The turn of the year is always an interesting time. We say goodbye to the challenges and victories of the year before, and we take new lessons and a spirit of hope into the year to come. 

As someone who was born and raised in the frozen north, “vacation time” usually referred to a couple weeks in December/January. Mostly because by then we were already tired of the cold and ready for a break. 

The first year that I arrived in Costa Rica, it was mid-January and I had missed all the festivities. By the second year, we had met some fellow expats who took us down to see our very first Costa Rican Christmas Event. It was an eye-opener, I can tell you.

That feeling of welcome, of coming home, makes all the difference to a weary traveller after a long hot day. Luckily, Costa Rica has a strong family base when it comes to tourism.

If you’re on this page, chances are you’ve done a google search of Costa Rica. Were you surprised to see all the information about eco-tourism and sustainability pop up? You shouldn’t be. 

Monteverde Chocolate Tours. About two years ago, some dear friends from the U.S. came to visit us in our new home. We really enjoyed playing tourist with them and taking them to see some of the beauty that surrounds us here in Monteverde.

When my husband and I decided to visit Costa Rica, I was a little worried. Not about safety (Costa Rica is the safest of the Central American Countries), or about the strangeness of a new home...but about the food.

In a previous article, I told you all about the meandering path that brought me from chilly Canada to sunny Costa Rica. Judging from the number of happy expats that I’ve met since my story isn’t as uncommon as you might think.

It’s early in the morning. The air is fresh with last night’s rain. A soft breeze rustles my hair as I settle into my favorite chair with a mug of rich Costa Rican coffee and start my day. My morning routine varies little since I arrived almost three years ago with two suitcases and a dog carrier in hand.