with a doctor. Then there's the problem of trying to ask if there is a doctor that speaks English. The guard at the front door did not speak English, so through my terrible broken Spanish he finally understood I was needing area one to make an appointment. The girl at the window for my area did not speak English, and I could not get internet service on my phone for Google Translate. Somehow, again with my words not sentences in Spanish, she figured out what I wanted and started making the appointment for me. As she was almost finished she called a very pretty and very young girl over. She was asking her something, so I asked the girl if she spoke any English. She said yes, some. I told her what I was trying to accomplish, and she said it had been understood and my appointment would be on Thursday with her. She was the doctor! I would have guessed her at 18 years old. Seriously, the Ticos really age well here.

I am not sick. I need to first see a doctor so I can start getting my medications through the Caja for free. It has not been the smartest thing on my part having not taken care of this 5 months ago when I first got on the country's insurance program. I think I was just exhausted from all the other legal things that have to be accomplished when you first move here. I've spent money I did not need to on meds. I am really excited to start getting them FREE!

If you did not read any of my past blog posts my full coverage medical insurance with free medicines and free doctors appointments is $44.00 a month. That's correct, $44.00 a month! I may not get in to see the doctor as fast as I want, or may not get into a surgery right away if it is not an emergency, but it's free when I do. If there is an emergency, and you cannot wait to make a doctor's appointment, you just go to the emergency room and are taken great care of. I can live with this!

I will let you know how my first appointment goes and the thrill of receiving free prescriptions.

Pura Vida!

Effects of The Rainy Season in Costa Rica

I am still pinching myself and in awe that I actually live in this beautiful country called Costa Rica.

We are deep into the rainy season. October is supposed to be the wettest. Last week we had 3 full days of non-stop rain. No sunshine that long is not fun, and I am one of those people that needs the sun. The country, however, is lush and green from all the rain. I have not heard last weeks rain totals, but the week before was 43".

Now for a little warning. I noticed at the beginning of last year's rainy season I was coughing. Then I came down with bronchitis. That is not unusual for me. I had it chronically as a child, but out grew it. I did get it occasionally the last few years in the States, but it seemed to be viral not just me with bronchitis. Now this year...shortly after the rain started I began that little hacky cough off and on. Then I came down with a light case of the flu followed by a 5 week hard episode of bronchitis. I am beginning to think the rainy season may be the culprit. We all know with a lot of wetness comes different molds, and some people are very allergic to mold. Some nights, not many but some, I step outside to let the dogs out and it is so foggy/cloudy in the mountains that I almost feel like I'm breathing water, and my lungs are not in favor of that. So, I will see how it goes next rainy season. I am going to beef up my immune system during the months of April and May to get ready. My warning would be if you are a person with lung issues you may want to think about this before moving to Costa Rica. Since I am in the mountains where the air is cooler and the clouds, when it rains, are at the same level. There may be other areas of the country you would want to consider.

As a side note, my daughter, son-in-law and his whole family were here in August. We spent five days in a beautiful mountain top villa overlooking the Pacific in Manuel Antonio. We had the most wonderful time and visit. On the sixth day my daughter, son-in-law and two friends that came with the family came back to my house with me. I immediately fell sick with the flu. Before they got out of here to avoid the plague my son-in-law hooked my Roku up and loaded Netflix on it for me. My I just say, that may have been the best gift I have ever received. It saved my sanity during those weeks I was shut in trying to get over bronchitis.

View from our villa pool

Look who came to play

The girls snorkeling in the Pacific off the catamarin

The whole family on the catamaran off Manuel Antonio

That being said, I still love it here. I love the lushness, all the incredible birds, nature nature nature, and the sweet Costa Rican people. I still recommend it as a great place to retire.

Plants growing on the trees

Living level and above the clouds

Pura Vida!

The Rainy Season in Costa Rica Is Here

We are now heavy into the rainy season. Costa Rica really has no seasons like the US. Our rainy season runs from May-November and the dry season December-April. Of course this is not precise. The rainy season this year started early in April.

Last year it almost never started raining until 2:30 and only lasted anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours. I could almost set my clock by it. The skies were always clear by 9:00 at night when the Central Valley lights came back into view. This season has been different. The last few days have been very gloomy with little sunlight. The only time I remember it being like this last year was when hurricane Nate left us with a tropical storm for two continuous days.

