I moved!

Woo hoo I've moved! As much as I loved my old house, the road got too dangerous to drive and my car was in constant need of repair. My friend Charlie helped me out one day by giving me a ride home from the mechanic and was shocked at the condition of the road. He's Tico and told me it took him 3 tries to get up the hill so it's no place for a gringa to live! So he talked to the owner of a house near him and got me my new place! I now live in Miravalles and am love, love, loving it! Here's some pics:

The view! 

This one is more of a farmhouse. 

I have tons of roses! 

Sunsets to die for! 

My homey kitchen. 

Diego and Dora love it here too. 

A panoramic shot. 

I have a vivero here where I can grow veggies, so far I had a bumper crop of caterpillars. There are cows on all sides of me, so the dogs are learning to herd. Diego is half corgi so it's in his blood, Dora is just a copycat. She looks so little next to them! 

I also took a bad spill in Uvita in November and broke my wrist. I got a hot pink cast put on, but it wasn't healing right so the put a bar on to hold the bones in place. Looks like I will have it for 4 months. It a bother, but it has started to heal so it's worth it. 

I am still telecommuting to the states,  Yay! So life is good. I am really happy here. In April it will be 4 years, time flies huh? My Spanish has gotten so much better, I can almost understand everything now. I even help translate for my friends. I find I go back to the states less and less and for shorter visits. This is home now. I miss it when I'm gone. 

A huge thank you to an anonymous commenter and all the other people who cared and wished me well

Sometimes small acts of kindness have huge effects on the lives of others. Long ago and far away, ok maybe right here, I posted of my breakup and confusion. I was lost and didn't know what to do. I was torn between the comfort of the "known" and the fear of the unknown. I was depressed and luckily therefore not inclined to take action. I received so many emails from the people who read my blog telling me to hang in there. I talked the ears off of anyone that would listen to me. The turning point for me was an anonymous comment sent to me by someone who had a similar experience and advised me to stay here for a while and see if I really wanted to run home or if Costa Rica could be my home. Thank you ALL!!

I took the advice an renewed the lease on my house. That was in July of 2011. It was the best advice I could have received. I recently went through another rough spot in my life and lost someone very important to me. I am amazed at how much I have grown in the past 2 years. I had no doubts this time. I CAN do it on my own. I now have a really strong support system here. The loss of one friend does not leave me stranded. I accepted help more readily and have bounced even stonger. I am doing things I NEVER imagined I could. As I posted a few posts ago I DROVE to the airport. In San Jose, through the circles. I even remembered to breathe (thanks to my dear friend who suffered through my practice run). When I was moving here I read a ton of articles about the people here. They are wonderful caring people in general, but the thing I remember is one article saying that all bets are off once they get behind the wheel. It is a crazy drive here. Motorcycles pass on the right, regardless of whether you have your blinker on. They also seem to think the space between the double yellow lines on the road is a motorcycle lane. The drive to San Jose has a 2 hour pass through the mountail that is one big curve back and forth. If you are behind a slow vehicle you can count on a 5 hour trip or hold your breath and pass. The circles have like 4 lanes in the city and people exit from them all. This was a HUGE accomplishment for me. When I bought the Geo I remember saying I would never drive here. Now I drive like a Tico so watch out!!!!

Speaking of my little Geo. I sold it. By myself. Well with a little help from the Chayote Vine. I did the entire transaction, lawyer and all - sola! I even translated for the guy who bought it because his spanish was a little lacking. I bought a new car several months ago. (ok I had help on that one). I spluged and got a BMW woo hoo.

 

Turns out it is not the best choice for where I live so now I am looking to trade it for more of a workhorse. My road is too steep and rocky for this primadonna. It's a fun ride though and will be sorry to see her go.

 

Anyway - surprise I am off subject and rambling - I am doing GREAT! I am a totally different person than the fraidy cat that came here. Some of the changes I am not thrilled about. I am learning not to trust so much, there are a wealth of people looking to take advantage of you here. BUT there are more really great people who I am lucky to have had in my life. I feel like I can do anything I want to now, and I have learned that I don't need to depend on one person or worse face it alone. Moving to Costa Rica has been one of the biggest and best things I have ever done. Sticking it out has made me a better person.

 

Thanks to all of you who have supported me along the way. I look forward to my future accomplishments and adventures and hope to share them with you. 



Life as I know it

So at least I am improving from posting once a year! Where am I? Still in Costa Rica. Do I love it? Mostly. Am I staying? I think so. Funny how it goes, I have never been able to say yes to that question. I think I will always love the USA and to think of comitting to permanently living in another country scares the bejeesus out of me. So here I live without commiting. What I have found though is that my life is here in Costa Rica. I go back to the US to visit my friends and family, mostly my dad, but every time I need to make the reservations I procrastinate. I finally figured out that I don't like being there. Why? Well, I miss my home here. I have a wonderful life now. I have my 2 adorable dogs, Diego and Dora:

The annoying cat Chispa:

And my little sweety bird:

I have a ton of good friends, I travel all over Costa Rica and see incredible things that I never could have imagined like Beautiful beaches:

 

 

The wildlife: 

And of course with no travel at all I have my balcony views:

 

 

 

 

 

 So now when I go back - notice I don't say home anymore -  I go for a few days. I was finding after 4 days on my dad's couch I was ready to come back to Costa Rica. Rather than stressing out I now leave after the 4th day.

