I understand Yep, I understand. I lived in Central America, rural, beautiful waves, surfed every day basically alone, no other surfers, paradise. I built a "surf shack" on the beach, ate rice and ceviche, and was "living the dream". The only problem was, that it wasn't MY dream. Now, I am married to an absolutely beautiful and wonderful woman, we have two amazing children, and I am far, far, FAR more content now than I ever was on that beach.
The best things in life are family. Places like Central America, at least for us, are places to go on vacation, and it is always nice to get back home. We spend three weeks this past summer in Costa Rica (June 2014) and it was really nice...to visit.
Congratulations for having the cojones to give it a try in the first place.
Suerte con todo,
Jim
Too Late I have NEVER forgotten the HGTV House Hunter International episode and just found it on YouTube wow gone :( I have been getting scuba certification and meeting you and enjoying your hospitality while diving in Costa Rica was my plan! Good luck to your family and may you continue your dreams take care Yvonne
Best Wishes I to, like many others, just saw the HGTV show on the Orchid Lodge. It sparked my interest enough to go on my long list of potential travel destinations. I wish Rachel and Matt the best of luck in their ventures and the new owner Robert Nuey, a prosperous and successful business.
I don't know enough about the Orchid Lodge yet but I plan on finding out more to see if the location might become a travel destination in the future.
Tom in Kansas City
I am from Costa Rica. I was planning on going to your place with my fiance. Was is culture shock type situation? I've lived in other countries and it takes a lot of compromise. Good luck to all of you.
Victoria Carpio-Walker
The Village of Love Dear Folks, I am delighted for you that you are wise enough to recognize that truth is always more important than consistency. Yoni and sibling are lucky indeed to have parents who have awakened to the village of love that our families provide for our children. Children get such a sense of place and history when they are raised with their loving families in close proximity. Hats off to you for following your dream and also for letting it go when life gave you the gift of children. As a proud "Nonny" of two delightful grandchildren I cannot tell you how much I value being able to be in my grandchildren's lives. I watch the faces of the paternal grandparents as they greet these children and know that they are transported beyond the mundane confines of this world and into a place of pure love. This is the village that raises all of our children when we make it possible.
My wife and I can understand why you left My wife and I moved to Costa Rica from the States roughly 7 years ago just sold our condo just outside of San Jose last week, we are moving back to the States. We just saw the show (in CR, TV programming is 2-3 years behind) and I could tell the couple was visibly unhappy after having to spend 75k in repairs/upgrades and can empathize. The majority of workers here are terrible and unprofessional (don't think they even understand that word). We have had many workers come into our home with the unfortunate result of having to hire more workers to come in and repair the mess the inital workers made. Point in case: We had a simple A/C unit installed and the workers left approx. 6-8 more holes in our wall/ceiling, the unit was unlevel and overall, it was just a diasaster. This kind of thing has happened over and over and one--they also hate to clean up properly so if you are not riding them and dictating to them how specifically the job must be done, they will take liberty and start trying to work on other things. I would equate the mentaility to immature monkeys--it's the more disrespectful, idiotic thing we have ever experienced. One mistake this couple made was that they obviously were not agreeing to firm prices before the work begins---HUGE mistake down here.
Also, their comment rings true: "Selling was a lot more dramatic than we had expected. Many people made offers to buy the house with no intention of actually purchasing, there were scammers and losers finding their way to our door almost daily. After dropping our price a number of times, we did find a buyer"
We certainly feel their pain--when trying to sell our condo, we have had scammers (never show your home in CR to someone if they are not represented by an agent) and we had so many that will make an offer to our face then disappear like they were only kidding or never intended to purchase--FRUSTRATING to say the least! We still can not comprehend why people waste others' time like that. Disrespectful, stupid and downright confusing---after 7 years, unfortunately, this is how we feel about the majority of the Costa Rican people. Fair or not, most are disrespectful and stupid--and this is coming from two people that have traveled the world and spent time in Africa, Thailand, Vietman, Laos, Cambodia, France, Amsterdam, Spain, Italy and more.
Just like this couple, we are excited to get out of here and so happy we sold. Looking forward to moving back to the Midwest where more honest, straightforward people exist. CR is certainly beautiful, but over time it's difficult for one to see past the flaky and shady idiots--so many Americans are now fleeing according to the real estate agents we worked with and knowing friends of ours who left this past year. CR is great if you are a hippie with no responsibilities roaming throughout the jungle and beaches but if you want to be a home owner and have a business, this place and primarily its' people will make you go mad, literally. You will be leaving here like the mom and her son on the Shining--running for your life and looking forward to speaking with people who actually mean what they say.
Good Bye CR and Good Riddance!!
Interview Request I would like to interview you, it would just be a short list of questions and would be featured in my soon to be opened lifestyle design website www.MiniRetiree.com - please send me your email address if your interested, I would really appreciate it... Thanks in advance! GZ
HGTV just aired the episode I just watched your episode on HGTV. Your story is so uplifting and exciting to set off on a wonderful adventure to fulfill your dreams. I grabbed the laptop while still watching the show to see how everything was going. I Wish you and your family the best but agree that OH is a wonderful place to raise children near family:) I hope to someday visit The Orchild Lodge.
??? I just saw the travel channel's international home buyers, and it featured a young couple buying a home for conversion to a bed and breakfast...is this the one featured here? Did it sell again? How owns it now? Why was it sold?
I was so impressed by the B & B, I wanted to book a vacation there!
