Retired and Relocated to Costa Rica

D

Dreamliner

Confused about dryer sheets
Joined
Mar 3, 2020
Messages
8
Location
Lima, Peru
Hi,

I just realized that it has been one year since I "Fired" to semi-retirement.
Really enjoy the information available in this forum, with invaluable tips on the financial and more personal aspects of retirement. I am really happy to learn from all of you!

Have lived in Peru, my country of origin, for the last 25+ years and took the opportunity as a Covid remote work nomad to leave my full time work and relocate to Costa Rica. Currently working part time with my old job and will probably taper off in the following months to continue working on personal projects on a part time basis.

I'm married, 58, with my wife and three kids studying away from home (abroad). In line with "Latam" tradition they are still dependent and will probably continue to be so for the next few years as they are finishing university. Luckily, I have enough assets to provide us with a comfortable if not extravagant lifestyle.

My main challenge at this time is how to add structure to my life, develop new hobbies and activities so that I can enjoy my new phase in life in a fulfilling and meaningful way. This is a little harder since we are in a new country, even though I have lived here many years ago and have some family. Leaving Peru was not an easy decision, but the current deteriorating political situation and
our "new empty nest status" made us take the leap.

I would love to receive any advice regarding how to adjust to this new phase where the lack of work structure takes getting used to.

Thanks
 
Dreamliner said:
Hi,

...

I would love to receive any advice regarding how to adjust to this new phase where the lack of work structure takes getting used to.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Oh man, sorry to see what is going on in Peru (and in Chile). We loved our months there as tourists, and our stomachs miss Lima! Then again, Costa Rica is amazing on its own.

Don't have anything to answer your question about adjustment, but just bumping this thread up to the top.

Good luck with your transition!
 
Thank you 2017ish !

Yes, I miss the good food myself. Luckily, I will be back for a visit in a couple of weeks to get my foodie fix :dance:

I appreciate your concern for what is happening in Peru. However, it seems we are all exposed to a degree of turmoil, regardless of where we live, to a lesser or greater degree as we have all been witness in the last few weeks. I guess we have to learn to not take everything for granted.
 
Congrats on life in Costa Rica. Pura Vida! Have you searched out expat community websites?
 
I had a great time in CR a few years ago. It's an outdoor enthusiasts paradise. Beautiful hiking and surfing. Kind of touristy but we enjoyed a zipline tour and river tubing. I was impressed by all the cyclists on the roads up in the mountains. Pura vida indeed!
 
We lived in the southern area of the Puntarenas region (Costa Ballena/Uvita), CR for a year back in 2018. We thoroughly enjoyed it. At times it could feel a bit remote, but we made it a point to connect with locals at the weekly mercados in Uvita and Dominical. A couple times a month we'd head to San Isidro for more of a "big city" feel. :LOL:

Can't say we were fans of the CR cuisine in general. If I never see another plate of casado again or Lizano Sauce, it would be too soon. The seafood, however, around Costa Ballena was excellent.
 
OP, DW and I have had the opportunity to visit Peru before the Pandemic, and we love the people there. We would like to go back to visit again soon. As for having a structure to your new life, you can have plan to do tasks on the weekdays and be free on the weekends. We found that the shopping on weekdays are a lot more pleasurable with fewer folks in the store (fewer cars on the road while travelling), and the weekends are nicer than before because we have less work to do on weekends than during working years. And it is fine to have time to do nothing just to smell the roses. We all deserve some of that. Welcome to the forum
 
Dreamliner said:
Hi,
Have lived in Peru, my country of origin, for the last 25+ years and took the opportunity as a Covid remote work nomad to leave my full time work and relocate to Costa Rica.
Click to expand...

Congrats and Pura Vida! Would love to hear more about your experience in CR. We too are looking to grow roots there once we are done with our travels.
 
Spent a week there last November in the Cacique region. Specifically Coco Beach. It was great for my whole family. Beautiful weather, friendly people, lots to do. We sure enjoyed the food. Pura Vida
 
Markola said:
Congrats on life in Costa Rica. Pura Vida! Have you searched out expat community websites?
Click to expand...

Thank you Markola, I think its a great way to start meeting people in CR. I will start searching for expat communities in Costa Rica.
 
It seems many of you have visited CR and there are some good tips regarding where and what to do. Regarding food, I still think that Peruvian cuisine is superior to CR (Im obviously biased) but Im sure we will get to know some good spots in Costa Rica in due time.

Switching activities between weekdays and weekends makes a lot of sense, I just need to rewire my brain after all these years. Im sure its worth the effort.

I will keep you posted after a few months about my "tico" experience and might even entice someone else to give it a try!

