The New Year Begins

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. 

This time last year, at the end of 2020, I think we were all just ready for the year to be over. But as we reach the end of 2021, and look with bright eyes towards 2022, you can feel the spirit of hope growing once again. 

Even though the pandemic isn’t over, 2021 saw us move into the progress and recovery stage. Vaccines were developed, plans were made and carried out, and we all settled into a new kind of normal.

In some ways, it's been a year of transition and growth. The workplace has certainly changed, and I for one, am glad that technology has reached the stage it has. Without it, life would have been so much harder.

There are still challenges ahead.  I still miss the closeness that we enjoyed before… and hugs. I really miss hugs. But, I am blessed with the ability to see my grandbaby gowing and laughing through video chats. I am lucky that I can send my family care packages and gifts purchased online from thousands of miles away.

Life may never be quite what it was, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. After all, life is always changing, and as we move ahead I think we learned a lot from 2021. Quarantine taught us to value our personal connections. It reminded us that community is important, and what it means to work together for a common goal. Now, when the opportunity to see a friend arises, I put down my phone and enjoy it.

Having a population that worked largely from home affected the world around us as well. We watched amazed, as whales returned to harbours not visited in generations, and wildlife rebounded and adapted. 

Living in Costa Rica, so closely entwined with the nature around me, has helped me cope with isolation and change. The natural world is resilient and inspiring. It gives me hope that we, as a species, can adapt too.

The turn of the year is a time to learn from the past, and look forward to the future.  So I’m going to put the last few years behind me and look forward, because there is so much to look forward to, and I invite you to join me! It may be another year of change, but it will be a positive one. 

A big part of that optimism is Costa Rica, and the resilience that this entire country displays. Costa Rica’s dedication to improvement inspires me every day, so I wanted to take the opportunity to share with you some of what we can expect in 2022.

Supporting Our Artisans in Great New Ways

By now you know how much I love anything to do with art. That’s why I was excited to learn that there will now be a permanent Artisan Market in Puntarenas with 60 artisan stalls! 

The market was made possible by the Costa Rican Institute of Pacific Ports, with the dual purpose of supporting local artisans and attracting more tourists. I know the idea of 60 vendors selling all sorts of amazing crafts is enough to get this tourist excited!

The market will also be home to some activities available designed to teach visitors about the culture and folklore of the area. I can’t wait to go check it out!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Puntarenas, it is one of the few ports with cruise ship docks in the country, which makes the fact that it’s been awarded an Ecological Blue Flag even more impressive. Google maps puts it just a short 1 hour and 15 minutes from Monteverde.

It’s a great place to visit the beach, enjoy the freshest seafood, or  visit the Marine Museum to check out the sharks. 

Coming Back Together Around Our Favorite Activities, Like  World Cup Soccer

I, personally, am not knowledgeable about soccer (or futbol as it’s called here in CR), but I do know that it’s a big deal to qualify for the finals of the World Cup, and Costa Rica is in the thick of battling to qualify! Soccer is hands-down the most popular sport in the country and this is bound to bring with it some unforgettable experiences.

For example, Costa Rica is scheduled to play against Panama on Thursday January 27. My tico neighbours are ecstatic, and I’m sure there is going to be a big get-together with bbq yummies, team colours and lots of vocal support. 

I’m just glad that they aren’t playing against the Canadian team (though Canada is doing great!) That might have been awkward. The image below is from the TicoTimes, where you can find a great article on the upcoming match.

A Continued Emphasis on Conservation and Sustainability

Costa Rica announced in February of 2019 that it plans to be a net-zero emission economy by 2050. The Foundations Stage is continuing through 2022. 

Long term the country plans to reduce its emissions by cutting back drastically on the use of fossil fuels, rolling back deforestation (which has been ongoing for quite a while now), and generally reworking much of the country’s infrastructure to use greener means of providing for its needs.

In the process, they will be creating millions of new jobs which will boost the economy. Sounds like a win-win to me!

To read the actual decarbonization plan, click the Title above. If, however, anything that long makes you panic just looking at it, I found a very interesting blog on the topic.

Welcoming Residents and Visitors with New Residency Policies

If by chance, your long-term goals include retiring in Costa Rica, you may be interested to learn that there are some changes in the pipeline. I say in the pipeline because they have been approved to move forward but there is no exact date for when the new policy takes place.

As a general overview, they are offering incentives to people who would like to make use of the investor category of residency. 

The new policy:

• lowers the amount you need to invest by 25%
• grants residency for a period of 10 years, up from the old 2 year period, 
• provides an income tax exemption on some of the money brought into the country
• Allows new residents to bring in a certain amount of property, duty-free

We’re waiting patiently for this to go through so we can become official! Click the link on top to find out what the residency process is like, or click the link just above to read the article in the TicoTimes.

When you also consider that there has been a recent uptick in the real estate industry, things are really looking up for Expats who, like me, want to toss away their snow shovels… permanently.

Residency is becoming faster and easier, and the new incentives are in place to let us know we’re welcome here in Costa Rica. 

In fact, this year Costa Rica ranked #1 on the International Living Magazine's Best Places to Retire list!

Staying Smart About Protecting Our Health

And to all visitors, I wanted to share a few thoughts about coming to visit. We live in a strange time, but there’s very few places I trust more than Costa Rica. 

Throughout the pandemic, Costa Rica has been an example to the world on how to balance the safety of visitors and residents while trying to preserve a heavily tourism-based economy. 

Well, moving forward into 2022 a lot of things are still uncertain, and at times watching the news it seems like we deal with a “new normal” every day. But one thing you can be sure about is that Costa Rica and the people here will continue to work hard to make sure that we can share the amazing joys of Costa Rica while making sure everyone stays happy and healthy!

Socially distanced tours and experiences was the first step. Costa Rica’s health pass was a second. And even now, Costa Rica is forging ahead to stay at the cutting edge of the health technologies needed to keep Costa Rica safe, and wonderful for everyone. 

If you’d like to learn more about Costa Rica’s entry requirements, and what you can expect from a health perspective once you get here, you can click on this great, up-to-date resource by the Costa Rican travel ministry!

A Wonderful Time to Be in Costa Rica

Even with the issues faced worldwide, 2021 in Costa Rica was characterised by sunshine, quiet gatherings and a general air of quiet determination. Of course, I’m speaking of my own experience. Overall, life here has been peaceful and cheerful.

In my little corner of the world, people have used the down time during quarantine periods to make improvements to their homes, to start new businesses, or renovate existing ones. They have come together and supported each other.

My own community has overgone a complete overhaul in attitude. When we first arrived, we didn’t know a lot of Spanish and it made us a little nervous to start conversations with our neighbours. Spending more time together during quarantine meant we all grew a little closer. 

Over the course of the last year, we have morphed from a group of people speaking several different languages and originating in many different countries, to a large group of friends. We help each other learn new languages. We share cultural traditions… and we gathered together to enjoy Christmas, each neighbour bringing something traditional to share with the others and explaining its importance.

For my part, I made pumpkin pie. Pumpkins don’t grow in this climate, and many of my neighbours had never tried it. I’m not sure if I managed to convert many of them, but they all dug in with big smiles and a sense of adventure. In the same way that I dug into the tamales they taught me to make.

I start each day feeling happy and thankful. Maybe it’s because of the Pura Vida attitude that permeates my new home. Life isn’t always easy, but when you live in paradise, it’s hard not to smile… and I personally am heading into 2022 with a warm smile and a positive attitude.

I hope you are too!

Pura Vida mi amigos and Happy New Year!