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Most people assumed Mike and I had either bought a B&B that was already up and running or at the least, that we had already bought property in Costa Rica. Neither of which are true.
We feel strongly about ensuring our B&B is in the right location. That will definitely require us to be in-country for a period of time while looking at areas. Research is the only way to accomplish this and my two week vacation from work every year simply wouldn’t cut it. We feel the best way to buy property in CR is to first rent in areas we enjoy. This will give us time to feel the vibe of the town, check out the safety, get to know the locals and the community and see if they even want tourism there. It’s very important to us to be part of the community in which we settle, so getting to really know the town is a must.
We also need to check out the roads and bridges during the rainy season. The B&B could be perfect but if guests can’t get to us because the bridges wash out every year, that’s not good.
Our plan
is to arrive in San Jose in late July and stay with Mike’s brother Matthew who lives in nearby Heredia. There, Mike and I will start our search for a good truck and get a chance to visit with Matthew and the Delgado’s with no time limitations. Just sit back and enjoy their company (and coffee of course).
Once we have a truck and are ready to really start this adventure, we’ll head for the coast. We figure we can make it there in about 6 hours depending on the weather. Once we arrive at the coast, we’ll simply play it by ear, traveling from the northern end of Guanacaste down to the southern tip of the Osa Peninsula, stopping at any town we wish along the way. We have no time frame in which we need to stay in any particular location. Once we find a town we like, we’ll rent in that area. If we decide it’s not for us within a few days, we’ll move on. If we’re really enjoying it, we’ll stay. No set plans at all, other than we do want to travel the entire Pacific coast through the Osa so that we can
be sure of where we want to settle. Talk about freedom.
Once we travel the coast and find a few towns that we absolutely love, we’ll head back to those towns and begin to look at properties. After we buy a place, we'll build the cabinas for the B&B. We plan on staying small. Most likely 4 cabinas when we're done, but we'll see. We are lucky that we will be in CR during the rainy season. Traveling in the rainy season for us will be interesting, to say the least, but it’ll also give us the best perspective on the towns and properties. They can look amazingly different during the dry season.
I’ve been asked a lot if I’m nervous about traveling around a country that I’m not totally familiar with. My answer is “absolutely not”. I realized that most folks who ask me this are probably people from work. I thought about the fact that I’ve done a relatively good job at keeping my personal life and work life separate and most people really didn’t know that I am the perpetual travel bug and have been seeing new places and cultures since I was a little
kid.
Traveling and “roughing it” is in my blood. At 8 years old, my dad took a trip to the Artic. He rode on a dogsled with the Eskimos and lived in an igloo that he helped build. I thought all dads did this. When he told us we were moving to the Azores, I started packing (he actually changed his mind before the flights were booked but what an experience THAT would have been). We took trips every year, always being sure to be near the water or the woods. We spent every Thanksgiving in the Pocono Mountains. My dad taught me to hike like a trooper and to never complain about blisters or the cold. My mom taught me to stop and appreciate the trees and learn about leaves. My parents are both very “outdoorsy” folks and my adventurous nature is their fault. HAHA. They taught me the joys of travel, the beauty of the forests, the serenity of the ocean and for that I am eternally grateful. Now it’s my turn to drag them around the world. HeeHee
Being in the woods has always held something special for me. I would choose to backpack through
a rainy forest for 2 weeks before taking a trip to Disney. Disney has never been on my agenda. Thankfully, I have a husband that feels the same way and together we’ve already seen amazing things.
I’ve been to Europe with my best friend who, also being a free spirit, decided we should do a backpacking horseback-riding trip down the coast of Ireland - in the rainy season. We were sent on our way alone with a map and a tide chart and told to be careful in the bogs (I didn’t even know what a bog was, let alone know what I needed to be careful of. Jenn and I found out shortly thereafter). The best way to describe this trip was Eco-Challenge on horseback. We stayed each night in small B&Bs and got to enjoy some local Irish hospitality at the pubs. We met some really interesting people and it was one of the best trips I’ve ever had, rain and all. The most interesting part about this trip was that it was over September 11th. Jenn and I experienced that day very differently than most Americans. We got the European perspective on the event and were
told over and over by the operator that there was no way we were getting a call through to the United States for a bit. It’s something I’ll never forget.
I’ve backpacked through some of the worst weather and spent quite a few Thanksgivings in the woods. I’ve gone “home” to Italy, curious to see if I would feel my Italian roots pulling on my soul. I did. I’ve gone to Mexico to practice my Spanish. I’ve walked across lava fields in Hawaii and traveled through Yellowstone. I lived in 5 different states before I was 25, 3 of which I lived in alone. Every one of these adventures has taught me something great, either about myself or the world around me. It's changed a bit of who I am and how I view the world. I wouldn't trade that for anything. I already feel like I’ve experienced so much and yet I know I have so much more to see and to learn. Making this move to Costa Rica and traveling around, free, does not make me nervous at all. It makes me smile.
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Nancy Lyne
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Awesome Blog & Pictures
Great job on your blog, will check for updates to see how the story progresses! Take good care...