Living in Costa Rica - How to Handle the Hardships

[@danielsolis1333]

I’m one of their current neighbors and can say they are great people. So positive and kind and it’s really nice to greet them when we walk our dogs on the street.

[@sandrabedard7848]

❤hola Daniel and we love your family too !! We have the best neighbors and friends all around us

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

Ahhh...very nice. We should all have such good neighbors. 😉

[@lanceandshelleypeters-en465]

Love these people. Thanks Michael.

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

hahah... me too :)

[@cosmictogaparty]

I think I will watch the other video on their son. I have lived in Costa Rica a total of 7 years since the 90s. I have also worked in the Boston area as a Spanish medical interpreter for 19 years and I never put together how therapeutic the Costa Rican lifestyle, especially in the countryside, could be for autistic children and families. The slow pace, the way people actually stop and talk with each other, the inclusive attitude, all great stuff. At least that is how things are in my little campesino town. 😊

[@dfwautomotiveservice]

Saludos. Great video thank you Mike and team.

[@FreshAireNetworking]

Great podcast to all of you!

[@luisalphahernandezomega1704]

*YOU HAVE EXCELLENT COMMUNICATION SKILLS BROTHER!*

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

thanx Luis. appreciate that. 😊

[@luisalphahernandezomega1704]

@@TravelCostaRicaNOW *YOU'RE WELCOME BROTHER! LOOKING FORWARD TO COSTA RICA; THE GREAT COAST!*

[@daliasmith9557]

Hi grew up in Costa Rica living in New York for 40 years hi go back every year very sorry about your experience

[@dirtydogfarmllc]

I'm sorry to laugh, but when you mentioned iguanas peeing in your house, my husband and I laughed for like 10 mins 😂 Thanks for keeping it real. We're making the move, and might need some advice (more like definitely) Hope to one day connect. We're looking at April to be there...YIKES!

[@sheylacampos5805]

My family is more blessed since Sandy, Fred and Justin are part of our family. We love you guys❤

[@sandrabedard7848]

Thank you to our Costa Rica Family we feel the same about you ALL LOVE our Costa Rica family

[@LindsayHarmon-z7q]

I’ve filled out the form! I need some help 😊 and I want you, to be the one. Wanting to possibly move there! ❤

[@joycemalchin7320]

Congratulations and all the best to your family! Pura Vida! That’s what it’s all about ☀️

[@spklyunicorn]

Y'all are fabulous people! I hope you continue to receive the same kindness and generosity of spirit that you share with everyone. May your guides and angels continue to lead and protect you.

[@sandrabedard7848]

Thank you Blessings 🙌🙏

[@annrichmanrn4514]

Very good stuff!

[@seanhogan6897]

Michael, videos like this are why I follow Travel Costa Rica Now! Very well done, again!

[@sqorpy]

I have to say BRAVO! no words

[@shelleysquires7225]

I was thinking about this video and how many people also express coming down from their stressed out lives...As a jazz singing, bellydancing, massage therapist, I never lived on the hamster wheel so it's hard for me to relate, but I remembered the height of my massage career - in 10 years I did 10,000 + massage. I worked on Stanford Athletes, Stanford Oncology patients, and MANY, MANY, stressed out Silicone Valley people. I remember their bodies, and even if they were in good shape, the level of discomfort and emotional pain held in their bodies I will never forget. Money comes and goes....but your body is where you live....take good care of it. Bravo to those who are brave enough like this couple to make the change. I agree with Rhonda, Travel Costa Rica Now is the best resource on the internet for gathering information on all aspects of moving to Costa Rica. I also highly recommend the upcoming Relocation Retreat (which I attended in March). 🌺

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

ahhhhhh...Thanx so much Shelley. Everything you said is spot on.

[@sandrabedard7848]

❤❤

[@dakotahstr]

Well good morning Michael. I have to hunt your site down. No notifications. You tube ughh. I love all your videos, thank you.

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

UGH. I hate hearing that... but I know it's true. I'm just trying to move forward and not bother with the numbers. And thanx, I always appreciate your support and comments.

[@Cierasoul]

Ok, this is one of my FAVES! Because it is SO REAL!!! And whether they stayed or not isn't the point, it is just knowing that there can be SO many hurdles as so many think that it is all just roses. KEEPING IT REAL! Thank you for this! I love that they stayed and all that didn't hold them back and love that Michael can help people so this doesn't happen to others. Kudos to all that you do Michael and to your guests who are ROCK STARS!!

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

ahhhh..thanx so much for the nice words and comments, they made my night. abrazos de Costa Rica😊

[@shelleysquires7225]

Always

[@sandrabedard7848]

Thank you and YES we stayed through the storms and weathered it out and grateful we did !

