We are back in Costa Rica after spending the holidays and the month of January in the U. S. It was so great to spend time with our children and grandchildren, and to see friends and other family members! The holidays were so much fun with the five grandkids. We remarked so many times to ourselves how grateful we are for the opportunity to see them often and to enjoy Costa Rica, too.
It feels good to slide back into the pura vida lifestyle once again. Jaco is still as beautiful and vibrant as ever, and we have eagerly embraced our favorite activities and caught up with friends. There is a certain feel, a certain vibe, a certain calmness that comes over me here, and it is an interesting thing to observe it emerge and penetrate my being as I go about life here.
People have asked if I’m still combing the beach for sea glass and tiles. Yes. Here is today’s lot from my walk on the beach this morning (including some tile pieces). The jar holds all that I have collected since October 2019.
I wondered if there would be any significant adjustment issues as we moved back and forth between the US and Costa Rica these past months. I noted in the US that our life was a bit more isolated, more concentrated on taking care of business, driving in order to do anything (we live in a rural area), and navigating the weather. It was cold and icy, and that was an adjustment after being in the tropics.
Oh, but we were able to spend time with both of our children and their spouses, and the warmth of those grandkids sitting on our laps, and the glow of their smiles and giggles counterbalanced the cold outside. It was joyous. Our time up north was wonderful!
When we returned to Costa Rica a week ago, our bodies rejoiced when the warmth penetrated them, and they’ve been smiling ever since. We seem to be more active and healthy here. Of course, the fresh fruit/green smoothies each morning are contributing to that!
We love the community of Jaco, and one of the ways we are giving back to this wonderful place is by teaching English through our local church. Brenda and I are both teaching a beginning class of around 20 students one night a week. We started last week, and we are looking forward to getting to know our students better and to helping them learn English. Many of them work in the service or tourist industry, and English will be very beneficial to them. They are excited, and so are we!
Whether we are arriving in the US or arriving in Costa Rica, it always seems to take five or six days before our minds and bodies completely realize that we are now in this life rather than our other life. We just let ourselves go through the adjustment, don’t judge ourselves, and give ourselves some grace. There is always a lot to do – in both locations – whenever we change countries.
But I find that the rewards of a part-time expat are great. Life is surprising, and adventure is always just around the corner.
Thank you for following my blog and our adventure in Costa Rica.
I’ve started a new Facebook page called Jaco Hoy/Jaco Today. There you will find photos of Jaco, Costa Rica, and the surrounding area that I have taken. I invite you to “like” and follow the page to see the sights of Jaco and the Central Pacific coast of Costa Rica.
I want to also invite you to visit my Facebook page: A Part-Time Expat.
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