Living Overseas Part-Time: Dream … to … Reality
(An excerpt from my new book, When Far Away Is Home, due to be released this coming week.) Over the past months, I've been writing a new book that chronicles our family's experiences in Honduras, The Cayman Islands, and Costa Rica. It starts when Brenda and I were first married, moves through our children's growing… Continue reading “One Very Determined Cockroach”
There is something unusual and appealing about being outside early in the morning in Central America. For a number of years now, we have made it a practice to take a morning walk; (or bike ride) between 5:30 and 6:00 am each day. Most of those walks have been in Costa Rica, where we live;… Continue reading Morning Walks in Central America
As people think about living in another country, some of the first questions people ask are . . . "What about medical care abroad?" "Will I be able to have the care, latest modalities, medications, etc., that I need?" And if you are interested specifically in Costa Rica, you may ask . . . "Can… Continue reading My Medical Care Experiences in Costa Rica
Those readers who who followed my blog will be familiar with our rural property in the area around Volcan Turrialba in Cartago province in Costa Rica. Some time ago, we decided to name our place Quinta Vista Verde. In Costa Rica, a "quinta" is a rural property that is at least 5,000 square meters in… Continue reading Quinta Vista Verde
If you put the word "rancho" in a translator app, you will probably see that the word is translated as "ranch" in English. But when I say we now have a "rancho," I don't mean we have a ranch. As is true in each culture, there are words that the local culture has given special… Continue reading What’s a Rancho?
Sometimes you just get lucky. This morning was one of those mornings. Brenda and I were walking along the beach about 5:45 this morning, and we noticed a group of municipality workers (garbage collectors) standing on the beach. It was an unusual view because these guys are usually really industrious, always moving, and very efficient.… Continue reading A Birth Morning on the Beach
Last Thursday was September 15, Independence Day for Costa Rica. It has been a couple of years since a public parade and public festivities were held due to the Pandemic. However, Ticos celebrated their independence and democracy in Jaco with fervor and color. Brenda and I always love community events in our beach town of… Continue reading Independence Day – Costa Rican Style
Some of you may recall that back in November of 2019, I shared a post about sea tiles that I had found on the beach. In those days, I was focused on finding sea glass; however, beautiful pieces of colored tile kept showing up on the beach as I searched for glass. I began picking… Continue reading Tiles to Table
This is the second part of a two-part series on our son and daughter-in-law's experience of having their first child in Costa Rica. If you haven't read Part One (previous post), I suggest you do that, as it will make Part Two more clear. In the weeks preceding Emily's birth, our daughter, Bethany, and her… Continue reading Having a Baby Overseas (Part Two)
Let's make this clear right away . . . my wife and I are not having a baby. Those of you who know us personally can go ahead and give a sigh of relief. I feel better just having written that. So, what I really want to share about today is the experience of our… Continue reading Having a Baby . . . Overseas (Part One)