Emerald Nation

I’ve lived in Costa Rica for a year now, and honestly, it’s expensive. Why? Some people say it’s because of tourism. That might explain part of it, but there are many nearby countries that also receive tons of tourists, and yet their prices are far lower than those in Costa Rica. For example: Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico—even Brazil.

But tourism isn’t the whole story. There are other factors:

• IVA (sales tax)
• Tariffs
• Imported products are much more expensive, including:
  • Phones and computers
  • Cars
  • Gasoline
  • About 80% of what you find in a supermarket—even coffee
• Government fees, such as:
  • Tolls
  • Car registration
  • Parking meters

In short, a lot of things cost an arm and a leg here. So my opinion is that the high prices in Costa Rica come down to the country’s size and a long history of poor governmental decisions.

Expensive items include gas, cars, electronics, most supermarket products, coffee, imported goods, and even McDonald’s. Government services are also pricey: tolls, car registration, parking meters, IVA.

Hitched a la Mexicana

Recently, I got married. My wife lives with me now. She’s Mexican—we met while I was traveling through Mexico in 2021. During COVID, I was unemployed, so I took the opportunity to travel through the U.S., Brazil, and Mexico. In Xalapa, an enchanting city I had visited many times, I stayed at a beautiful hostel in the historic district for only seven dollars a night. My future wife worked at a café nearby. I was struck by her beauty, so I kept going back. Eventually, I worked up the courage to ask her out. We went to an Italian restaurant known for its wood-fired pizzas and shared a few glasses of wine.

We stayed in touch for a few years. I invited her to visit me in Costa Rica, and eventually, I asked her to marry me. I felt like I truly knew her—her looks, her personality, everything. We complement each other well. We divide household duties easily and we get silly together. Once a week, we go out for a few beers.

Enter Feline

My cat is loving but has a dark side. It has bitten and scratched me out of nowhere. The other day, it even pooped inside the house, though it normally uses the litter box on the balcony. So I told my wife, “Unlike a dog, we don’t have a cat because it’s affectionate. We have a cat because it keeps life interesting. It pushes us into both positive and negative emotional states—but hey, that’s change, right?”

Social Stimulate

Today I did 120 interviews. Most days it’s around 100. It doesn’t exhaust me. It reminds me of when I worked physical labor at Ferg’s Sports Bar and Grill in St. Pete—I would just go and go, never getting tired. Ten- or twelve-hour shifts, no problem. I need to keep my mind and body busy.

In conclusion, life is good when you have a partner and you stay active, and don’t worry about the prices.