Please let me know what has happened.
I so wanted to come stay at your Orchid Lodge Hello Matt ~
I couldn't wait to go check out your website after seeing you on House Hunters for the second time. I'm sad to see you decided to sell and can't help but wonder why?
Hubby and I are considering relocating after he retires, never having to shovel snow again is a majour consideration. lol Our son Zane has been to Costa Rica and fell in love with it, that got us thinking of it as a future destination. : )
I hope life is treating you kindly and things have settled down for you.
Blessings & Joyous Howls,
Camille Christie-Barber
Just watched your House Hunters and thought I would check out the website. My husband and I were on HH a few years ago and have always wanted to go to Costa Rica so thought it would be fun to visit the Orchid Lodge. While it's sad to see you've sold it's also completely understandable. Since having our son (now 3) family has become hugely important to us, and I find myself wishing I hadn't emigrated quite so far (my family is in the UK). You had the adventure of a lifetime in Costa Rica, and now you're on an even more exciting adventure...parenthood.
Best wishes and good luck for the future,
The Green Family
Seattle
Congrats/Jenny & Craig Comment - boo! Jenny & Craig ~ what a selfish comment you've left on here. The couple said they did follow their dream & then realized it changed. How difficult it is to start a new business and then relocate soon after (I have done so myself). It takes courage to make a huge life change and then do it again soon after. The important thing is that they are happy. How strange that you asked about their specific timing of conceiving. Again, quite a selfish thing to say.
I wish you and your family all the best!
Good Luck My husband and I always wanted to visit Costa Rica. When we saw the show we both said, "Nice couple, I bet if we stayed there it would be a great vacation." Sorry you sold. Good Luck.
Nice Randomly saw Househunters and remembered you from back in the day upstate. Glad things are awesome; disappointed the show isn't current and I can't visit a kosher b & b in costa rica. Oh well. Rock on. E z r a
Josh Does Josh Voecks still work for the Orchid Lodge. We boarded our cat with him while he was managing the property two years ago. He was so nice and showed us around the spectacular property. It was for sale at that time. Just wondered what happened to the nice guyand his wiener dog Bunny
Sincerely,
Susan & Tom Ritter
The Orchid Lodge in Costa Rica Hi, sorry to hear you sold the Lodge my husband and I was planning a vacation in Costa Rica and we wanted to stay there and enjoy our vacation there and meeting you wonderful family you may your dream come true buying the lodge and making into a inn bed/beakfast in Costa Rica we wish you and your family all the best God bless you and family! the owner that bought the place The Orchid Lodge in Costa Rica what date bed and beakfast open? have a wonderful life and God Bless. From:Elzabeth Galante
Bed/B/ why was sold? My husband and I was looking forward staying in your B/B we wanted to stay there for vacation The Orchid Lodge why did you sold it? do you own other bed/b ?
Fellow Clevelander! Hi Guys,
Just saw the second episode your CR adventure and logged on to your website to find it was sold and that you moved to CLEVELAND!!! We live in Parma Heights Ohio. Hope you are finding that Cleveland IS a wonderful place to raise a family. We have wonderful private schools, world renowned Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Clinic and HOW ABOUT THOSE CAVS!!!!
There is NOTHING more important than children and family so enjoy them both!
Warmly
Kris and Gary Montgomery of Parma Heights Ohio
Whow I do understand My husband and I returning to California after buyiong land, building a home on an acre of land in Taveuni Fiji.....This after three years of true living in a 3rd world country.
It is impossible for anyone to comprehend the trustration and delay of trying to do a simple task. The days are frought with constant road blocks making what should be rather quick and easy cumbersome and tedious. As well as when sqaid and done, the job is poorly done. People forget is very limited even semi-skilled help to do basic repairs or even adequately weed the compound.....
We have to do it!! My wife and I watched your show today on HGTV. We have been to Costa Rica in the past and have recently been researching moving to Costa Rica. We are very serious about it to a point where we are even thinking of having our second baby there in June! I read a quote today - "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain - We moved from our family 7 years ago from Chicago to Denver (many of them followed us) and now we are thinking of doing it again! It is different now that we have a child and another one on the way, but we feel we have to do it and we could always come back to the states. Good luck in Cleveland!
Blessings to you! Hi! I was off today and am just now seeing your episode. Your baby is absolutely ADORABLE !!!!!!!!!! I am so proud of you two for taking the chance then, knowing there is no problem with recasting your life as priorities change! I have made many such decisions in life and the enduring thing is God, love, family. Thankfully, I was so intrigued by the show I went to see if there was a website and discovered this! I was actually born in Cleveland, spent a year from 2003-4 living and working out of Cincinnati, back to Virginia and now, following my husband's job for the first time, am in North Carolina. Take care, continue to enjoy that postage size yard; blessings!!!!!! Mona
I have been working on my PhD in wildlife conservation, but after completing my Masters degree, I decided the I have been in school for far too long. My wife Rachel, a pediatric nurse, has been sick of her job since the moment she began working. So one day around February 2006 she and I began to discuss the possibility of selling everything we own, picking up our lives, and moving to Costa Rica to open a strictly kosher, "5-star" inn / hotel / bed and breakfast in Costa Rica. Fulfilling our lives' dream without having to wait until we retire.
This is our story as it happens-
Visit Our Webs... full info
anonymous
non-member comment
I myself prefer the mops there that you can put old towels and then take them off and throw them in your washing machine.