3 Jul

Jeanetta Owens Embarks on a New Adventure

My first week in Costa Rica was spent at La Terraza Guest House B&B here in Grecia, Costa Rica. Before leaving the US, I had studied Trip Advisor’s website and found two places I was interested in staying in when I arrived. As soon as I saw this beautiful, bright yellow property surrounded by nature, I knew this was the place I want to stay.

On my very first night at La Terraza, I was in my bungalow apartment, getting pretty hungry. For some reason, I was craving pizza. I wasn’t sure if anyone in the main house could help me to order a pizza, so I called the phone number I had in my contacts. When Charles Owens answered, I explained my request. At that point, I wasn’t quite sure whether Charles was African American or not and didn’t want to embarrass myself by asking, so I didn’t. Charles told me his mother was there and she could help me. He said, “Just knock on the door.” When I did, a beautiful African American woman opened the door with a big smile and said, “Hello.” My intuition had been correct. La Terraza Guest House B&B is black-owned—what a surprise!

That first encounter with Jeanetta proved to be a miracle for me. During that first week, she assisted me in getting a new Costa Rican cell phone number, signing up for Internet service, and purchasing an air mattress because my furniture had yet to arrive from the States. Jeanetta was a godsend. I genuinely don’t know what I would have done without her help. She is fluent in Spanish and acted as my interpreter. My first week in Costa Rica was delightful. I was only a guest but treated like family.

Jeanetta and Charles Sr., her late husband, relocated to Costa Rica from Omaha, Nebraska. They had lived in many countries, including Germany and Japan, before moving to Costa Rica more than eighteen years ago and decided to buy this gorgeous property. La Terraza is the best-kept secret in Costa Rica, located in San Roque de Grecia, a small mountain village about 4100 feet above sea level. La Terraza is neatly nestled along the Vigi River that borders two towns, San Roque and Los Angeles. Today, she and her son Charles welcome and entertain guests worldwide, including the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and many other countries. La Terraza is receiving rave reviews from visitors from all parts of the globe and is recognized worldwide as one of the best places to stay in Costa Rica.

I thoroughly enjoyed falling asleep to the sounds of the rushing river in the back of the property and waking up in the morning to the sounds of different species of birds that visited the garden daily and the sweet smell of freshly brewed Costa Rican coffee. However, one of the activities that I enjoyed the most was having a Costa Rican-styled breakfast prepared by Cristina on the open-air patio every morning with other guests. It was an excellent opportunity to meet other people from all over the world and make new friends.

When you visit Costa Rica, I encourage you to spend a few days at La Terraza Guest House B&B. You won’t be treated like a guest. Instead, you’re treated like family.

Now let’s talk about Jeanetta’s new adventure. Jeanetta is relocating to Tanzania on the African continent in July of this year. She has wanted to do it for quite some time and even visited several African countries, which included Uganda and Rwanda, back in 2020 and fell deeply in love with the Motherland. While in Tanzania, her friend Delma Jackson introduced her to Vicensia Shule, and they immediately became friends. Vicensia is a young entrepreneur in Tanzania, and like many other young folks she, she met possess wonderful talents that you will likely hear about soon. Our small group in Costa Rica is working on some wonderful things right now, so stay tuned for the journey. It’s just begun.

Many of her friends and I do not want her to leave, but she must go and begin this new adventure. My wife and I will miss her companionship on road trips, hosting epic events that included birthday parties, BBQs, and Caribbean styled affairs at La Terraza Guest House B&B.

I recently asked Jeanetta 4 questions:

(Q) What made you decide to move to Africa and, precisely, Tanzania?

(A) When I first arrived by plane in Tanzania, “it felt like home, and this is where I should be.”

(Q) What are your immediate plans in Africa?

(A) I will be staying in Dar es Salaam but will travel to several other destinations, including Mwanza, to get a good feel for the country and a lay of the land.

(Q) What do you hope to accomplish?

(A) My primary purpose and goal are to inspire Africa’s young people, especially those in business, to broaden their horizons, develop new products and services, and expand their markets. Jeanetta calls this “Bridging Cultures.”

(Q) Is this a permanent relocation, or do you plan on returning to Costa Rica in the future?

(A) I will only return to Costa Rica to visit.