A little more than five years after moving from Maine to Costa Rica, the author, her husband, her 87-year-old mother, two dogs, and one cat moved back to the U.S. Like so many retirees, they'd expected to live out their days in Costa Rica and genuinely considered themselves happy there. They were fully engaged in their community with both Ticos and Gringos, they'd learned enough Spanish to get by, they hadn't had any awful experiences of being scammed or ripped off, and yet they still returned to their home country.
Why? What happened? And more to the point, did they learn things that can help you as you investigate whether a move to Costa Rica might be the right decision for you!
Reading one of Arden's books is like having a cup of coffee with a good friend while she shares both the joys and the challenges of living abroad. In her previous book (Unraveling the Mysteries of Moving to Costa Rica) she had shared their own personal story as well as provided lots of logistical advice about making the move. In this latest book she speaks openly about their experiences (and those of many of their friends) in hopes of providing a "reality check" to offset the relentlessly rosy views (or occasional skewed and bitter views) that one tends to find in books and websites about moving to and living in Costa Rica.
In the author's own words, "My goal is absolutely NOT to talk anyone out of making the move. We are so glad we did it and have actually come to believe that everyone should live outside the U.S. for awhile if at all possible. What I DO hope to do is provide some more realistic insights and help people come up with better questions for themselves to help them [a] decide whether or not to move and [b] recognize that even if they move there and love it, they may still end up coming back at some point. Just knowing that's even a possibility can help lead people to make better decisions!"
REALITY CHECK has three parts -- Part One giving more insight into the author's own story and experiences and taking a broad look at the issues involved in making such a move, Part Two going into more specific "reality check" discussion on individual topics such as the cost of living and other financial issues, food, medical/health, housing, dealing with the language, and others, closing with Part Three giving ten first-person stories from folks who had moved to Costa Rica and then moved back again (including one story from someone who then returned some years later *back to* Costa Rica!) to help give some broader perspective than just the author's experiences.
A thoughtful and enlightening look at the emotional processes of making such a significant move along with a ton of practical information. Invaluable if you're even remotely considering such a move!
Why? What happened? And more to the point, did they learn things that can help you as you investigate whether a move to Costa Rica might be the right decision for you!
Reading one of Arden's books is like having a cup of coffee with a good friend while she shares both the joys and the challenges of living abroad. In her previous book (Unraveling the Mysteries of Moving to Costa Rica) she had shared their own personal story as well as provided lots of logistical advice about making the move. In this latest book she speaks openly about their experiences (and those of many of their friends) in hopes of providing a "reality check" to offset the relentlessly rosy views (or occasional skewed and bitter views) that one tends to find in books and websites about moving to and living in Costa Rica.
In the author's own words, "My goal is absolutely NOT to talk anyone out of making the move. We are so glad we did it and have actually come to believe that everyone should live outside the U.S. for awhile if at all possible. What I DO hope to do is provide some more realistic insights and help people come up with better questions for themselves to help them [a] decide whether or not to move and [b] recognize that even if they move there and love it, they may still end up coming back at some point. Just knowing that's even a possibility can help lead people to make better decisions!"
REALITY CHECK has three parts -- Part One giving more insight into the author's own story and experiences and taking a broad look at the issues involved in making such a move, Part Two going into more specific "reality check" discussion on individual topics such as the cost of living and other financial issues, food, medical/health, housing, dealing with the language, and others, closing with Part Three giving ten first-person stories from folks who had moved to Costa Rica and then moved back again (including one story from someone who then returned some years later *back to* Costa Rica!) to help give some broader perspective than just the author's experiences.
A thoughtful and enlightening look at the emotional processes of making such a significant move along with a ton of practical information. Invaluable if you're even remotely considering such a move!