[@beckyfernandez3418]

I'm glad these people didn't give up because it's a wonderful life if you can get through the hard stuff One thing I will say even after almost twenty years of living here you'll never stop being a gringo and there is people that will take advantage and Gringo price you and think that you just have all the money in the world , and if you're living on a budget you still probably have more money than most Costa Rican

[@JayRedden28]

Fantastic video! I really enjoyed hearing Sandy and Fred tell the ups and dows of their com8ng to CR story. I absolutely loved Fred's observation, "Everyone is here to help...themselves a lot of times." Lol Ive met a lot of good people in Heredia. My best friend in Costa Rica has a house in Barva near the Cafe Britt headquarters.

[@sandrabedard7848]

Thanks 🙏, we live up the mountain from Britt in Barva Heredia lol 😆. We love living in Heredia Province

[@shelleysquires7225]

Good morning Love 🌅 I'm sorry that they had to go through all that. It really could happen anywhere, I imagine that it's a bit scarier in a foreign country..I've seen alot of those ads on Costa Rica FB pages - which often seen shady to me I've had a very hard life and I've learned three things: * I don't put my business on the street * I don't trust anybody but myself and those closest to me * I make plans, but realize that life can be full of obstacles and delays, so I stay flexible

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

Words of wisdom. Thanx Shelley, always appreciate your perspective. 😊

[@flyingpigfarm1]

Very interesting!

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

Hey Steven, I have 3 videos about the Outlier situation. IF you need help, email me and I will get you in contact with some folks who can help.

[@lauvasquez7198]

I really enjoy your videos. I’m Costa Rican lived there from 3yo to 18yo. Back now in America. These are my connection to the land that saw me grow. I laugh so much at all these things and quirks that I wouldn’t be able to deal with as an adult. Yet these Americans living there after knowing the USA for decades like living there despite the stories. It brings the down to earth perspective of you can’t take everything so serious. That’s something I hated about CR but maybe I need to change to that mentality because America causes everyone anxiety.

[@Hopsterify]

Awesome Family !! They gave us a tour of the area near their house and of their home during out last Costa Rica visit. Hoping to be neighbors some day. Thanks for letting us learn from your Uhoh moments.

[@sandrabedard7848]

Hola Robert and Mary, thanks and we really enjoyed our day with your family. Yes hopefully be neighbors ❤.

[@sheylacampos5805]

Sandy and Fred, they are the Best! ❤

[@sandrabedard7848]

Hola my BESTIE!!! THANKS 👋😊🙏 You And your family are too. Our Costa Rica family!!!

[@unclechico2849]

Wow..great video Mike

[@ligiamiller1073]

Sandy and Fred and Justin are the best! We love them ❤

[@sandrabedard7848]

❤we love you too our Costa Rica family

[@MrPgb1962]

You gotta love these folks!!

[@eduardodiaz1017]

Hey Mike Great video, if they just come and stay ,90,days hanging around looking, getting information, looking and i have know them i just say don't send nothing nada, and they just is one of those thing that happens, but i did it because since 1994,been coming to ,C,R, when i retire from work on 2019,i move to Nandayure Guanacaste, it help because my wife is from C,R, we move from Fort Lauderdale South Florida , i just came with my backpack, and only i fly with Spirit Air, and thank you Mike for helping you are the BEST, PURA VIDA, I NEVER HAD A PROBLEM IN C,R, it was that 90,days that was the problem

[@Julia-tq4mn]

Wow, what an amazing story! I am truly inspired by this couple's determination and positivity. It takes a lot of courage to relocate to a foreign country and face the challenges that come along with it, but they persevered and came out on top. I love how open-hearted and sincere they are, and it's amazing to hear that they have found happiness and a sense of home in Costa Rica, and how they immersed in it. This interview was too short, I could have listened to their story for hours. Thank you for sharing this incredible journey with us!

[@sandrabedard7848]

❤thank you Julia can't wait to meet you

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

Thanx for the nice words and comments... much appreciated. I am sure we will be chatting with Fred and Sandy again.

[@twill1254]

Another cool video. So informative. You guys ever do a video in coco? SF

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

Thanx, glad you liked it. No, we haven't. It's on the list ;)

[@manifestourdream8876]

Love this story and that we got to hear the good and the bad. I'd love a follow up at their house!!!

[@kandyman2705]

Wonderfully informative. So easy to get bamboozled. We’ve been here 7 months but fortunately we had good people that we trusted and didn’t screw us. One suggestion. Please offload all your STUFF. You don’t need it. Even as this couple was filling a container they new 85% of it the would never use. We came with 9 rubber maid containers and of course my golf clubs. 😂

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

Well let's be honest. Golf clubs almost come before the wife.... lol.

