Life Style Changes

So many things in my life have changed since my move to Costa Rica starting with my diet. When I was working 9 hours a day and the 1+ hour drive to and from work the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was cook. I mostly lived on cereal. I have not bought a box of cereal in 5 months. I did buy two out of habit when I first moved here, but they went stale before I ate them. When you go to the grocery store here so many things are unrecognizable. I have learned to try new things. Luckily, I also have friends here that have been eating fresh for many years. They have been a big help to me. So, instead of cereal I am eating "fresh" eggs (fresh eggs here do not require refrigeration for up to 3 weeks), fruit, real oatmeal, fresh fruit smoothies, fresh shrimp, lots for fresh vegetables I get from the markets and almost no bread. My favorite is raw cucumber slices, raw asparagus, raw red bell pepper, boiled eggs, and yogurt sauce. I have learned to combine flavors I would never have thought of in the past. Mostly because I just did not have time to.

Driving! First I have never owned a 13 year old car with about 150 miles on it. Cars in Costa Rica are very expensive. My Hyundai Accent I had in Texas was $16,000 new. It is $30,000 new here. My 2005 Suzuki Ignis is in great shape with no marks on the outside. Runs well for a little engine up and down the mountains, but I do have to do a lot of shifting. I had not driven a manual in probably 30 years! Not to mention a license plate that says "Costa Rica" on it. There are no straight roads around me. Every single road is a curve up or down the mountain. When I get near San Jose going into the city on the highway it finally gets straight. I think it is good for me! I am getting strong upper arms and shoulders and a muscle in my left calf from clutching!

The biggest problem for me is keeping up with what day of the week it is. I seriously have missed going to things simply because I did not know it was Monday or whatever day. I have been on such a schedule for so many years to suddenly not have one I get lost in time. Not complaining! But some of my friends here might.

I am still dealing with guilt. I am so accustomed to going at 100 MPH every day and getting lots of projects accomplished. When I have sat at home now and taken care of absolutely nothing I feel guilty when the sun starts to go down! I am doing better with it, but am having to adjust my thinking.

The people in Costa Rica are so laid back and nothing seems to bother them. I am still dealing with those issues myself. I am an OCD punctual person. No one here cares about time. They are all happy that they get there when they get there. They don't even get upset with each other if they are an hour or more late. It's just fine. They are there now. Me? I'm trying to run cars off the road to get to where I am going on time! This is a really hard and good habit to get over.

No screen doors or windows. That will become a problem when we get to Junebug season!

No air or heat. No problem. It was never cold enough for heat during the winter. I just put on a robe in the AM, and I wore my jean jacket maybe 2 times. It is summer here now, and as long as I have a fan on it has been really comfortable. If there is a breeze outside I don't need the fans.

Language barrier? Not really. In todays world there are Apps. This has helped, and I am learning more and more Spanish daily. I am also very good at miming! Many people here speak some English, too. It is a required subject in school.

So, overall I'm adjusting very well.

Pura Vida!

My Heart Break

My friend in Puriscal, Tressa Hofos, sent me these pictures that were taken of the inside of the Catholic Church years after the earthquake. I cannot believe they let this magnificent heart of Puriscal just go to ruin.

I have been haunted by this building ever since the first time I saw it six years ago. It is in my heart that this should never be taken down, but it is in such disrepair I can't imagine what it would cost to save it. To me it is worth it, but this is not a wealthy nation. Because of the building having a historical designation it is also very hard for the Catholic church to have any control over it. Makes no sense to me, but that seems to be the way it is.

I still have not found one single photo of the church before the earthquake. It's like the Twilight Zone! I will continue to search. I think it will completely break my heart when I do.

Pura Vida!