Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes
I know a lot of expats who get angry every time things don’t go how they want them to. Even after all these years, I am still happy living in Costa Rica. Of course, I get angry occasionally, but I shouldn’t. Don’t worry, be happy. Life is good!
Being happy isn’t always easy; you must work on it. Let’s start now!
I was born again in February 1980, when I was 25. It all started when I came down the steps of a KLM flight into Juan Santamaria International Airport. I am not saying this because I suddenly turned religious. I had to start life in Costa Rica from scratch. Even though we think we know it all at 25, I had to learn everything again, just like when I was a baby. Let me tell you about it so you can understand what will await you when you purchase a property from us and you move to Costa Rica
Just a couple of days after my arrival, I quickly learned that if I wanted my move to Costa Rica to be successful, I had to work harder than my friends back home. But more importantly, I wanted to be happy in Costa Rica. Therefore, I had to learn a lot, starting with the language. In these 45 years, Costa Rica and I have changed. Many customs have changed, and my small town, Escazu, has grown into a city through development. No more cows and horses in the streets, but cars. Success? Yes, I’ve been successful, gone on my face, gone broke, started over, and did that all over again. Long story short: I’m happy.
I can give you one big tip before you start reading the Be Happy Guide: You are the one who needs to adjust to them, their culture, and their language. If you come here with an attitude, I wish you good luck. It will not work, I promise!
The Be Happy Guide
I made a list of actions I took and things I learned that helped me to make a happy living in Costa Rica, here is the Be Happy Guide:
Learn to have patience
Understand that Ticos do everything differently than we do
Learn how to drive a car in crazy traffic
Accept that Ticos might invite you to their home, but they will not tell you where they live
Get used to Tico time
Accept that they will not make decisions because they do not want the responsibility of it
Learn how to speak Spanish
Learn how to write Spanish
Write the number 8 the Tico way because they couldn’t read mine.
Bring a book when you have to stand in line at the bank and government institutions
How to go late to a party and be on time
How to eat a casado, rice and beans, and many other Tico specialty foods and survive on it
When you get angry, count to ten and start over
Don’t worry, be happy
It’s not so easy
I have learned how to be happy Costa Rica by sticking to all the above. I am now a Tico with an accent, that’s what the locals say. AND I have earned how to never say no, like a real Tico.
Is it really so important to get things done your way? Will it make them do things as you want them to? Do you think you can learn all the above? Try it! You can help keep Costa Rica the happiest country in the world.
2 Comments
So, if they won’t say no, and despite sending MANY messages on WhatsApp they won’t even respond to you, what is an expat supposed to do? Does their lack of response mean they’re not interested in helping you? Does it mean you’re supposed to wait until they feel like responding, whenever that might be – days, weeks, months? Why does someone else’s project, started AFTER your project, always seem to come first, while you wait and wait and wait and hope they’ll come back to at least do SOME work on your project; you know they’ll probably never finish it, and you know they don’t care at all about your frustration, difficulties or discomfort. All of this seems to an ex-pat to be incredibly rude and inconsiderate. And when they promise you something, it usually turns out to be a lie. Ticos don’t seem to have any concept of keeping their word, of being honest or honorable. So, expats are supposed to accept that nothing matters and just ignore their own needs? An electrician took my money to go buy lights for me, has never returned and won’t respond to my messages. A window maker came to measure the openings I have in an addition to my house – but he won’t respond when I ask him for a quote. Rainy season is upon us, and my new room is wide open to the elements. My washer/dryer stopped working 3 weeks ago, so I basically have no clean clothes (don’t suggest I go to a laundry because my car died and the mechanic who worked on it before refuses to respond to me and it’s been extremely difficult to find another mechanic in lower Guanacaste, who I can only pray is reliable and won’t rip me off), but despite my pleas for someone to come look at my washer/dryer, I get no response. And don’t even get me started on the banking system. After 5 months, I’m still living with unpacked boxes and temporary set-ups. I spend most of every day trying to get some of these problems solved, to no avail, although an occasional “promise” gets my hopes up temporarily, until the promise is broken, as it usually is. My patience? REALLY wearing thin. Happy? You gotta be kidding!
Hi Pat. I’m terribly sorry this is all happening to you. Of course you’re not happy. I wouldn’t be happy either. What happened to your real estate agent? Why is their office not responding in assisting? They’re supposed to! Contact me and we’ll see what can be done.