Costa Rica is more than colorful birds and monkeys
I'm enjoying living here with the other monkeys.
I still haven't gotten used to looking out and seeing a toucan (the Fruit Loop bird) sitting on the railing on my balcony.
The most colorful birds here are the scarlet macaws, but they like to stay at the lower elevations where it's warmer. They're not up here in the mountains where I am, but I see them every time I go towards the beach.
I've lived here full-time for almost a year. It's starting to feel like home. I need to make more progress on learning Spanish.
I like the laid-back way of life. Nobody gets in a hurry. It takes forever to get anything done, but since I'm not trying to get much of anything done, it's no problem for me.
Since I've been here, I've had two friends from back in the States ask me how I'm liking island living.
Most of the pictures you see on the internet and videos on TV all make Costa Rica look like it's a tropical island. It's not an island, but it is tropical. It's a country in Central America, between Nicaragua and Panama.
There's one thing everyone hates about Costa Rica
I've been coming to Costa Rica and staying for three to six months most years for the last 17 years, before I moved here to live full-time last year. Now there are about twice as many cars as there used to be, but there are few new roads.
Of course, there are a lot more cars in the US than there were a few years ago, but at least they're building a lot of new roads and adding more lanes, etc.
Most of the expats who move here are always telling everybody they know how much they like it here. Then, they complain about all the traffic. Maybe if everyone kept their mouths shut, there wouldn't be so many people moving here. Just a thought.
Wherever you go, there you are
Even though there are a lot of wonderful and nice things I could say about life here in Costa Rica, remember that being here won't solve all your problems, because you will probably bring all your problems with you.
The old saying, "Wherever you go, there you are," is so true. Living in a different location could help, but it will take effort and determination on your part if you want to change your life.
Bottom line: If you are committed to changing your life and are willing to leave a lot of baggage behind (literally and figuratively), you can make it happen here.
P.S. If you downloaded my new book last week, don't forget to post a review on Amazon. I would really appreciate it. If you missed downloading it when it was free, I've set the price at 99 cents for a few days, which is the lowest price Amazon will allow.