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!