Some Sound Advice

Retirement or just living in another country often presents new challenges for people because perhaps for the first time they are confronted with having a plethora of leisure time and the problem of what to do to with it. As you will see throughout this chapter, Costa Rica is wonderful place to live. In addition to being relatively inexpensive there are many interesting activities to choose from. As one of our American friends referred to his busy life in Costa Rica, "My days are so fulfilling, that each day in Costa Rica seems like a whole lifetime." In Costa Rica you have no excuse for being bored or inactive, unless you are just plain lazy. There is some hobby or pastime for everyone regardless of age or interests. Even if you cannot pursue your favorite hobbies, you can get involved in something new and exciting. Best of all, by participating in some of the activities in this chapter, you will meet other people with common interests and cultivate new friendships in the process. You can even spend your time continuing your education or studying Spanish as we talked about in Chapter 7. Most people you meet will also be expatriates, so you probably won't need that much Spanish to enjoy yourself. However, the happiest expats seem to be those who speak Spanish. They are able to enjoy the culture more fully, mix with the locals and make new friends in the process.

Whatever you do, don't make the mistake of being idle. The worst thing you can do is spend all your time drinking in one of the many gringo hangouts in downtown San José. Over the years we have seen many fellow Americans fail to use their time constructively, and destroy their lives by becoming alcoholics while living in Costa Rica-a few even died prematurely. So, use the information we have provided in this chapter, and take advantage of the many activities Costa Rica offers.