Pura Vida :cool:
 
Bienvenido to the forum! Hola from Tamarindo CR. We own a condo in Tamarindo that we rent out, but intend to snowbird here in the near future. I understand your desire for daily structure, as it is one of my main concerns about living here for several months. Right now we are on vacation here at the beach, but my waistline and liver will never forgive me if I keep this routine for months at a time. Tamarindo has a large expat community, so I hope there will be some regular social activities for us. We also have a local church that appears quite active. What area do you live in? I look forward to hearing what you activities and routines you develop.
Puravida
 
candrew said:
If I never see another plate of casado again or Lizano Sauce, it would be too soon. The seafood, however, around Costa Ballena was excellent.
Click to expand...

Tico food, like gallo pinto with a big splash of Lizano, OMG :dance:
 
Hi, we are currently living in Escazu with occasional visits to Lima to see friends and family. We have entertained the idea of living in one of the beach communities but are somewhat concerned we will lack some of the creature comforts of the "city" and have trouble getting used to the hot and humid weather. On the other hand, I can't help but wonder if it might be easier to meet other expats in the smaller communities away from San Jose.
What are your thoughts ?
 
We lived in Atenas for 3 years and returned to the U.S. in 2013. Nice small town with many expats. Moderate temps and a reasonable drive time the nearest beach or San Jose.
 
Last time we went to Costa Rica I enjoyed the rice, bean, chicken, plantain dish...or was it the bean, rice, chicken, plantain dish...or the chicken, bean, plantain, rice dish?

Joking aside, lovely country. Roads were not super impressive though...instead of driving on the left or right side, most people just drove on the best side of the road. Has that improved a lot?
 
Fermion said:
Last time we went to Costa Rica I enjoyed the rice, bean, chicken, plantain dish...or was it the bean, rice, chicken, plantain dish...or the chicken, bean, plantain, rice dish?

Joking aside, lovely country. Roads were not super impressive though...instead of driving on the left or right side, most people just drove on the best side of the road. Has that improved a lot?
Click to expand...


We have done two trips to Costa Rica. First time was six weeks. We had a rental car for the entire time. Second time was 3 weeks, again with a rental car. Up and down the coast from the border to Liberia to Panama and inland.

We had no issue on the roads. The Pan Am sometimes got dicey with trucks. The secondary roads were fine. Had to watch for the occasional pothole and of course pedestrians. We drove slower and with more caution on those roads at night when we went out for dinner.

All in all....no problem at all. Drivers were fine, including San Jose and environs. You do need to understand the insurance requirements though. There are some rental places that will rip you off.
 
Fermion said:
Last time we went to Costa Rica I enjoyed the rice, bean, chicken, plantain dish...or was it the bean, rice, chicken, plantain dish...or the chicken, bean, plantain, rice dish?

Joking aside, lovely country. Roads were not super impressive though...instead of driving on the left or right side, most people just drove on the best side of the road. Has that improved a lot?
Click to expand...


We have done two trips to Costa Rica. First time was six weeks. We had a rental car for the entire time. Second time was 3 weeks, again with a rental car. Up and down the coast from the border to Liberia to Panama and inland.

We had no issue on the roads. The Pan Am sometimes got dicey with trucks. The secondary roads were fine. Had to watch for the occasional pothole and of course pedestrians. We drove slower and with more caution on those roads at night when we went out for dinner.

All in all....no problem at all. Drivers were fine, including San Jose and environs. You do need to understand the insurance requirements though. There are some rental places that will rip you off.

My understanding from friends in Panama is that Costa Rica is fast approaching a critical juncture in public finance. High debt, high deficits.
 
So there was another thread about someone vacationing in Peru/Chile and the consensus was it was completely safe. What is the view of folks in this thread (for someone from US)
 
The roads depend on where in the country you are. Out on the Nicoya peninsula, you better have a jeep because small cars have fallen into pot holes and were never seen again :)

And when renting cars, expect extortion from rental car companies on insurance. When I booked, the rates were surprisingly cheap. Then I found out why...when you get there, they make all their profit on the insurance. They won't let you use credit card insurance, even if you have a letter (which I had).
 
We never felt unsafe while traveling in Costa Rica. The opposite. Never heard that it is the least bit unsafe.

We rented a condo at one point. Not gated. Lots of return guests. Several who could worked remotely there during the winter.

We had three car rental experiences. The first, in Liberia or a one month rental, we got ripped off on the insurance. The second, in Liberia, I called my insurance agent in Canada from the rental office. He spoke to the agent then he emailed the required data. We did not pay for the insurance add on.

The third time was renting at a San Jose agency. They accepted our credit card insurance without any objections.

The first one was Budget Liberia. We stopped doing business with Budget (or Avis) based on this experience.
 
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