The vegetation growth in one month has been startling. Things had begun to get a little brown through the dry season, and I discovered I had a pond of water in the pasture right behind my house. It had been hidden by all the growth. In just a few weeks of rain it is hidden again. Living in the tropics is amazing. You really see Mother Nature at work and quickly!

I have been told we are supposed to have a much wetter season this year. I loved it last year, but there was much more sunlight. I do hope it does not continue like this. Otherwise, it's going to be a long six months. It is a good thing I have a lot of friends here that like to get out and do things, rain or shine. That will help!

Pura Vida!

My First Year

I cannot believe it is one year today that I moved to Costa Rica. At this time I had finished taking my precious victorian home apart and packed everything up with the help of my friends Bobby Trad, Dodi Macias Lasovich and Mary Jane Morris and daughter Jena. The shippers had come with a 20 foot cargo container and trucked it to the Gulf of Mexico for shipping to Costa Rica.

With all my papers in hand to obtain my legal status in Costa Rica, my dogs certificate of good health along with my daughter Meleese, her husband Drew, my two dogs and 5 suitcases I boarded American Airlines for the flight to take me to my new home.

It has been a very busy year. I found out shortly I needed a car. Luckily my veterinarian had just put her car up for sale, and I bought it. After waiting five weeks for my container to arrive with all my home furnishings I settled into my darling rent house with the million dollar view.

The people of Costa Rica call themselves Ticos, and they are the sweetest people in the world starting with my next door neighbors. They have taken me in as a family member. I've been to numerous large family events with them, birthday parties and their wedding. I do not speak Spanish and every place I have gone the person trying to help me has been patient and kind. I have yet to meet an unfriendly Tico.

It has been very busy socially. I have had ten friends come to visit, and we went to different interesting locals around the country. There is a large American community in Santiago and the surrounding area. I've made some wonderful new friends. Most of them really like to have a good time. My new friend, Carol, had a party at her home for the 50th Anniversary of The Summer of Love. Everyone was to dress up like the 1960s. We had a groovy time.

Shortly after arriving I employed an attorney in San Jose, Roberto Umana, to help me obtain my legal residency. I delivered all the paperwork I brought from the US, and he translated everything into Spanish, filed the request and paperwork with the Costa Rican Office of Immigration. In the mean time I applied to the Caja for my medical insurance and was set to go. In December I received a letter telling me I had been approved, but because of the holidays I would have to wait to go to the immigration office to receive my sedula (license of legal residence.) The appointment was finally set. On April 25th I became a legal resident of Costa Rica!

I have flown home twice in the year to visit my family and friends. It has truly been an amazing first year. I still cannot believe I did it!

Pura Vida!

Legal Resident of Costa Rica

It is official...I am now a legal resident of Costa Rica! My standing is good for two years then all I have to do is submit a request for another two years. After that I can request to be a permanent resident.

Now that I have been through all the hoops it does not seem that it was all that hard. At times during all of this I was almost overwhelmed. Especially at the end when I had to make sure I had all the receipts for all the deposits I was required to make. Sounds easy, but not so much. Some were requested in colones and some in dollars, but all the receipts were in colones. I finally went to a friends house, and she and her husband helped me figure it out. Thank goodness every thing was there!

One of the receipts was for joining the Caja which is the Costa Rican medical system. It cost about 1/16th of what it cost me in the US, and my doctor visits are all free and most of the meds are free! This is a huge benefit to living in CR.

Some people say it was very fast. It would have been even faster if not for the fact that the immigration approved my request in December. It was the holidays and everything comes to a stop. Then I received a four day notice in March that it was time to go to immigration and become a resident. I, unfortunately, was on my way to La Fortuna and Arenal with friends visiting from Texas. I was not going to be near San Jose on that date. We had to request another appointment date. So on April 25, 2018 this little Texas girl became a legal resident of Costa Rica with my sedula in hand.