[@kandyman2705]

@@TravelCostaRicaNOW shhh….😂

[@frankc966]

Great video. You nailed it, theyvare rock stars. Glad everything is working out.

[@denicagilmer7951]

Great interview!

[@janetbeattie6902]

Thanks to the three of you for this honest and heartfelt video! (And 100% agreement about the awesome Heredia towns - Barva, Santo Domingo, San Pablo, San Rafael, San Isidro, Santa Elena are all fab.)

[@sandrabedard7848]

Thanks and YES as far as we are concerned, these are the BEST areas to live

[@patrickmalin2295]

Such a helpful video and love this channel!!!

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

Thanx Patrick, glad you enjoy it... and thanx for taking the time to say, much appreciated.

Nice people!!

[@hollyclark690]

Always happy to see you, Michael !

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

Thanx Holly :)

[@sandrabedard7848]

Thanks again Michael, this was a great day spending time with you and doing this video!! ❤

[@LindsayHarmon-z7q]

Hi there! I have watched both of your interviews ❤I would love to chat! I want to possibly move there. I did also fill out Michael’s form as well! ~Lindsay

[@vikingkitten69]

The retreat page is jacked up

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

Hmmm..I just went to it, seems OK. What are you seeing on your end?

[@vikingkitten69]

@TravelCostaRicaNOW It was scrolling and shaking. Hahahaha we have off and on internet! Could be ;) . I will go back tonight.

[@MMAnimalSanctuary_Rhonda]

"We immersed ourselves with locals," Sandy said. YES. In my opinion, that is the only way to truly experience Costa Rica. I could write a five page essay about the topics in this video, or post an hour long rant on KZbin. Why? Because it's all so TRUE. And it doesn't matter how hard you try to explain this to the starry-eyed wannabe expats hoping to come here and live in paradise, nobody gets it until they've been thoroughly "got" themselves. Michel and I saw all of this while we were in the process of settling here. Did we avoid disaster ourselves? Yes we did... but there are reasons for that. I made many, many folks very angry with me because of the way I turn around and walk out if I smell a rat. I'm usually not even polite enough to say "thank you for your time." But it's more than that. I think mainly we didn't lose big money because we didn't flash any big money to lose. We were coming here to live simply. More than one lawyer and many "realtors" didn't even want to bother with us because we weren't willing to spend large amounts on whatever they were selling. Most of them made the mistake of assuming that because we didn't want to spend money, we didn't have money to spend. Fools. But we were like, forget the containers, forget importing our previous lives. We sold everything and came here to live on a 14-meter bus until we found the perfect property. We are still living on that bus, even though it is now parked on our perfect property. We did lose a few thousand on the bus conversion because of the phenomenon described in this video; "we're your new family and we will take care of you and just trust us..." We trusted those wankers until we saw that they weren't listening to a darn thing we said about how we wanted the conversion done, (I actually heard one of them say "just build it and she'll like it." WRONG. Like Fred said to the guy who took his moto: "do I have to knock some sense into that skull of yours?") so we took our bus and went on down the road. But I'm talking a few thousand, not tens or hundreds of thousands, and in the end we still have our bus and comparitively speaking (to the cost of bus conversions in North America,) we more or less got what we paid for and all is well. By contrast, we listened to you, Mike, about the bus mechanic in Chachagua and guess what? He is an amazing person, does great work, and I am still close friends with his wife. So I watch videos like this one and want to bang my head against a wall, because I know so many people are going to do just what you said, "oh, this will never happen to me," and end up coming here only to leave disgusted and disillusioned. But Sandy got it right at the 24:00 mark when she talked about mindset. She's right. Like her, if I were a person who had to have air conditioning and required hot water to wash my clothes and had no patience for things getting sideways, I would not have lasted. To enjoy life here in Costa Rica, you have to accept the imperfection of this lifestyle and be okay with bugs in your bedsheets. "Pura vida" doesn't mean everything is perfect. It simply means the imperfections don't have any power to steal your peace of mind.

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

Thanx Rhonda, I always appreciate you sharing your stories and perspective. It is so helpful for those thinking to make the move. Thx.😊

[@MMAnimalSanctuary_Rhonda]

@@TravelCostaRicaNOW Mike, that is exactly why I write the longwinded comments. If people don't care, they don't have to read them. But people come to your channel looking for information, and by now Michel and I have a little to share, too. My number one tip for folks? Watch this channel! It provides the best information on the internet about moving to and living in Costa Rica.

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

@@MMAnimalSanctuary_Rhonda ahhh..thanx. 😗

[@wolf4076]

Hi Rhonda, we plan on coming down from the states in a 30 - 40 ft motor home to park it on a property near Tinamaste. People keep telling us not to do it due to the bad roads, sharp corners and overhead clearance. What do you think?

