Retired and Relocated to Costa Rica

[brett]

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 drove around Nicoya peninsula in a rented Toyota Tercel or similar. Had one flat tire. No other issues.

But...we avoided the back roads and stayed on pavement. There were a few dirt roads that we passed on.

 

[qwerty3656]

We never felt unsafe while traveling in Costa Rica. The opposite. Never heard that it is the least bit unsafe.
.

I was talking about Peru/Chile - OP and others were talking "about what is going on in Peru/Chile" - it wasn't clear if it was a safety issue

 

[Live And Learn]

Hi Dreamliner ! Welcome

I retired 6.5 years ago and time has flown by. My husband retired 2 years ago. My adjustment to retirement was very easy. his was much harder.

I filled my first six months of retirement with doing NOTHING .... I bought a Kindle and spent the first 6 months on my back porch reading, listening to bird song, and watching the grass grow. From months 7 - 36 I volunteered - ALOT. Too much actually. I loved all the places I volunteered for and enjoyed my time there, but I had overextended myself and found I had no time to read, listen to bird song or watch the grass grow. Then the pandemic hit, which gave me the chance to hit "reset". I still read alot, I still volunteer some, but I do alot of walking now in our local parks. If you enjoy outdoor activities CR is a wonderful place. Since retiring weekends became time to stay home and relax instead of a time to complete chores.

DH was forced to retire after an injury, which is why his transition was more difficult. For the first 6 months he missed his job (despite me reminding him time and again of all the BS he had to put up with at work). He has now settled in nicely and is a superb model builder, doing all his work from scratch using kits only for parts like tires and wheels.

Think about what you enjoy doing. Make new friends. Get a dog (great way to meet local people when you are all out walking). With your reduced hours you already have a feel for how you spend your increase in free time. Leverage that. If there is a hobby you always wanted to try - try it ! There is nothing more valuable than time. Use it in ways that make you happy.