"Don't Be Afraid of the Space Between
Your Dreams and Reality -
If you Can Dream it, You Can Make it Happen!"
Your Dreams and Reality -
If you Can Dream it, You Can Make it Happen!"
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| In Costa Rica in August 2011 - Roxi (l) and Judy (r) |
Exciting times ahead - a new life, a new culture, a new language! The "Sisters in Transition" are getting their groove together - we are moving to Costa Rica! Are we too old for this? Absolutely not! Are we a little nervous? Who wouldn't be. Have we done our homework on making a major move like this? Yes, and we continue to do so. Will there still be surprises along the way? Undoubtedly - we hope so! Has there been any red flags or major concerns? Yes, but manageable ones. A venture like this was not taken lightly and just 10 short months ago it started with a conversation on an airplane to Mexico drinking a Bloody Mary.
Most of you know that Roxi is the older sister even though people always ask "who's the oldest" when they first meet us - and you can imagine how that might irritate the younger sister a little, until I started thinking, "maybe they think she looks as young as me" - ha! Anyway, I grin and bear it and we actually adore each other and of course, I always respect my elders (ah, now I feel much better). Roxi's been retired for 3 years now. And I had at least 5-8 years before I thought I could even consider retiring. But wait, I'm retired now! What happened? Well, remember that Bloody Mary - it all began there and within 3-4 weeks of serious discussion, initial research, and crunching numbers, Roxi, my accountant sister said "we can do this".
So began our due dilligence in understanding everything we could on moving internationally and how to begin the process. We attended a 3-day Conference in August 2011 in San Jose, Costa Rica on "Retiring and Living in Costa Rica" sponsored by International Living - it was great - over 200 people in attendance! We'll share more thru our blog on various things getting us to this point, but for now, both our homes have sold and we are on a serious timeline now with my house closing the end of April. Looks like our move will be in the June 2012 timeframe - July at the latest. So much to do, but a friend in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica, has assured me "it will all get done". I hope she's right!
Are we moving because it is cheaper and more affordable and it is the only way I could have retired at this age? Yes. Is it the only reason? No. For sure we knew we could live internationally on a much lower income and that big, main concern for all - healthcare - comes in at about $150/month per person in Costa Rica versus the excessive monthly insurance costs here in the States. But, the real reason for this decision was we wanted more time together while enjoying a better quality of life - allowing us to travel, encounter new adventures, experience less stress, live in a warmer climate, enjoy the beauty that streams throughout the country of Costa Rica, and live the "Pure Vida" life (good life) that is communicated on a daily basis.
So, our journey begins. We hope to give you a bird's eye view of our adventure, our experiences, our challenges, and our joys. We hope you enjoy AND please sign up for this BLOG and invite your friends, family, co-workers, to join too. We look forward to sharing our "Sisters in Transition" new lifestyle with others!
Pura Vida,
Judy and Roxi