[@MMAnimalSanctuary_Rhonda]

@@wolf4076 I would not personally attempt it, but I have a friend with a pregnant partner who is currently doing this exact thing, although the converted bus is smaller. They're doing fine, stopped in Mexico for a while to have the baby. We've taken our bus off the road now and are converting it to a tiny guesthouse. Things to consider: Google Maps is utterly useless in most of Central America. It sent us down a motocross trail once in the bus. Not kidding at all. Also, locals will lie to you because they either don't understand the technical issues of driving a vehicle of this size, or they want to see you get screwed up because they think it's funny. I can almost guarantee your RV will have body damage by the time you park it in Tinamaste.

[@Kattywagon29]

I'm supposed to be moving to CR in a few months. I've been working towards this for a year now and I believe I have done "all my homework". Of course, sometimes you just don't know what you don't know, ya know?😉 Last fall on my 2 month scouting trip to figure out what area to move to, I ended in La Fortuna. My mom and I randomly met Michael at a restaurant on a rainy Friday night. Maybe I'll end up in one of his videos one day, but hopefully not one talking about all the stuff that went wrong! LOL🤣

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

Yesss..hopefully you will be in a future video and I'm sure you will be fine. You can't do worse🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Kattywagon29]

@@TravelCostaRicaNOW I'll be sure to keep you posted.

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

@@Kattywagon29 yes, please do.

[@flacko7127]

Costa Rica is TRASH I highly advise against it

[@febsign6110]

Nothing is easy when you depend on people who have nothing on their mind but screwing you out of your money. Good for you 2 for hanging in there after.the hard times and hope you will enjoy from here on.

[@pshaffer45]

Awesome video. Thanks

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

You are welcome. 😊

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

You are welcome thx. 😊

[@rogercocco5309]

thanks mike !!! your right !!!! no one is an acception to the rule! there are scammers here ,and you would never know till it s too late!!

[@elenagomez9354]

☕️😊👍

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

:)

[@FLAKO1982]

✌🏻🤟🏻✊🏻

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

💪😎✌️

[@eduardodiaz1017]

Hey Mike , one time , in The C,R, Airport, i ask the immigration men, if i can stay more , because I LOVE Costa Rica, the more you stay the more money i spend, and he look at me for 60, second, and he put on my passport 120,days , and i told him thank you sir, they know that you are coming to spend , if they ask you why are here for , you say because i love C,R, and I'm thinking moving here because Costa Rica is BEAUTIFUL, that's one way of wining then over in the Airport,

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

that is a great story. I will tell a few friends to try it 😉 thx

[@eduardodiaz1017]

Hey Mike every time i come to San Jose Airport, i put on a Liga soccer tshirt , that way in the airport every one even the immigration people are L,D,A, LIGA SOCCER fans , they tell me hey great t-shirt, amigo , and i pass with no problem, that day when i ask if i can stay more , he told me my Amigo Liga take care,, and told him viva la Liga, and he gave me a 👍

[@eduardodiaz1017]

HEY MICHAEL PURA, HEY MICHAEL I HOPE YOU DON'T STOP BEING PURA VIDA, IN THIS NEW THING YOU ARE DOING THIS SUNDAY'S, don't fix something that's not borken,

[@joemarkcambronero3061]

The original antibiotics medicine for mind and ear problem.

[@LidoLife]

i know her!!!!

[@sandrabedard7848]

Hola Bryne

[@LidoLife]

@@sandrabedard7848 HOLA Sandy!!!!!! just a few more months now!!! Hey great vid there…. had no idea y’all had such a time with everything back then. Glad to see y’all have it worked out. When our time comes i’m sure we will have a few questions for you.

[@sandrabedard7848]

@@LidoLife yes we definitely could have a day to chit chat with you and finally meet in person 😁

[@LidoLife]

@@sandrabedard7848 that would be so awesome

[@chill-outadmin5200]

What was this guy's first name in uvita?

[@GleeSmee]

Costa Rica is one of the few, enlightened countries that will allow developmentally-disabled adult children to get residency when their parents do. Even a country like Canada is totally backward and discriminatory towards them.

[@sandrabedard7848]

I agree 👍

[@TravelCostaRicaNOW]

Yes, with all Costa Rica's difficulty, they definitely have some things they could teach other countries :)

[@flacko7127]

LOL 99 percent of the people born in Costa Rica were born with their head literally up their @ss 😂 …. Don’t know what ur talking about but Costa Rica is TRASH nothing special about it so of course they will let anyone in.

[@marcellosapienza1755]

You don't reply to questions Iv noticed , not good customer service