The driving force of your expatriation in Costa Rica

For me it is a genetic thing because I was born in Costa Rica,that is the only reason I'm here.....I don't think I'd be paying to get into any country,like foreigners do for this place.Perspective residents,have been salivating over the new reduced incentives for residency in Costa Rica,for awhile now,including status for the digital nomad,I wanted to give a heads up !.Even though these incentives have been declared passed,they are not being processed and are just mere suggestions,like many things in Costa Rica.So, before you start handing money over to attorneys to process this for you,find out if others have been actually been able to do it......

Dear edwinemora,

please remember you are on a website for expatriates, who are doing their best to help each other, and not on a website for locals who are complaining about their home country.

Your posts are negative and not that much helping those who are willing to move to Costa Rica.

My reason for leaving the USA was political - when Obama got re-elected.  I looked up just about yin the world to figure out where to go.  I took into account the basics.  Those basics were cost of living, quality of life, good doctors, stable government and weather year round plus of course, taxation and the government not micromanaging your life.  I also had to consider my family who stayed in the states and how easily they could come visit.  I picked Costa Rica and have never regretted my choice.  There are a lot of negatives here, but the positives outweigh the negatives.  As a senior, I am happy with my doctors (they actually listen to you and spend time with you - no bum's rush out to get to the next patient) and my native neighbors.  I can live on my social security alone for the most part, only going into my other income for traveling.  I am happy here and it's not a big rat race.  It's quite peaceful, but then again, I live in a rain forest, not a city.  The biggest negative for me is the lack of good shopping - and that's not so bad.  I have a son who visits twice a year and brings me a care package of everything I order thru the mail and my mail and any other shopping of things I cannot get here.  Oh yeah, one more problem - their mail system.  It really sucks so I don't get anything delivered here.  Still, I enjoy my life here and my Spanish, while really bad, seems to get a little better each month.  I have been here 8 1/2 years.

Julien......Don't confuse the doses of reality I give,for complaining,it is blunt information...If any negative information is given,it is understood that it violates the imagination of someone who casually declares they're moving to Costa Rica,that has never been here.Never be offended by incontrovertible truths.By the way,I'm not a local,I am a Costarricense..

To help means to highlight both negative and positive sides, not just to paint a rosy picture of something which is not.
Many people run away from here, from horrible bureaucracy, extortion, insane cost of living, crooks calling themselves solicitors, other crooks waiting for gullible. The nature is beautiful here and many ticos (especially in the countryside) and nice. They aren't your friends though but they are nice and helpful. You can live here if you can swallow all shortcomings but definitely this is far from paradise. Stay here for at least 6 months to get a feel of it. If you can't communicate in Spanish your life will be difficult. However people adjust to everything. Remember, corruption is omnipresent.

Thank you, Edwin, for telling the truth. It is helpful.

[Post under review]

I agree that there are many things that are not perfect in Costa Rica and I have often posted some of them, but I must disagree with Henrych comment regarding "They aren't your friends though...  Henry, when you have lived in CR for a longer time, you will recognize that some, could indeed be a 'true friend' and not just someone who you go to, when you need help with translations, etc..

Maybe. For now this is my 6 month experience. I do prefer the countryside where things are much healthier but the bureaucracy is suffocating.

Llholly.......You're not leaving anything behind,by coming here to Costa Rica.Obviously,you don't keep up with current actual events of the Republic.The carnage on our highways has taken quite a few North Americans away also,last month and they were just here for tourism.

edwinemora wrote:

The carnage on our highways has taken quite a few North Americans away also,last month and they were just here for tourism.

Carnage? What carnage?Like machine gun fire?

Being a tourist for so many years we've always had a privileged view of the country. Then watching the evening news in San Jose we saw a different perspective. Lots more gun violence. But, like any big city I suspect this is no different than downtown LA or New York.

surfdog12....Good comparison,to your machine-gun-fire statement ....Carnage is carnage,wherever it may be !

edwinemora wrote:

The carnage on our highways has taken quite a few North Americans away also,last month and they were just here for tourism.

This is very sad but I don't see any relationship between the initial post and yours  = you are completely off topic

This topic is aimed to be positive, but once again you're turning a positive thread into something negative.

Julien wrote:

This is very sad but I don't see any relationship between the initial post and yours  = you are completely off topic

This topic is aimed to be positive, but once again you're turning a positive thread into something negative.

Hi Julien,
While being a moderator with vested interest in a warm cuddly environment portrayed to those that may be seeking to become Expats, the realities of this should outweigh the warm and fuzzy marketing aspects.

Know the full perspective on a location is far and away more benefit than making a life changing decision and THEN finding out details that could have prevented or allowed you to make other choices.

I know Costa Rica is different from a tourist perspective then as a resident. It does not deter my plans to become a part time resident (Vacation Home owner) but knowing all aspects allows better planning and assures a happier final outcome.

Granted if on-topic off-topic is the issue, we could start a Pros and Cons thread. Would this be a better way to address the larger perspective?

surfdog12 wrote:

Hi Julien,
While being a moderator with vested interest in a warm cuddly environment portrayed to those that may be seeking to become Expats, the realities of this should outweigh the warm and fuzzy marketing aspects.

Reality is fine, and the political situation in the United States might very well be an influence on your choices, but the thread is turning into a political bunfight that serves nobody's interests.
At the end of the day, all such arguments do is create discord and distract from the whole point of a mutual help forum.