Is it perfect here? nope. Am I still adjusting? yup. Am I staying? Jury's out...



Back I hope!

Hi again! I got a brand new smartphone so now I can blog on the go!  Hopefully this means no more year passing between posts! Yes, I am still living in Costa Rica and still loving it!

I have done a ton of personal growth since I wrote last. I just drove to San Jose and then to Puerto Viejo and back with some friends visiting from the states.  Here are some pics of the trip:

 

We also went to dominicalito with Dora and Diego. They are real beach dogs now!

I'm famous!

lol well it's my 2 seconds of fame anyway. The other night I went out to my favorite place here in San Isidro, La Cascada. I have been going out listening to some great local talent lately. Anyway when we got there instead of the band they were showing a movie. The movie was filmed in the central park and was about a girl who was trying to get a guy, confusing for me, but still kind of cool to see the park on the big screen. As it goes on there are 2 guys on a bench playing guitar and singing. I realized I was there that day! I had seen them playing and my friend and I sat and watched them. I was explaining this as the shot widened and there I was!! lol I have never been in a movie before! A few people shouted out - hey Mary Lynn isn't that you?? I only had to sign a few autographs - the fans are relentless. hee hee so it took coming here to get me on the big screen. Now I have to find out the name of the movie :).

What a fantabulous weekend!!!

I had a great weekend! I met a new friend from Canada and we hit the Expo which is like a big county fair that they have here every year. They have tons of crap and good stuff for sale, shows, music, bars, a tope (horse parade), fireworks, and FOOD!! It's a blast and it lasts 2 weeks. Here's some pics:

I'm back and better!!

Wow I was showing someone where I live today and realized I hadn't posted since June! So I logged in and found that people had sent me messages. Sorry!! I haven't been checking the blog or anything. So I am better thanks for asking, actually better than better. I have been really busy creating a new life here. I am still not 100% sure I am going to stay but I would say I am 90% sure. I have made a ton of new friends both American and Costa Rican and I am happy. I have been dating woo hoo and it has been going ok. It's still hard to figure out the cultural differences, but it makes it interesting too.

I celebrated Halloween here. I finally lost enough weight to be able to buy a costume off the rack. Too cool because this is the first time in my life I have ever been able to do it!! There is no trick or treating because in reality Halloween isn't celebrated, but there were parties and the bars had contests so it was fun.



I also went to Panama to renew my visa. I went with a friend and it was an interesting experience. I went to Pasa Canoas and it was pretty easy to get my passport stamped. The trip takes a bit, like 3 hours, but we hit a pothole and got a flat and when he tried to change the tire the lug wrench broke. Of course all of this happened in a torrential downpour so we both got soaked and had to wait wet and cold til the rain stopped and we could flag someone down to borrow a lug wrench. We survived and I did my first successful border run. Kind of cool I feel like an expat now.

I have also found a few fun things to do during the week. Thursdays are my feria day. I love going and talking with all the people there. Afterwards I usually go out for a bite at a place in centro where they often have live music. It's a lot of fun and I meet new people. I haven't been doing very much site seeing as there isn't a lot of people to do it with. I have gone to Manuel Antonio a few times which I love and I am heading to Dominical today for a bit.

So all in all I have survived. I lost 90 pounds since I have been here - wooo hooo! I am adapting and I, for the most part, am loving my life again. This time I am not depending on someone else and so I am sure I will continue to be better and better.

Again thanks for the support! Hopefully I write more often now :)

I'm OK

Sorry I haven't been posting. This turn of events in my life has hit me very hard but I am getting myself together. I wanted to take a quick minute to thank everyone that has reached out publically and privately, your support is much appreciated! I formed a sociedad and now have my phone and internet in my name. No one will ever have the control over my ability to work again. I can also get a bank account now for the company, but I just haven't gotten around to doing it. I found out my car needed to go for the annual inspection or RTV in June, I went, it failed, I have a mechanic that will fix what is wrong and help me through it next weekend. Things are moving along and falling into place. I have made a decision to stay here for a year and see how it goes. I am way too emotional to decide to move back to the states. Funny enough someone contacted me recently saying that they had a failed relationship here and had moved back and now many years later she is returning because she missed Costa Rica. I don't want to make an emotional decision that I may regret later. Since I am not an "alone" kind of gal, I haven't been travelling or doing the weekend activities I was doing before and have started to save some money. So I figure I will stay here and save, that way if I decide to move I will do it with a nest egg, if not I can always use the cash here to buy land or a house in the future. I still am happy that I am here, it's really beautiful, but I am missing my country, my culture, my friends, and my family.