At times during the appointment with immigration I was a little nervous. I don't speak Spanish. During the first part my attorney was with me, and he took care of all the legal parts. Then when he took me to the office where I go in and give them the paper work to receive my sedula (Government card showing I am legally in this country)my attorney, Roberto Umana, told me he was not allowed in that area and to listen closely for my name because it would be pronounced as "Clla-de-a Sujens." Oh my gosh I don't speak Spanish! I heard the new version of my name, but not the number of the cubical I was to go to. I went to the first one and pronounced my new Spanish name. He looked at me like I was crazy and said something to me in Spanish. Oh my gosh I DON'T SPEAK SPANISH! Why did I not learn more before now? I went to the second cubical, said my new name and got the same reaction. Finally a guard came over to me (I think I am about to be thrown out!) and I said my new Spanish name. He looked at a clip board and told me numero siete! Yes, I know my numbers! Now I am at the correct cubical. Paulo starts speaking to me in Spanish. "OH NO! Why wouldn't they let Roberto in here with me?" This man took pity on me and used Google Translate on his computer to tell me to sit outside and in 40 minutes they would come and deliver my sedula to me. Almost to the minute out came a man calling for Clla-de-a Sujens! I had it!!!!! I was almost jumping up and down leaving immigration.

THE PROCESS IN A NUT SHELL:
Before coming to Costa Rica
1. Obtain your birth certificate with your mother's maiden name on it
2. If you are married your marriage certificate
3. Document showing either monthly income from Social Security, or you have made a deposit in a Costa Rican bank that satisfies the requirement, or you have made an investment in CR that satisfies the requirement.
4. FBI Federal Police Clearance (Background check within one month of filing.)
5. Up to date Passport
6. Send all to the Attorney General's office of your State to have an Apostil attached to each document and sent back to you.

When I had all this ready I gave it to my attorney to translate into Spanish and submitted to the immigration office in Costa Rica.

Next: All these deposits go into a special numbered Government account with your name
1. Warranty Deposit $300 (This is to insure the Government that if something goes wrong while you are in CR there will be money to buy a one way ticket back to the US)
2. Cost of Residency Credentials $48.
3. Cost of Procedures $50
4. Application fee $250.
5. 2 year Residency $98.
6. Join the Caja and pay your first months payment

Hold on to all these receipts because they will need to be presented when you go to immigration for your final paperwork and receive your residency (Sedula).

Pura Vida!

Earthquake 4.8

We had another earthquake at 1:30 AM this morning. It was a 4.8.

I have had trouble sleeping, as usual. Been a night owl my whole life. Last night I stopped reading around 11:00, took a sleeping pill about 30 mins. before that and turned the lights out. The last time I looked at the clock it was 12:35. I was finally sound asleep when suddenly my two little dogs went crazy charging the foot of the bed barking. I barely woke up, looked at them and at the same time heard my bird downstairs flapping her wings like crazy. I took for granted the dogs were barking at her, even though she's never done this in the middle of the night before, and laid back down and went instantly back to sleep.

Today I went to a ladies luncheon at a friend's house. One of the gals asked if anyone felt last night's earthquake. They all responded, YES! That's when I realized my dogs and bird were going nuts because they were hearing and feeling the earthquake. Those sleeping pills work great once they finally take me down! In reality, the earthquake only lasted a matter of seconds and was not strong like the 6.8 I experienced in November. I'm sure if it had been the reality would have hit me. But it was really nice to be able to go right back to sleep oblivious of what had happened. I'm not a fan of earthquakes.

Pura Vida

On the Caja

I have jumped the last hurdle before I become a legal resident of Costa Rica. I was approved as a resident in December, but because of the holidays and backlog I am finally reaching the end. I went to the Caja Office (State Medical System), had to show my passport, rental contract, my monthly electric and water bills, my phone and internet bills, and an average of my monthly food bill. I also had to produce my Social Security papers showing what amount I receive each month. With all this they calculated my monthly charge for medical care and approved me!

I did take my friend, Cathy Klein, with me as my interpreter. If you do not speak very good Spanish do not attempt this on your own. She was able to find out exactly what they were telling me, helped me fill in the Spanish paperwork and get the amount.

My medical covers all doctor appointments, exams, any procedures I might need for a price of 23,500 Colones or $44.00 a month. This also includes prescriptions for free! The Caja carries most meds, but if they do not have what I need or do not have one that works the same then I would have to go to a different pharmacy and pay for it. I was surprised at the cost because my attorney had told me to expect around $80.00 a month which I was thrilled with. $44.00 is better!

I am now waiting to hear from my attorney, Roberto Umana, on the date and time to go to the immigration office, sign my final papers to become a legal resident of Costa Rica and receive me sedula which is my card proving my legal rights to live here. Happy day!

