The Start of an Adventure

I’m in Costa Rica on my “personal sabbatical from Kansas City”.  It’s day 3.  So far all has worked out.  This is definitely an adventure.  Here are some stories…

Travel Day – I left KC Sunday with a backpack and duffle bag.  Started with a 4:30am Uber.  My driver William shared some life lessons, including the need to make yourself happy instead of relying on others.  The KC airport was easy to navigate, and my 6:15am United flight was full.  It was a smaller plane.  This is the first time I had flown non-SWA in a long time.  2hr flight to Houston.  1hr layover.  4hr flight to Liberia (about 2/3’s full with good in-flight entertainment options).  It was a typical central American airport.  Small.  Easy to navigate.  My prep work paid off and I made it through customs without a hitch.  My “host family” picked me up.  I got a sense of the “big town” of Liberia (more like Clinton, MO or any other small Midwest town).  They took me to the supermarket to buy groceries, and I was in the home by 4:30pm.

Supermarket – This was an interesting experience.  There are no big box stores here.  It was in a strip mall, but once inside, it looked a lot like a mid-sized US grocery store.  It took me about an hour to shop and orient myself.  I had to figure out the layout.  See the various product options.  And learn how to price compare in colones (the local currency).  It is about 600 colones to 1 US dollar.  I avoided buying processed foods and instead bought fruits, vegetables, meat, and rice.  I tried to buy enough for two weeks because I didn’t know if I could get back again easily.  It was $200, which in hindsight was too much food and more than I needed to spend.  Lesson learned.

Host Family – That’s what I’m calling them because they seem to be taking me in as one of their own.  The house I rented for two weeks is one of eight in this “gated” compound.  Each is about the same size and circles around a dirt courtyard.  I’m guessing family members occupy some homes and others are rented.  Marco rented me the place on Airbnb, but doesn’t live here.  His uncle Alfonso has been my handler and lives next to me with his wife.  I haven’t met anyone else in the other homes yet.  I kind of like this vibe.

Home – It is a very simple two-bedroom, one-bath home.  Very rustic and a lot like “glamping”.  The first level is one main area with a small kitchen, table, and chairs.  The kitchen has a small fridge, a two-burner stove, rice cooker, microwave, coffee maker, and sink.  No dishwasher or garbage disposal or ice maker.  I’ve been cooking one meal a day in the kitchen.  I’ve been working each day from the table and chairs.  This first level is open air, which reminds me of my grandma’s front porch.  The bathroom is also on the first level.  Sink, toilet, and shower.  No hot water.  Upstairs are two identical bedrooms.  They are enclosed and have A/C, but I haven’t used it.  Each has a double bed and a twin bed.  There also is a “washer/dryer” in a common shed.  It is nothing like what we have in the US.  Here is the Airbnb listing.  I paid $290 for two weeks.

Coco – This is a small beach town, but I think it is one of the largest in this northern pacific area of Costa Rica.  It seems to have a lot of options for tourists.  It is nestled into a “valley” with small hills on either side.  My host family took me up to the hilltop one evening for sunset and it gave me a perspective of the town.  I’ve walked the beach, which is quite long but not up to FL standards.  It is nestled into a small bay.  I’ve walked the town center, and there are lots of restaurants.  All roads are two lanes and fairly basic with minimal sidewalks or gutters.  My home is on the southern edge of town.  There are homes and shops intertwined, and I think several of the shops are the “front” of a family’s home.  I cannot tell how “safe” it is here.  It seems safe, but my host family is a little protective of me going out after dark.  I haven’t had a chance to explore as much as I would like.

Work – This was one of my biggest concerns…would the Internet support my need to work remotely.  So far so good.  I have about 25mb up/down speeds and it seems to be reliable for zoom calls.  I’ve been able to settle into a basic 8-5 routine.  There is tons of background noises here (cars, scooters, birds, roosters, dogs, people), so my Krisp subscription has been invaluable for noise cancellation.  If you are on a lot of zoom meetings, this is a must-have and it is awesome!!! 

Weather – This is the rain forest.  It is humid.  It is warm.  There are lots of bugs.  It is living in nature.  Each night it drops to about 70, which is comfortable for me to sleep.  By 9am, you feel the heat and by mid-afternoon, it is close to 90.  I’ve been in the shade so far and am comfortable.  I’m excited to get to the beach and feel the heat of the sun.  The ocean water felt comfortable on my legs and I’m excited to swim in it.  Overall, my body loves this weather.  No rain yet, and I’m curious what a rain shower looks like.

COVID – They expect you to wear masks in the stores here, but so far that is all I’m noticing.  It reminds me of this summer at the lake.  Since it is an outside lifestyle, there is way less concern about COVID than in Kansas City.  I’m not worried personally because I’ve already had it.

Phone & Money & Car – I have an international phone plan, but so far my phone isn’t really working on the data service.  I’m not sure if it is my phone or the network in this town.  I’ll likely buy a pre-paid SIM card this week and not worry about my T-Mobile plan.  I’m told SIM cards are extremely cheap here.  In terms of money, it seems stores and restaurants take credit cards.  I have cash but haven’t needed it yet.  I don’t have a car and don’t expect to need one.  Everything I need here seems walkable.

Friends – I have a few friends in KC that I’m staying connected with via Zoom.  And I hope to make a few friends here in CR…either foreigners like me or locals.  I am concerned about being isolated, but I think this will work itself out.  In a way, it feels more inviting here than in KC because of COVID.  Everything in the US is so locked down.  Here it feels more open.

Cost – So far I've spent $1,213 for a minimum two-week getaway.  That includes...one-way airline ticket $213.  KC Uber $43.  Costa Rican Travel Insurance to get into the country for COVID $33.  Bus ticket to Nicaragua in case they wanted proof of exit $27.  US Travel Insurance for medical $370.  Airbnb $290. Groceries $200. Gas for host family Range Rover $40.

I don’t know what’s next.  I came down here for two weeks to see what it is like.  I’m hopeful I stay through the winter, and right now I think that is likely.  The next decision I have is whether to make an offer on a multi-month rental for this home or be nomadic and jump between Airbnbs and towns.  Right now, I’m liking the idea of making this my home base through February and then taking a few weekly excursions to explore the country.