Finding Home in Paradise: Moving to Costa Rica as an American
In June of 2013, my adventure of moving to Costa Rica as an American began. I sold my house and most of my belongings and within 24 hours I was on a plane headed to the Pacific side of Panama to stay on a privately owned 400-acre island. In the back of my mind, I knew that the search for a new place to live was beginning.
I still remember that first night being awakened by what seemed like a pack of unruly wolves outside my door only to find out that it was just only a family of petite monkeys in the trees nearby. The thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” went through my head. It would only be the first of hundreds of times this question would pose itself to me.
After three nights on the island, I officially became a backpacker, only instead of being carefree and simply enjoying the experience, I was analyzing every place I saw trying to imagine and absorb what everyday life would be like living there.
I stayed in hostels with warm, exciting "cool" young folks who helped guide me to all the places I needed to "check out". And, in a two-year span, I explored all the way from Guatemala to Southern Mexico. It was exhilarating and exhausting.
I looked at land in Mexico near Puerto Escondido. I spent a lot of time in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua. I seriously entertained the gorgeous fertile land near Boquete, Panama. All of these places had wonderful things about them but they didn’t turn out to be "the one".
I narrowed it down to 3 places and went back for a final look at each trying to have an open heart and a somewhat critical eye. I ended up choosing Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica. For three reasons.
Water, community, and like-minded people.
Water
Now, let me take a minute to tell you what’s important to me. I desire to be as sustainable as I possibly can. I try to grow as much of my own food as I can- and that's where the importance of WATER comes in. The Caribbean side of Costa Rica doesn’t have a distinct dry season like the Pacific side and there is generally rain all year round. I currently run our farm off of a rainwater catchment system with a shallow well as a backup.
Community
I also knew I didn't want to be isolated, that I wanted a town with a real community, especially in a physical, proximity sort of way. Let's face it, a community that relies heavily on bikes as their daily transportation sounds like a lot of fun! And that's what Puerto is like. All the small beach towns are off one main road running out of Puerto Viejo down 8 kilometers to Manzanio, and it's a simple, pedestrian-filled road. At times a crazy pedestrian-filled road. This road hugs the beautiful beach most of the way and I can't drive into town on it without seeing people I know either on foot or riding their bikes.
Like-Minded People
By this, I mean others who are interested in living simply and taking care of their community. Most people who move to Costa Rica are looking for a simpler lifestyle, one that is more in tune with and protective of their environment. I wanted to live near other people doing similar things. Plus it's just so much more fun to live like we want to live alongside interesting, cool people.
There are other minor things that came into play like beauty and safety and a cool vibe. You just can't beat the beauty here, I've never felt unsafe and there is an amazing energy here that I can feel in the air most days.
I feel like Puerto Viejo is a well-kept secret and I have mixed emotions about watching it grow, all I can say is I am happy with my choice. I can't tell you how many days I drive down to the bottom of my hill to hit the main road into town and I am stunned by the beauty that greets me. My eyes behold the jungle as it meets the crisp water and I just feel so lucky.