Pura Vida!

Exploring Costa Rica

Yesterday was an exciting day of exploration for me. I went on a tour with a group of friends to Guayabo National Monument located on the slopes of Turrialba Volcano, and the Basilica of Our Lady of The Angels in Cartago.

The Gauyabo National Monument is actually a National park located in the middle of a lush jungle protecting the Pre-Columbian ruins of a 2,500 year old city that once supported about 10,000 indigenous people. Guayabo was a prominent political and religious center until around 1400 AD after which the city was abandoned. The reason why it was abandoned is not clear. It could have been an epidemic or perhaps a war with a neighboring tribe. The site appears to have been populated from the year 1000 B.C. although the local chiefdom developed around 300 to 700 A.D. when the stone structures that can be seen today were built.

They discovered large stone roads, round foundations to homes and stone aquaduct that had to have been carried in by hand. There were no beasts of burden back during this time in Central America. The aqueduct is still operational, and the water was recently tested to be 97% pure! This was the most important find in Costa Rica because there are only two Pre-Columbian functioning aqueducts. One in Machu Pitcchu, Peru and this one in Costa Rica.

Mound where the Chief's home was built.

Burial grounds and tombs discovered.

Reversed Culture Shock

Yesterday was a bit of a backward culture shock for me. I went to San Jose to a large mall with a couple of friends. It was so large and so bright and had stores I recognized the names of like Forever 21. The food court had not only very nice CR foods, but Sushi, Subway, Kentucky Fried Chicken and other familiar names.

Out of my 67 years almost all were lived in Dallas, Tx. It is a very modern city and always has been. The last four years I lived in the US I moved to Greenville. I had lived there from 2 mos. to 14 years old. So it was an easy move, but is a much smaller and older town. No large malls and a very old downtown that just starting to make a comeback. I think it was God's way of easing me into what was coming.

The town I live in is named Santiago de Puriscal. Most people just call it Puriscal even though that is actually the county name. It is a very old town that has been rocked by earthquakes several times and much lost. It is in no way a wealthy town, but full of the sweetest most giving happy people on earth.

So...when I walked in the mall yesterday my eyes just danced. Everything was shinny and new. I even had a chocolate swirl McDonalds soft ice cream cone!

It is nice to know that I can live in my sweet little slow paced town, but can still go to what I am more accustomed to when the mood strikes.

Shopping in Santiago de Puriscal.

Shopping at the mall in San Jose.

Pura Vida!

Residency Continued

I am always so proud of myself when I go into a bank or government building here in Costa Rica to conduct business. Every time I step inside the doors my heart starts pounding plus I have pretty big eyes already, but I think they double in size. I do not speak Spanish, and sometimes it is very hard to find a person that speaks English. At places like this there is usually one who speaks enough. Even knowing that I enter hoping I do not have to mime my way through it.

Before I moved to Costa Rica I had to get my birth certificate, Social Security letter, and a background check then send them all to Austin to the Secretary of State to have them notarized and an Apostille attached. All of these items had to then be translated into Spanish before filing my request for Residency. My attorney, Roberto Umana, took care of all this and the filing.

My request was approved and now to complete getting my Residency I had to go to the Bank Of Costa Rica today and purchase my Warranty and pay the cost of credentials and over staying penalties. These are for the final resolution. The "Warranty" money is to be used in case anything "goes wrong with me" there will be funds to purchase a one way ticket back to the states without Costa Rica having to use "public funds." What a novel idea! If the immigrant gets in trouble or does not keep all the laws of the country they send them back to where they came from on the immigrants dime. The other deposits were for the cost of credentials which would be my "Cedula" or card of proof that I live here legally. This has to be renewed every two years until qualifying for a permanent residency. The "over staying" penalty is a $3.00 charge in the case of having been here more than the 90 days allotted without permission.

Next I will need to gather my rental contract and all cost of living expense receipts and take them to the Caja to qualify for health insurance. Without it I do not qualify for residency. In other words, there is some financial responsibility for immigrants to pay for their own health care. The exact monthly cost I do not have yet, but with my income and cost of living it will probably be between $80.00 and $100. a month! That is for everything, plus most meds are free. This is a very big difference in what it would be costing me in the US for my medical insurance. The Caja does not include dental or vision insurance.