That's it for now. I just wanted to say thanks and let everyone know I am still alive and kicking.

The bad and the ugly or can I make it alone in Costa Rica

Relationships everywhere fail. Mine did in Costa Rica. Mario and I are no longer together and I am coping, but barely. I don't want to go into details and circumstances, but I do want to share a bit of what I have learned:

1. You have rights as a foreigner in Costa Rica. He believed he would have more rights than me because he is Tico. He was wrong.
2. The police come quickly when called and can actually find your house even though you give them the wrong address. Understand here there is no 15 Maple Drive. We live 800 meters north of Trapiche Nayo, not 300 as I told them. We also don't live on the main road, but apparently people know where we live because they asked and they found us.
3. The police don't mess around and come up with clever solutions to difficult situations.
4. When you are down people come out of the woodwork to make sure you are OK and to help you. Without a cedula (or ID card) you can't get a phone here. Because of this my phone and internet was in Mario's name, since we are no longer together I needed to find another person to help me and FAST since I need them to work. I had at least 5 offers to assist me in getting the stuff I needed. I have offers and suggestions for a gardener to take care of the gardens and a maid if I think I need one. I have been getting tons of texts and emails from people I have met here asking what they can do to help me get through this. I never saw such an outpouring of affection and good wishes when thigs got screwed up in my life before.
5. Setting up an association allows you to get a phone, a bank account and health insurance (well this is what I am told, I am in the process and will see if  it is true)
6. Even the best laid plans can come crashing down at any moment, always have an alternate plan. I unfortunately did not, luckily I am devising one at the moment.

I plan to stay here even though my original dreams have been shattered. I am getting a LOT of pressure from family and friends in the states to move back there, but truthfully I really love it here, with or without Mario. I am going to have to learn to do things on my own, Mario had helped me with so much, but if he could do it so can I. I plan to come out of this stronger and independent, and I will make a life for myself.

Whirlwind tour!

We had our first visitor! I had gone home to the states and my bff Trisha decided to come back with me to visit! What fun!! We had a blast and she took some kick ass photos of all the stuff we did! This is me and Mario at the table at the top of the driveway. I have never quite figured out why they put this table here, well the view is incredible, but there is no way coffee would stay hot to get up here. I have been trying to get a little more exercise, well a little exercise(since more implies I was getting some), since I spend my days sitting at a desk, and so I walk up to the table and then down the steep road back to the back of the house. A few times around and I am worn out! as are Dora and Diego, so I guess it's doing us all a bit of good.

This wonderful spot is a hotel/restaurant near our house called Papa de Paramo (there should be an accent over the second a in papa so that it is the father of Paramo and not the potato of Paramo, but I forget how to do that). We came here the first time when some new friends invited us to a party when their brother came in to visit from Texas and we just LOVE it. It is so tranquil and the food is great! Trish and I spent the day here - just the gals -

and I looked up and saw this sloth in the tree. How cool! He hung out for a long while going up and down the tree. The waiters were worried about him when he went out to the teeeeeny branches way up top to eat. He finally came all the way down to pose for a picture.

We made the obligatory trip to Manuel Antonio to see the monkeys and other wildlife. Sadly, there were no monkeys to be seen. I have never been to Manuel Antonio and not seen a single monkey! Rotten luck - but we wound up renting beach chairs and a tent and sitting out on the beach. We drank some girlie drinks with flowers and umbrellas and Trish got a massage from a woman who gives them right there in the chairs. What a great relaxing day!

The day ended with this incredible sunset. We really couldn't asked for more - ok maybe monkeys - but what a nice day!

We also FINALLY made it up to Arenal. I had such hopes of seeing my first volcano spew lava. I was really worried, but for naught. Arenal apparently has been napping for 7 months. We saw a huge cone shaped mountain covered in fog. Trisha and Mario thought it was great, but I was a little let down. We stayed in a hotel with a great view of the volcano for $30 for the night and drank the BEST sangria in the restaurant next door. Boy is it expensive though. After a pitcher we really didn't mind. I had bought a thermal coffee pot when we got stuck in San Jose so we ordered a second pitcher to go!

The next day we splurged and went to Tabacon. It was expensive - but well worth it. What an escape from reality. Tabacon is a series of thermal springs, all piping through a natural setting. The gardens were unbelievable. The water was really HOT but you eventually got used to it. There are waterfalls everywhere which give a nice massage. We found a few falls that were cool water which was nice too. We had a few drinks at the bar, Mario managed to sit on the stools, but we stayed out of the water because it was too hot. We paid for the included lunch, but I would skip it in the future as we found the food mediocre.

 We found this really cool shop outside of La Fortuna. The sculptures were so beautiful. Trish couldn't resist cheesing it up a bit. I really enjoyed having her visit. Hope she comes back soon!