First Day of School, 2nd Year in Cost Rica

Well, I guess it is now official....we loved our year in Costa Rica so much that we are turning it into a two year adventure!  With the exception of our oldest, this new life suits all of us just perfectly and we are beginning to hear requests to either stay here permanently or to at least continue to travel.  Dominic, our oldest, still desires to return to his high school in the states for his senior year next year and we have assured him that he can.  Secretly, I hope this year turns out even better for him as he should be now settled in and into the Pura Vida routine and that maybe he will desire to finish out here...but, we will see.  With the newly acquired International Bachelorette (IB) designation at the school, it is kinda hard to pass up an IB International World School Diploma for a regular old California State Diploma (cause we all know what that means).  But, it will be up to him and time will tell.

 

Our wonderful neighbors, the Gammons, are moving back to Florida (sob!) in a few days and started a home school on-line program a few weeks ago and a few of our kids have been very interested in the concept of this (I personally think they just like the idea of doing school in their PJ's and not having to wear a uniform!).  Dominic and Zack will get to try this out soon as they will both take World History on-line to keep up with the requirements of the high school back in the states.  History/Social Studies here at La Paz is taught in Spanish and is place-based and mostly about Costa Rica and the Latin American countries.   Cool in itself, but not cool enough to qualify as World History per the state of California. 

 

In the car this morning on the way to the first day back, we all talked about how different this year feels compared to this time last year.  Last year, we were new, still figuring it all out and had only met a handful of friends in the weeks before school started.  We were all new, in a new land, and attending a new school....this year, Dominic's class (11th) is the highest grade at the high school and thus the upper classmen of the colegio (what they call high school here), and Marissa's class (5th) is the highest grade at her campus and both are excited to be leaders and the oldest.  William is excited to be in a 2nd-3rd grade blended class (especially cause it is with Ms. Kelly...the wife of Marissa's teacher last year....we have all been saying that we are going form one Dodge to the next and so excited to still be in the magic of the Dodge family teaching circle).  Zack's class lost several of his favorite friends this past year, so he is excited to meet the new students and get back to playing some soccer (along with acquiring some advancement in some video game he wants to conquer this year).

 

I find myself personally slipping seamlessly back into my volunteer ways as I will be co-coordinating the new La Paz Community Council (a hybrid of the American version of the PTA) after helping to form the group last year.  After preparing a much needed Welcome Packet for the new families, it gave me the honor to get to know many new families even before they arrived and helped them with a few questions, logistics, and details of moving a whole family to a new country.  It has helped my own second year feel like home, familiar and welcoming.  And of course, I will keep up with my yoga classes (with the exciting addition of an aerial yoga class in Tamarindo!), tennis lessons, and I hope I can keep up with "Mary's boot camp" class (as we call our little work out down at the bridge) even after she leaves for Florida.

 

Kurt just headed back to the states early yesterday morning after United has cut their flights into Liberia to one flight in on Saturdays and one flight out on Sundays per week....yep...just two flight a week to choose from...such a bummer.  But, he was here for our little vacation last week and now he is back working hard on the launch of his new business, Dedicated Capital.  I just love the title, cause out of all the people I know, Kurt is by far the most DEDICATED husband, father and provided I have ever met.  Go Kurt Go!

 

So, I can't pass up an opportunity to show a picture of the kids from last year and this year....who do you think has grown/changed the most?  Just love their adventurous spirit (not to mention their newly acquired Spanish speaking skills.....they are now my translators!).  Go kids go!

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!

Moving to Bajos del Toro for Christmas Break

It was actually quite amazing how our 2 suitcases each became so much more in just 4 months.  I had not realized how many things we had acquired (dishes, art supplies, school work, beach supplies, etc.) and so we had our good friend from the property management company, Marcos and his dad and uncle help us move.  We had the 4 kids, myself and my parents in our car and all our suitcases, food and stuff in the back of their truck.  We looked like the Beverly Hillbillies! 

It had been estimated from the owner of the new house we were moving to that it would take us 4-5 hours with stops.   Well, it ended up taking 8 hours and it was after 9pm at night when we arrived after stopping and asking for directions about a dozen times.  Remote locations can be a challenge in Costa Rica to find as there are not any street signs, highway markers, etc.  Asking locals is the best way to find things, or if you are lucky, you will see signs to attractions.  In our case, there was a lodge close by, so we were kinda able to follow their signs once we got in the general vicinity.

The Beverly Hillbilly's Moving Truck!

 

Lunch stop...and a photo of the kids at the same restaurant in Canas 3 years ago

on the road to Arenal Volcano....wow how time flies!

When we arrived we were disappointed to find the house very cold, damp and not freshly cleaned.  While it was beautiful, we were obviously the first visitors in a while.  We kinda unloaded and went to bed as we were all exhausted.  We felt like we were camping in a very beautiful tent as even the sheets were damp.  But, by morning, with the humidifier and heater now on, the house began to dry out and my mom and I set to wiping everything down and washing the towels, dishes, etc.  And the view was just to die for along with the amazing architecture of the house itself.

The amazing view we woke up to (that's Poas Volcano in the background)

View of the house coming down the road... 

The hot tub!

 

The Living/Dining Room...

The Kitchen...

Looking upstairs to the 2nd floor and 3rd floor loft....

View of the backyard and valley....That's Poas Volcano behind the clouds

 

 

We look forward to the upcoming month of exploring the area and the cooler weather of the valley.  The cooler weather makes it feel much more "wintry" and "Christmas-like."  And since it is almost Christmas...we also put up a tree and since they don't grow here in Costa Rica, we put up a fake tree like everyone else along with our decorations Kurt brought down from home in two tubs last month.  It was fun unpacking these Christmas treasures and it made it feel like our regular tree from home....just transplanted a little farther south.  It was also fun unpacking and getting ready for Christmas with Grammy and Grampy...another bit of home.

 

Grammy (my mom) and Marissa putting up the tree...

Decorations almost done....

 

Fireplace for Santa!

6 Nutcrackers from our collections at home...can you see which ones

represent which family member?

Ta da!  All ready for Christmas and Santa now...