I left you last time as I was boarding an imaginary train to our new life as part-time expats in Indiana and Costa Rica.
We arrived safely in Costa Rica on Tuesday (yesterday), and we have been settling in today. Here is a list of activities on our first full day in our new life. Well, at least up to 4:30 p.m. I’m not sure what will happen later this evening!
*Breakfast on the patio overlooking the Pacific Ocean: pineapple, papaya, and banana fruit salad along with tortillas, refried beans, and salsa.
*Brenda worked on an Amish Romance she is writing. I edited a great Victorian Romance she will be publishing soon. It’s call “A Desolate Christmas.” Watch for it. It moved me to tears several times, and the ending is superb. (If you’d like to see all the books Brenda has published under various pen names, you can visit her website here: http://ticahousepublishing.com/index.html.)
*I glanced out the window at beautiful Jaco beach on a rainy day, and heard the waves crash.
*I went to the cellular phone store and got a sim card for my phone. I now have a local phone number! (Phone/internet service here is so cheap. You just pay as you go, and I can’t believe how inexpensive it it.)
*Brenda attended an exercise class at the church we attend here in Jaco. She came home sweating and dragging. It was intense. But she saw five scarlet macaws on her way there!
*I went to a dentist appointment to see about a bridge. The dentist took two kinds of ex-rays, spent an hour with me (and didn’t attend to several other people during our appointment). In the end, he presented a plan for a digitally-designed bridge that can be done in one sitting for at least 1/3 the cost in the States. The hour-long appointment and ex-rays today cost $80. The dentist’s office was immaculate, professional, and had the latest equipment. I feel completely comfortable with the dentist.
*We watched a video class we are taking online about longevity and health.
*I glanced out the window at beautiful Jaco beach, and heard the waves crash.
*We walked our bikes to the bike shop in the center of town. Left them for repair.
*We had lunch at a local “soda” near the bike shop. A “soda” is a typical restaurant that serves Costa Rican food at very reasonable prices. We both had rice and beans, cooked chayote (like squash) and carrots, cabbage salad, and “maduro” (baked plaintain – so sweet!) and a drink. Total bill: $8.00 US.
*We went to the local grocery store (a subsidiary of Walmart) where we bought groceries. Some of our favorites found their way into our cart: budin (a type of pudding cake Brenda loves), a bag of beans (black beans cooked, flavored with spices, and packaged in a plastic bag – absolutely delicious), a pineapple, some avocados, and the ingredients for vegan mock tuna salad, among other necessities. (If you’d like the recipe for the mock tuna salad, here it is: https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-no-tuna-salad-sandwich/#gs.96qbya.) We’ll be feasting on that tomorrow.
*Took a taxi home from the grocery store. Cost: $1.33.
*I glanced out the window at beautiful Jaco beach, and heard the waves crash.
*Took a taxi back to the bicycle shop to pick up our bikes. Taxi cost was $2.00. Brenda’s bike needed two new tire tubes, and mine just needed more air. The labor and parts came to $8.00.
*Rode our bikes back home, riding through some of our favorite parts of town.
*We decided to take a swim, so we went down to the pool where we enjoyed a refreshing dip. We had the pool to ourselves. Several times…….
*I glanced at beautiful Jaco beach, and heard the waves crash.
Well, that’s Day One of our part-time expat life. Don’t worry. I won’t report on every day! I just thought it might be fun to take a look at our first day.
There will be more posts coming soon on many aspects of life as a part-time expat.
I hope you’ll join me.
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Great article. Enjoy your new life!!!
It was a fun day and a great beginning! 😀