So, you are thinking of living in Central America?
The following is a forum entry by Peter Christopher for you to enjoy & ponder if you are considering moving to Costa Rica.
So, you are thinking of living in Central America?
Five years ago, at Sky Meadow in Vermont, I met someone who became an important influences in my life, Miles Sherts. I was one of the students at the first meditation course he offered, and it was my first mediation course. He handed out several sheets of paper before we started the weekend of meditation, including some words of advice he had written for us. I still have those sheets of paper, with a short description of Buddhism alongside Miles's personal statement. Miles wrote: "As we begin to experience ourselves and the world through direct observation with calm focused awareness, we become free of conditional habits which have kept us limited and caused us to suffer... I encourage you to bring yourself to retreat as if it were your last chance to find what you have been seeking so long and hard. I invite you to trust for a moment this process laid out by Gotama Buddha and risk setting aside your doubts and fears. You may become something new in the process."
If you come here hoping to keep your old assumptions intact and have a pleasant experience, it probably won't work. Most people, a month or a few years after arriving in Central America, reflect that it seems like a disaster zone, especially compared to a utopian dream. This place may seem too hot, too cold, too windy, too dusty, too wet, too dry, with too many insects, too many thieves living nearby, etc, etc. Oneself may seem too slow, too stupid, too poor at speaking Spanish, too ugly, too bad at cooking, etc, etc. Everything outside and/or oneself may seem worthless.
But perhaps what we experience (making those judgments about the place and oneself) is only the way our mind often behaves, and not the only way the mind can behave.
I can image that there are some people who already have achieved enough clarity that when they arrive here, that their frustrations will not be great. Yet, experience suggests they are a lucky few.
As Miles wrote, "I create and hold a container for you to explore the nature of your own mind, and realize your own truth. I believe this will set you free, and it is for this that you have always longed." Sounds appetizing, huh? In my experience it didn't work out so nice in practice. That meditation retreat "container" seemed more like a hell-ball. Miles created that by making us sit for hours and hours and hours until our bodies ached. I don't think I was the only one who wanted to slide out to the parking lot and sneak out in my little car. But for whatever reason, no matter how much I wanted to leave, no matter how much I hurt, I didn't leave. Neither did anyone else. (Thank you, Miles, for offering the challenge and the support that appealed to us and supported us.)
When you move to a new place (or do anything new I suppose), Miles won't be there intentionally creating a container for you. Maybe the experience, if you take on the challenge, can provide the same reward. You can come to contact the demon you have been running from and have a chance to dance with it, become its lover instead of running in what seems like another direction.
On the other hand, maybe you don't need to come to Central America to have that experience, to be a happier and better you. Perhaps you could find a group of people who are open to growth in your local community. Or maybe sitting there in your chair, you could realize that any frustration that arises, is just the work of your mind. Maybe no other people are required. You could save some money and resources by just staying at home. The story goes that the Buddha ultimately found what he was seeking when he went off to the woods and meditated alone; he didn't find it in another country or at a retreat with other people.
But if you're like us, and for some unknowable reason your heart tells you that Central America may be your home now, you might have to come anyway.
I'll rewrite one of the quotes from Miles in a way that makes more sense to me in this context here: "Maybe you can bring yourself indefinitely to Central America as your chance you have earned for yourself to find what you have been seeking so long and hard. I invite you to trust for a moment the process that follows naturally when you trust yourself, when you pursue your instinct to live your dreams, and when you stick with your dreams beyond the inevitable escape desires you encounter to run on to the next thing. You may become something new in the process."
-Peter Christopher
Homepage:
PeterChristopher.com
Central America Forum:
Central-America-Forum.com
I have nothing to add ... for once 
Playa
Manuel Antonio - Pacifico Central, Costa Rica
Categories: Culture in Costa Rica, Working in Costa Rica, Retire in Costa Rica, Moving To Costa Rica, Retiring in Costa Rica, Life in Costa Rica, Living in Costa Rica, Study Abroad in Costa Rica, Security in Costa Rica
I have had the pure joy of had the chance to live in Costa Rica from 2005 through April of 2006, and understand why many people don't "get it" and go back to where they came from...however after reading this I must say I might never had come....its not difficult really when you're hungry don't ask where can I get a cheeseburger like back home....ask what the locals eat when they are hungry when you want a beer don't look for a Budweisers but rather observe what the locals are drinking and have one...perhaps the most difficult decision I had to make is to support Saprissa or la Liga when it came to futbol.....thankfully I can proudly say...Soy Saprissista!!!
Life is too short to over think its better to try and fail than not to have tried at all and my advice is to just DO IT but keep your mind and your heart open and good things will happen
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Patrick can You help me to understand what you have commented. There is no starting point or ending point for this comment. Be clear what you are saying and do break the sentences.
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I get it want be there I can taste some days. Pura Vida Miguel
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Currenlty living in San Diego with my wife and two young sons (7 and 9). We have been considering a move to Cost Rica in the not too
distant future (maybe some time in early 2010).
One thing I was wondering about is how easy is it to get something shipped in to your house in CR? In other words, is it simple to purchase something on the web (like Amazon or Costco) and have it shipped to you in CR via UPS, FedEx, DHL, or whatever provider exists there?
