We at The Costa Rican Times want to give some of our writers stories of why they came to Costa Rica and their experiences in the land of “Pura Vida”.
Icebreaker questions- We are all familiar with them. Where are you from? What’s your favorite color? What’s your second favorite restaurant? The question I am asked the most often when meeting someone is “What made you come to Costa?”
Since I was a kid I have been interested in learning about other cultures. A number of years back I was invited to visit Costa Rica with a friend. His cousin took us all over, introducing us to her family and the beauty of Costa Rica’s diverse nature. The beaches and jungles were enchanting. Everyone I met was so hospitable. They offered that I could come back at any time if I needed a place to stay or a meal. I was so taken back by this, as it’s the opposite of what I was used to in NY. Since that first visit I knew I wanted to live here at some point!
I made one more visit to check out a Spanish language school for a week. The school made me think it would be easy to learn Spanish. They also offered complimentary classes of dance and cooking. They matched me with a host family for the week. I still see this family once per week and consider them my real family. In that week I learned to appreciate the laid back attitude, helpfulness, and overall culture that Costa Rican’s exhibit. Not to mention the great food!
With these two visits always on my mind, I frequently wondered if it would really be possible to move to this country I was falling in love with. After some time it came together. Everything I was involved with in NY ended at the same time and I thought “It’s now or never!”
I decided to try it and anticipated it would be for at least a year. I spend time with positive and happy people, no one seems to be stressed here. I’m within a few hours of the most beautiful beaches, parks, volcanoes, and a million hidden places like natural hot springs. I am now starting my third year and I have never been happier!
By Kerry La
