Hotelmaster theme file not found.{"id":4998,"date":"2016-09-06T22:46:56","date_gmt":"2016-09-06T22:46:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/laterrazab-b.com\/?p=4998"},"modified":"2016-10-05T15:37:14","modified_gmt":"2016-10-05T15:37:14","slug":"my-golden-years-in-grecia-costa-rica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/laterrazab-b.com\/archives\/4998","title":{"rendered":"My Golden Years in Grecia, Costa Rica"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>My husband Charles and I retired the 1990&#8217;s. \u00a0It was impossible for us to understand all of the immediate and future lifestyle changes we would face in our &#8220;Golden Years.&#8221; \u00a0In the autumn of life, we wanted to fully embrace that season. Create a second childhood filled with titillation, activity, excellent health, and longevity.\u00a0 We could not visualize some of the positive and negative challenges that would be faced due to aging.<\/h3>\n<p>For before final retirement, Charles and I moved into a senior living apartment complex in Southern California.\u00a0 Most of the older tenants in the complex wanted to live the quiet life.\u00a0 No noise, no children or excitement.\u00a0 The best conversations seemed to be held in the laundry room. \u00a0Ironically, this senior complex was approximately four blocks away from a graveyard.\u00a0 After a year of quiet living,\u00a0 I realized that one day I would have plenty of quiet time in a cemetery just like the one up the road.<\/p>\n<p>My husband and I began to grasp the idea that retirement mean exploring new interests, pursuing new passions, getting our creative juices flowing. \u00a0We needed to find ways to routinely think outside of the box.\u00a0 With those new concepts in mind, we purchased a motor home and traveled the US. \u00a0Waking up in a new city, town or state frequently, learning to be impulsive became the norm. \u00a0During those travels, we came across several other mobile retirees who were eager to share their stories and ideas concerning the &#8220;Golden Years.&#8221;\u00a0 During one of our stopovers, there was an extensive discussion about living in Central America.<\/p>\n<h4>Previous to our retirement we believed the big switch from traditional pensions to self-directed 401(k) plans in the 1980s would guarantee our retirement goals. \u00a0In 2001 there was a market crash that significantly affected the 401 (K) plan we believed in.\u00a0 Not only was the crash an economic game changer but also forced us to contemplate who would care for us in the future. \u00a0If we needed outside assistance, what were the costs associated to care as we aged?\u00a0 We had not considered the cost of additional care previously as at that time we were both still very vibrant, energetic and in the best of health.<\/h4>\n<p>One morning in San Diego, California, gazing out onto the dock of the Bay.\u00a0 I began to consider what my former RV travel buddies mentioned about Central America.\u00a0 Traveling the US in a motor home was fun, but we began to desire to be in a fixed location. My husband and I enjoyed each other\u2019s company greatly. \u00a0However, the time came for him to have a relaxing man cave, and I needed my unique space.<\/p>\n<p>As we had trained ourselves to be impulsive and still wanted to seek adventure, I booked two tickets to travel and explore Panama.\u00a0 That visit to Panama put us on the road to Costa Rica. Visiting those two countries established a different kind of adventure and excitement back into our lives.\u00a0 At that time May 2002,\u00a0 we found Costa Rica to be very unusual. \u00a0Not the third world but the second. \u00a0The visit forced me to recall how people use to live in the 1950-60s in the US.\u00a0 We found modest grocery stores on several corners with fresh chicken, fresh fish, fresh vegetables. \u00a0 In Grecia, we concluded that old-time hustle and bustle. We saw things and heard sounds that over the years we both had grown unaccustomed to living as modernized, technology savvy suburbanites in the US.<\/p>\n<p>La Terraza Guest House B&amp;B in Grecia we rented for one year before purchasing.\u00a0 Once the decision was made to settle permanently in Grecia, the move impassioned us.\u00a0 We got excited all over again as we began new challenges learning the language, exchanging money, learning new products, culture and a new way of life for us.\u00a0\u00a0 Little things I learned were so important such as eating out of the can is expensive in CR. One day I picked up a can of beans that cost over $2.00 vs. $0.89 cents at home. Doritos, Lays, Pringles, things we take for granted are priced as luxury items.\u00a0 You quickly learn to live without them.\u00a0 Processed foods are expensive in Costa Rica while fresh foods are a lot cheaper.\u00a0 Passing by a bakery smelling the aroma of fresh bread, just a couple doors down are the meat markets selling fish that earlier that morning came in straight from the ocean.<\/p>\n<p>During the first year, we learned as permanent residents of Costa Rica health care is less expensive, in-home assistance is also drastically cheaper when compared to home.\u00a0 There are many qualified persons you can pay to come to your house clean and cook for you even when you are in need of 24-hour services.