I'm guessing this must not be too easy since I haven't seen any mention of it. But it sure woudl make some things easier if it was
able to be done.
Thanks in advance for all replies.
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David,
Shipping directly to a Costa Rica house is problematic due to the fact that 99% of homes in Costa Rica do not have traditional street addresses.
Many Costa Rica residents use mail forwarding services when shopping online, but this certainly adds to the cost of such items (ie: you have the item shipped to your forwarding service in Florida and they ship/deliver to your home).
For most items I personally recommend obtaining a post office box (apartado) at your nearest Costa Rica post office (correo) and having such items shipped direct via United States Postal Service (USPS) International mail ... it is both cost effective and reliable, taking approximately 1 week for delivery.
I have had good success shopping online at eBay and other e-tailers savvy on the ease of International shipping via USPS. If an eBay item does not denote it will ship to Costa Rica, I simply contact the Seller to see if they are willing to ship direct at cost via USPS and most readily agree - with most small packages costing between $8 - $30 depending on weight.
Hope this helps!
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Hi Bill,
My husband and I will be turning 50 this year. We are going to CR this winter and if all I read and heard are true we hope to move to CR within 2 years. We hope to buy a home and put enough money in a CR bank to last us for 10 years.
We hope the law did not change yet re: moving to CR.
Can you give us any advice on who to see or what to do first. Please help.
Shelbi
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Hi Bill,
I have recently started the process if relocating to CR as a pensioner. My paperwork was submitted to the Washington Consulate and that is presently where I am in the process.
I came across your Blog and wanted to network with you. The Blog is fantastic, informative, refreshing and non-biased- CONGRATS on your 1st year.
My name is Dr. Phil Greenberg and am a member of ARCR. I live in the San Jose/Pavas area of CR.
Keep up the great work.
Pura Vida and Happy Holidays,
Phil
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What are the pros and cons living in Costa Rica vice living in the USA? ?
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Tamara,
Short answer: There are no "pros and cons", there are DIFFERENCES.
The appreciation and/or frustration with the the differences of living in Costa Rica verses living in the USA ... depends on YOU!
Just like the United States; Costa Rica offers a wide variety of experiences, lifestyles, regional customs, etc. etc. Depending on where in the U.S. you come from, your own lifestyle and your own wants or needs ... you can find Costa Rica to be a desired change of pace, a similar experience and/or a nightmare.
Only you can know what you will find acceptable, fun, tolerable, irritating, etc.
From experience I can tell you that after 10 years of extended Costa Rica visits that there is no amount of preparation that will eliminate all risks of making the move.
Spend time in Costa Rica. Realize there is a difference between a vacation and real life.
If you do make the move, remind yourself to ENJOY the experience!
Blog entries you may find of interest:
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Hi,
We are a Canadian family with 2 young kids (8 year old girl and 6 year old boy). We are seriously considering a move to Costa Rica for at least a year, for a spanish immersion experience. The kids are currently enrolled in a spanish-bilingual school in Calgary, and we all think the adventure would be great fun.
Obviously, the choice of where we live depends on finding an acceptable school for the kids. We definitely want to continue the bilingual program, and expect that we will probably have to enroll in a private school, but we are on a budget and don't need the best-of-the-best.
We hope to find a school with kids from other english speaking countries, so they will have the opportunity to make friends quicker, as their spanish is not great yet.
So, if any of you have kids in an elementary school, (or know somebody who does), and they like the program, we would love to hear from you. Information such as cost and a solid contact person (preferably by email) would be very much appreciated.
As far as areas of the country, the internet seems to tell us that the central valley has the majority of the schools, and, offers a reasonable cost of living (as opposed to the beach towns), however we are open to any suggestions.
Thanks in advance,
Wayne Davies
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Wayne,
My 10 year old son is enrolled in Amadita Primary School in Coronado - a nice and less expensive area East of downtown San Jose.
Although my son is a Costa Rica native, he did not speak conversational Spanish when starting the 2008 school year due to many years of living in the U.S.
Amadita School has been wonderful in working with my son and offers a complete bilingual education on the Costa Rica school calendar (2009 classes start February 16th). Also included in the tuition at Amadita are after school programs such as; coached soccer, basketball, cheer leading, gymnastics and band. Your children can be involved in as many programs as their schedules permit.
Regarding complete school costs, there are are a combination of items that must be considered when comparing schools: annual registration fees, tuition fees, extra curriculum fees, book costs, supply costs & uniform costs.
As an example; Amadita's 2009 registration fee is 98.500 colones ($177.00 USD) and 2009 tuition consists of 9 monthly payments at 122.717 colones ($220.00 USD).
As mentioned previously, Amadita's extra curricular activities are at no additional costs (ie: included in the tuition).
This years books and supplies came in at at 99.000 colones ($178.00 USD). Uniform shirts and pants are about $12 each + any type of black shoes are required for uniform days and tennis shoes needed for gym days.
I hope you find this information useful when shopping for Costa Rica private schools!
Resource: Amadita Primary School = http://tinyurl.com/Amadita
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