My friend, Colin, drew my attention to a posting on the ARCR forums today from a guy who was just here recently from the Las Vegas area with his wife. After many months of chatting online with people, reading books and mentally preparing themselves for a move to a country they have never visited, they showed up to attend a 2-day seminar at ARCR and then to travel around a bit and check out their soon-to-be new home.
It didn’t take long for them to realize that Costa Rica is not for them. Though I have to say the reasons they listed were a bit of a surprise to me (and the other forum members), but the point of the story really is that Costa Rica is not for everyone! We all have our different expectations of what it will be like for us and how life will be for us living in this new “paradise.”
When it comes down to it, no matter how perfect Costa Rica may be for you, there is most certainly culture shock to be experienced and a necessary acclamation period to go through. I consider myself to be a very seasoned traveler and have lived in other countries for short periods of time (such as 3 months in Romania), but it truly took me a year in Costa Rica before I started feeling pretty comfortable. And it took two years to feel like I was really comfortable and like it was “home.”
That is not to say I didn’t absolutely love it from the time my plane landed. It’s just that getting used to the way things are done here is a bit tough. Mostly, it’s cultural. We in the US are so spoiled! And I guess I judged Costa Rica as being backwards and messed up for a long time. Don’t get me wrong, there are certainly things they can improve upon.
But now I find myself really worrying what kinds of changes are to come once the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA….or TLC as it is in Spanish) is passed. As screwed up as things seem, I think I prefer them broken and slow to “Americanized!”
If you are new to Costa Rica, or panning a move here, I strongly suggest you be patient with Costa Rica – and most importantly yourselves – once you get here. Change can be good, but often takes time. Also, do yourself a favor and:
- Hook up with some folks who have been here for a while so you can learn the strings and have a bit of a support structure.
- Travel to many places in Costa Rica. Each part is very unique and you may just stumble upon a location you fall in love with.
- Rent! Please. Why would you buy something in an area that you are not 100% sure you will enjoy? Not only is it a risk, expensive and time-consuming, but you contribute to the rising housing costs.
Most importantly, remember what your intentions are in the move. I know many people who say they want “a slower pace of life.” They want to enjoy life more. So when you feel frustrated and impatient, remember to slow down and enjoy the process!