\u00a0 The Dr&#8217;s in Costa Rica still make house calls. On a bi-weekly basis, i can afford simple luxuries such as massages, manicures, pedicures, aromatherapy even hair cuts.\u00a0 All of these services are performed at my house versus traveling into town.\u00a0\u00a0 In my Golden Years the average DR in home visit is around $60.00.\u00a0 You don\u2019t need to dash to the ER and wait for hours if the problem is not life threatening.\u00a0 If your particular Doctor can&#8217;t come, he will send a colleague to tend to your needs.\u00a0 They have many DR&#8217;s who speak English and if they<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5001\" src=\"https:\/\/laterrazab-b.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/motor-home-1.jpg\" alt=\"motor home\" width=\"487\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/laterrazab-b.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/motor-home-1.jpg 487w, https:\/\/laterrazab-b.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/motor-home-1-300x154.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 487px) 100vw, 487px\" loading=\"lazy\" \/> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5002\" src=\"https:\/\/laterrazab-b.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/older-couple-2-1.jpg\" alt=\"older couple 2\" width=\"500\" height=\"935\" srcset=\"https:\/\/laterrazab-b.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/older-couple-2-1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/laterrazab-b.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/older-couple-2-1-160x300.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>don\u2019t a local in your neighborhood will willingly help you out with translation.<\/p>\n<p>When we first settled in Grecia, we put fear aside and jumped into the deep end of our community. We began attending a church even though we could not even speak the language.\u00a0 While enjoying the services and the spirit of the church we built new relationships. \u00a0The congregation was very welcoming and jubilant that we came to their village church.<\/p>\n<p>Socializing at church, with neighbors, being friendly and reaching out is how we found reasonably priced personal services. \u00a0House cleaning, auto repair, drivers a gardener, etc.\u00a0 Ladies I don&#8217;t know about you, but I did not retire to clean the house. \u00a0My husband did not retire to cut the grass.\u00a0 We love a clean home and beautiful gardens, but we knew we needed that type of help to maintain a carefree lifestyle. Most of these services are very inexpensive in comparison to the US. For the first time in our married life, we could spend time doing what we wanted to do together and not what had to do separately.\u00a0 Part of our new move to Costa Rica was to create a new relationship, we wanted to be boyfriend and girlfriend again, and it worked!<\/p>\n<p>Fresh eggs and farm fresh raw milk, jams, honey, vegetables, even a freshly plucked chicken can still be delivered daily directly to your doorstep.\u00a0 In Grecia, they have some of the best tasting sour cream and yogurt delivered to your home.\u00a0 Each small city seems to have its farmers market.\u00a0 Our farmers market in Grecia is open on Friday and Saturday mornings every week almost all year long.\u00a0 We do have organic vegetables and fruits.\u00a0\u00a0 When the electric gate is open to the compound as the guest sometimes forget to close it, my neighbors when driving pass call me immediately and tell me to lock the gate.<\/p>\n<h3>Charles passed some time ago.\u00a0 Now more than ever I&#8217;m grateful that we were not interested in how cheap we could live in Costa Rica but how high the quality of life would be while he was around, on this present date and moving into the future.\u00a0 It took many years of hard work and plenty of sweat equity to have an incredible &#8220;Golden Years.&#8221;\u00a0 I&#8217;m living the actual life of worry free retirement and loving it.\u00a0 My name is Jeanetta Owens Laterrazab-b.com.\u00a0 When you come to Grecia, don&#8217;t be shy, stop by and join me for coffee on the veranda!<\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Pura Vida&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>My husband Charles and I retired the 1990&#8217;s. \u00a0It was impossible for us to understand all of the immediate and future lifestyle changes we would face in our &#8220;Golden Years.&#8221; \u00a0In the autumn of life, we wanted to fully embrace that season. Create a second childhood filled with titillation, activity, excellent health, and longevity.\u00a0 We&#8230; <\/p>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/laterrazab-b.com\/archives\/4998\" class=\"excerpt-read-more\">Continue Reading<i class=\"fa fa-long-arrow-right icon-long-arrow-right\"><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[80],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aging-learning-living"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>My Golden Years in Grecia, Costa Rica - La Terraza Guest House<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Golden Years is the time of life after retirement when everyone wants to age gracefully and comfortably. 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