The business end of moving here is a little confusing but not terrible. You are much better off if you have a Costa Rican attorney to guide you. It is worth every penny. Roberto has been such a help plus the fact that his fee in one flat rate. I can call him or email him as many times as I need, and he does not charge a penny extra. He also speaks excellent English. Serves a great cup of Costa Rican coffee, too!

Pura Vida!

My First Visitors

I love living here in Costa Rica and have been excitedly waiting for my first guests to arrive and share the country with them. Well, it did not turn out exactly as planned.

My friends, Joe and Freddie Ann, were to arrive here the early part of January. They arrived at the airport with plenty of time to catch their flight to Houston and then to San Jose. When they approached the ticket counter at Love Field they were told there would be no flight to Houston as they were snowed and iced in! Houston? Houston is about as far south as you can get in Texas. This never happens. They were then told the soonest they could get a flight to San Jose would be in four days. There were so many flights cancelled the future flights were booked. After all our plans and bookings everything had to be cancelled. As disappointed as I was I know theirs was worse. This was their scheduled vacation.

Eight days after Joe and Freddie's miss my mother and sister made it! The fun started when they arrived at the hotel, and I surprised them by being there. I told them I would pick them up the next morning because their flight was a late one. The shocked looks on their faces and the immediate laughing was fantastic.

Our first stop was a tour and history lesson of San Jose. It was so interesting and such a feast for the eyes. Well, maybe not the first stop. The tour company had people at both ends of San Jose taking the tour. They sent a van to pick our side of town up, and we were to meet the tour bus in a parking lot of a museum that was not scheduled on the tour. We got there early, so the driver told us to go ahead and see this museum since we had about a 15 minute wait. We went inside to find an erotic art exhibition. Surprise!

The second day we went to the beach in Jaco. What a crazy trip that was. I was using WazeApp to get us there and back. Going there we had been driving for 45 mins. when we were suddenly back where we started! We turned around, put the information back in the App and this time we made it. On our trip back it happened again! I looked up and saw a sign that said Atenas and San Jose. Wrong way! We pulled off, put the info back in the App and it took us down the smallest roughest scariest road in Costa Rica! We went over a one car bridge we later learned was called the Jesus Bridge because the drop is so far down to the river. We screamed the whole way over it. The rest of the time we laughed non stop at the absurdity of being on such a so called road!

The next day we actually went to Atenas on purpose to visit my friends, Tim and Nancy Muldoon. My family has known Tim since he was in grade school, and Nancy and I were in the same class in high school. They have built a beautiful home there with amazing views. My mother was so excited to see Tim. He was a deacon in the Catholic Church in Dallas for many years. So many of my mother's friends asked her to deliver messages of hello to him. We had a great visit.

After a day of rest I had a party for my mother and sister at my house. I wanted them to meet some of the wonderful friends I have made here. Again...We went to a typical Soda for breakfast and ran a few errands. When we got back to my house to start getting everything ready for the party the water was off! (I am dying laughing just typing all this. It really was one crazy thing after another.) I sent everyone a message letting them know that if I still had no water by 2:30 I would have to cancel the party. The water started to trickle back on at 2:15. I let everyone know it was on. I had to put all the food together, clean things around the house, clean the carport and chairs, set it all up and take a shower and get ready by 4:00. We made it by the lipstick going on my lips. It was so much fun and I think my mother felt a little better about me moving to Costa Rica at that point.

Our last full day together my friends, Tressa and Brian Hofos, treated us to a wonderful brunch at an amazing Tico Soda. They cook everything over an open fire. It was delish and we had a wonderful visit. We all signed the walls inside the Soda as is tradition.

And just like that the week was up. We went to church that morning when during Mass a dog wondered in through the open doors. So normal. It happens all the time. People in Costa Rica love animals. After Church we went to visit George and Aija Lundquist. I first met them when I was seventeen and George was working for my father at Haggar Slacks Company as a plant manager. It was a great visit for my mother. Then we went to see my friends, Cathy and Roland. Two of the sweetest people in Costa Rica. We had to then hurry to my house get their luggage and drive to San Jose back to the Adventure Inn for their early morning flight.

The visit was wonderful despite all the crazy goofs that just kept us laughing. I am looking forward to my next friends arriving in two weeks!

Pura Vida!