Frequently Asked Questions

On a regular basis I get asked a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's), so I thought that I would try to put together a few of them to help out anyone considering a move or considering Costa Rica or La Paz Community School.....

In an earlier post I answered the two most frequently asked questions..."Why did you move to Costa Rica?", or "How did you decide on Costa Rica?"  If you want to read these answers, go to this post......"Why Costa Rica?"

1.  We could never leave our family and friends behind, how did you do it?
We just went for it!  There will never be the perfect time or the perfect situation....so once you have the desire, just set the date and go.  Yes, it is a leap of faith, but one you will never regret.  You will only regret it if you do not do it.  And on that note....the only thing we regret is that we did not do it sooner.  Traveling with 2 teenagers was difficult at times, so we wish we would have come during middle school and not at the beginning of high school.  But, we really seriously will never regret doing this and will be glad we did it our whole lives.

2.  We could never leave our pets behind, what did you do?
We had only two pets when we were moving.....a guinea pig and a hamster.  We gave both to friends of the kids to "babysit" while we were gone.  Both passed that year as they were already a couple years old, but we all felt so glad they were with their new loving families.  Many people we know have brought their cats and dogs with them on the plane in crates, or left elderly pets with elderly family members or friends who needed or wanted a pet.  Then, we got a cat once we got here!

3.  How did you decide on the area you moved to?
This question was answered in an earlier post called "Why Costa Rica?" but the simple answer is that we wanted to be by the beach and we wanted to be in an area with less rain.  But, an even bigger influence was the school.  Once we found La Paz, we knew we had found our place.

4.  How did you decide and choose the school your kids attend?
We began looking on-line for schools in the Guanacaste region (dry zone!) and found very few schools that fit our needs....we wanted a bilingual school and not an American School (we felt we could do this in the states and that it defeated the whole purpose to give our kids and international experience by attending a school just like ours back home).  Once we found La Paz and watched the video about the school, we knew we had found the place for us.  Guanacaste...check.   Bilingual....check.  International...check.  Amazing....check.  See the video here if you are interested in this amazing school.....

5.  Did you consider homeschooling or other schools?
Not seriously.  I just know that I am not cut out for being an at home teacher/mom.  I am just not disciplined enough, frankly and with my husband, Kurt, going back and forth to the states and only here part time, I knew that I could not do this alone.  And also with our varied ages of our 4 kids, I knew that it would be super hard....so we did not consider this option.

6.  Did you brings things down via suitcases or via a container?
Because we were just moving here for a year (or so we thought!), we wanted to travel light and pair down.  We came with a carry-on suitcase each (filled with the heaviest stuff), a backpack each and everyone had something under their arm, like a guitar, soccer ball, basketball, teddy bear, etc.  We then each had two checked suitcases and two checked car seat bags that I used to again put the heaviest things in with the car seats cause these bags are free and they don't weigh them.  When we got to Costa Rica, I promptly gave the car seats to families in need with little kids.  We also checked a couple baseball bags (again, at that time, they were considered free sporting equipment bags), an ice chest filled with heavy stuff, and a couple boxes (bankers boxes) each cause at that time you could bring one free box each.  Those days of free bags are gone, so if we ever return, the trick will be to buy business or first class tickets for everyone and get the maximum free baggage allowance per person (usually 3-70 pound suitcases for first class) and leave the rest behind.

7.  What are the top three things you are glad you brought with you?
As we started packing, I began a list of the things we used in everyday life or started a pile with them.  I would say that I am really glad we brought down 1)  Office supplies and printer, 2)  Favorite medical supplies (like bubble gum Tylenol, which is not available here) and ankle and wrist wraps for sports injuries, 3)  Photos of families and friends (in frames, cause frames are hard to find here!) and 4) Holiday items.  Remember, most American holidays are not recognized here, so it was nice to have a few knickknacks and kitchen towels for holidays like Easter, Halloween, Valentines Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I actually brought down my favorite things from those holidays....place mats, table cloths, centerpieces, Easter baskets (cloth ones that fold up), plastic eggs, stockings and Christmas ornaments (non-breakable ones).  I wanted a bit of home in our new home and I am so glad to see the kids faces when I bring these items out each holiday as they not only represent home, they represent memories that we are glad to build upon.  Other items I am glad I brought are a beach bag, reusable bags, re-usable double insulated water bottles, Sharpie pens, scissors, my favorite kitchen knife, sporting equipment and gear, camping gear, flashlights, batteries, nightlights, bug repellent, sunscreen, favorite hair products.  Ok...that is way more than 3 items....but, I hope you get the idea....bring the things you can't live without.

8.  What 3 things do you wish you did not bring?
I think that everyone will tell you that they brought 1)  TOO MANY CLOTHES.  We had never had school uniforms, so I did not really quite understand that my kids would live in their uniforms, swimsuits, and PJ's the majority of the time.  2)  I brought slippers and tall leather boots which I have worn only when I have returned to the states.  3)  Books.  I brought a slew of books for the kids and some I am really glad I brought (the special ones for birthdays, etc.), but just like schools in the states, there is library day each week, so they bring books home from the library and from their classrooms.  Books here also disintegrate really fast due to the humidity. We have all switched to Kindles or the Kindle App on our computers for reading.  I know that I will end up donating most of these books when we leave and many of the reference books and books I brought for casual reading are just collecting dust on the shelves.