I have to agree with Julien on this matter. The guy has put a lot into creating a space to help expats all over the world, but silly politics could so easily make all that hard work a waste of time.

Fred wrote:

surfdog12 wrote:

Hi Julien,
While being a moderator with vested interest in a warm cuddly environment portrayed to those that may be seeking to become Expats, the realities of this should outweigh the warm and fuzzy marketing aspects.

Reality is fine, and the political situation in the United States might very well be an influence on your choices, ...

I have to agree with Julien on this matter. The guy has put a lot into creating a space to help expats all over the world, but silly politics could so easily make all that hard work a waste of time.

I would agree on not bringing politics into things.
But, I have learned so much that is relative to being an ExPat and how there is a dramatic difference between a tourists experience and someone that has jumped in , full expat.

The perspective of the hardships and realities should not be glossed over and the truly is a disservice to the community.

surfdog12 wrote:

.................
The perspective of the hardships and realities should not be glossed over and the truly is a disservice to the community.

Perhaps you would like to start a thread about the negative side of being an expat. This one is about why you wanted to move.
Home country politics might very well be a reason, it was for me, but I don't bother taking sides because complaining on a forum does absolutely no good, however, it does harm the raison d'etre of the forum.

Fred wrote:

Perhaps you would like to start a thread about the negative side of being an expat. This one is about why you wanted to move.

Fair enough. I do try to help out others on other forums that were missing the unfortunate negatives, much like myself.

It's odd how I've personally learned so much negative realistic perspective to Costa Rica, but it's still my goal to buy or build a vacation home, and deal with the negative stuff.

I think if you weigh the negatives of being an expat next to the negatives of one's home country you'll find the negative reasons for one's wanting to leave, outweigh the prospective negatives one may encounter in a foreign country. It all depends on your frame of reference. To me, my area in Costa Rica is far safer than my neighborhood in Los Angeles where the odds are 1 in 18 will be a victim of violent crime. My neighborhood, despite the fact that a 2 bedroom house will cost you over a million dollars, is still ridden with gang activity, shootings nearly every day, theft all the time and a large homeless population who mostly don't cause trouble but leave a lot of trash in their wake. It's all relative.

Llholly wrote:

To me, my area in Costa Rica is far safer than my neighborhood in Los Angeles where the odds are 1 in 18 will be a victim of violent crime. .... It's all relative.

Our area in So Cal is definitely safer than Costa Rica.

Reasons for wanting to have a home abroad, in Costa Rica, is:
      Warmer weather when it's cold here (<70  degrees).
      Greater resources for artistic endeavors (Painting).
      Warm water for surfing.
      Solitude and a slower relaxed integration with nature.
      Health (blue zones) based on diet and pace of life.

Reasons to appreciate home (not abroad):
      Stuff (too long a list to post), convenience, low prices, not worrying people will take your stuff if left unattended.

Having property in Costa Rica is a complicated equation. Security is a large component that I believe will determine success. Also realistically understanding the bureaucracies, limitations on resources, language, and different mind-set required to appreciate a different country than your home.

What resources re: painting are you referring to? The landscapes and nature or cost and availability of supplies? I wasn't sure how much art supplies would cost there so I'm bringing my paints, sketchbooks, etc...with me. There's an art supply store in San Jose but that's like a 4-5 hour trip from where I stay and I imagine the prices are quite high....

Llholly wrote:

What resources re: painting are you referring to? The landscapes and nature or cost and availability of supplies?

Yes, the landscapes, flora and fauna. I can bring my own (Acrylics) though I am moving to mixing acrylics with oils and it will be interesting to see how the higher temps and humidity of the coast effect the mediums.

The driving force of moving to Costa Rica was that I loved the nature and the people and I could afford to build a home on an ocean view lot in the mountains which I could never have done in the USA.
However for reasons the moderator apparently doesn't want me to give here, I moved back to the USA after 6 years because I didn't like living in Costa Rica.

Sad to hear. Come back to trump world it really sucks here.

Laura Spiers wrote:

Sad to hear. Come back to trump world it really sucks here.

If there's any justice in this world, Trump World will soon be prison. And hopefully it includes many of his supporters that would rather support a Russian invasion of a sovereign state than admit they were misled by a grifter.

Now we're hearing trumpsters saying the conflict in the Ukraine is just a diversion to take away from the 50 or so Truckers whining about having to wear a bit of cloth on their faces to prevent the spread of Covid. Luckily they are a dwindling minority.

@edwinemora eddy, the mod clearly stated: "What was the main factor that led you to choose Costa Rica as your new home? "

Why did you feel the need to answer that which you immediately made clear was not a question — let alone discussion — you needed to include yerself?

You make it obvious you are a troll and that you offer NOTHING to any discussion despite attempting to pretend you have something to offer.

You are like the strangler fig trees in San Jose.

metrohopper...Why do you as a tourist,are trying to censor the people you are visiting ? As someone as yourself who has no roots,history and doesn't speak the language of the Republic,this is very futile for you.Thank God,Costa Rica has freedom of speech ! It is the Holiest of all weeks in Costa Rica and as you don't know our language nor neither our customs, you spew your yankee imperialism.

- @edwinemora

@metrohopper your ad hominem is repulsive. It really kills the desire to take part in this forum. Try to refrain from personal attacks, it shows that you aren't able to discuss.

@Julien

I disagree, sir. I am looking at CR as a place to retire in about 10 yrs and I would love to hear BOTH the positive AND the negative. I am a realist and I appreciate the reality of things versus looking at things through rose-colored glasses. Let him continue.