9.  Are weekend getaways possible?
Absolutely!  Because we have not filed for residency (yet), we leave every 90 days to keep our Tourist Visa and Drivers Licences current.  We have gone to nearby Nicaragua a half dozen times or more now (only 2 hours away) and have traveled to Florida and the East Coast multiple times.  Being a family from the West Coast, we have taken every opportunity we have had to travel to new places and the East Coast is not only easy to get to (2-4 hours), but also cheap (about $300 or so each r/t).  We have gone to Orlando (Disney World!), Sarasota, Tampa, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Washington DC, New York City, Boston, etc.  We even flew one time to Florida for a One Direction concert!  Yep, we did!

10.  What are your favorite places you have visited in Costa Rica?
Not in any particular order.....Arenal Volcano (love Los Lagos Resort), Monteverde Cloud Forest, Manuel Antonio National Park, Rincon de la Viejo National Park, San Jose (Capital City), Tortuguero, and Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean side.  La Carolina Lodge/Rio Celeste and my recent trips to spend the night in a cave and hike a volcano on Ometepe Island in Nicaragua with the Mom's Club have become my personal favorites.

Let me know if you have more questions!

Making New Friends

Everyone asks....have you made friends?  Are you lonely?  How do you meet new people?  Well, the answer is yes, sometimes, and easily!  We have met many friends thru our kids and the kid's school, so it has been easy in that we kinda have a built-in social vehicle.  But, we also find ourselves meeting and making friends with people everywhere we go.  Restaurant owners love to know their locals, so do rental places and shop owners.  We have gotten to know the regular faces at yoga class or at our favorite beaches.  Many sit and talk with us for hours at the beach and others just know our  names or faces when we come in, which is a very comforting feeling when making a new home in a new country.

Our 4 kids have had great success at meeting new friends right from the first day of school and mostly because there are so many new families each year at their school, La Paz, due to transient students (families visiting for just one year or so) or families moving from another school, town, or foreign country, and due to the fact that this school is growing by leaps and bounds.  Their school is approx. 40% local kids and 60% from 25 different countries, so there is always a fair amount of new kids, new families, and those figuring it all out just like us.  This creates a bond in itself and makes it easy cause so many of us are in the same boat (far from "home", family, and old friends).

Another thing that really helped us to settle in and not feel lonely is that we ported our old home phone number to Magic Jack.  Now we just plug in our Magic Jack and the phone is a free US phone.  Friends call us and we call them for a nominal fee (5 years was just $200).  No toll charges at all and it has allowed all of us to stay in close touch with old friends and family members, making the distance not feel so far and has allowed the kids to share their experiences with their friends back in the states.  The older boys do a fair amount of Skyping and video chatting on Facebook, too.  It has really been a great way to stay connected.

 

The kid's school is also rich in after school offerings.  Honestly, they each do something every single day and mostly cause it is so fun, right there at their school (no carpooling!), and great exercise.  They take gymnastics, ballet, jazz, baton twirling, soccer, basketball, homework club, spanish practice and even a knitting class.  Now, we moved out of the rat race to not get ourselves back into another rat race, so I have to say that these activities just basically extend their school day and not mine.  I just show up at 4 or 5:00 when the classes are over and there is no additional driving or work needed on my part for them to participate and many times the class is even free (with the most expensive being $30 for the month).  This is a key feature and something that more schools should master.  Nothing builds friendships and community more than haning out after school together...kinda like a very long recess.

 

The other surprising feature from this area where we chose to live, is that there are tons and tons of families just like us.  Families and retirees who have all moved here from somewhere else and who we all share the common bond of leaning to navigate our lives in this new Pura Vida beach community.  Who would have thought?  My favorite questions are...where are you originally from, how long have you been here, and how did you decide to move here?  The answer, 9 out of 10 times is that it all started with a vacation visit (like us!).  Sharing of info is a very common topic that starts a quick bond and exchange of phone numbers.  Nothing beats sharing rides to far away shopping areas for establishing new friendships, also.

Without the Internet and Magic Jack, it would have been much harder to stay in touch, but because of these amazing technologies we have been free to make new friends and keep the old.  Cause we all know that one is silver and the other is gold.

Miss ya and adore ya old friends....and love ya new friends!

Time to Be

It is no secret that we are contemplating staying here in Costa Rica longer than our "one year plan."  We have settled into a new family vibe that is suiting us all very well and we have had many pleasant unexpected surprises given to us along the way that are making us just not wanting it to end.

For one, we are living with less (and we like it).  

There are times when we say that we wish we had this or that, but not having this or that has not brought us any unhappiness....and so we just wish and move on.  It amazing how much time we spent in the states organizing our stuff.   Cleaning the garage, sorting the clothes the kids out-grew, clearing out toy bins, etc.  I know you all know what I mean.  Here, we have very little, so we get to spend our time on the important things....like us.

We also do MORE.  

We have less homework, less sports commitments, less of everything in general that is pulling at our schedule.  With 4 kids, we had double the activities of a regular family with only 2 kids, and with both girls and boys, and a very wide age gap (10 year difference between oldest and youngest), we also had a wider berth of activities and demands that were, frankly, sucking us dry back in the states and we just did not even know it cause it was the norm of everyone around us.

What we have here is more than a Pura Vida lifestyle, 

it is a true family centered lifestyle.  

One that we had been dreaming of and working on back in the states, but it constantly got sabotaged with our massive schedule.  We not only have free time to do activities as a family, we also have free time to just BE.  One of my favorite things is that we, on a regular basis, wake up on a Saturday morning and say, "what do you want to do today?"  How lovely is that?  And how sad is it that our life in the states had taken away this fundamental feeling of freedom.

Time to BE is key.

So, if you are contemplating a move abroad, contemplate what you are looking for in this relocation and change.  Because I can guarantee that you will get what you are looking for and more cause there will be so many things you just did not imagine or think possible.

And it will be wonderful.