Costa Rica Cost of Living Update: Happier Than A Billionaire, $2.99 on Kindle and $12.99 in Paperback
The paperback version of my book is out today. I woke up anxious to share the news when I heard a loud crash. A tree had fallen, wrapped itself with the telephone wire and blocked the road right outside my driveway. Our internet was still working but I knew I had only minutes to share some good news.
I rushed to the sink to make a cup of coffee and realized there was no water. Wait? No morning coffee? This was serious. I dashed to the window just to reaffirm frogs and pestilence were not loitering on my terrace. Surely, judgement day had come.
With the threat of boils and lice dropping in by midday, I announced my paperback to the world via Facebook. I then went through a caffeine withdrawal which looked a lot like the shower scene in Silkwood.
When I logged back onto Amazon, I was happy to see I was number one in my category. Surprisingly, I also made number 45 in the Occult division. (Calm down mom, I haven’t spray painted any pentagrams on my wall. It is a rental you know.)
Good news is I was ranked above Wicca For Beginners but took a heavy beating by The Kitchen Witch Glossary of Cooking Herbs. Now, let me just preface this by saying I have nothing against witches for any of you out there ready to send me hate mail. I’ve always thought a cauldron was an excellent way to prepare large meals. And don’t get me started on how cool it would be to cast a few spells on some ex-boyfriends (preferably ones that cause hairy backs and receding gum lines). But sadly, my happy book about quitting my job and moving to Costa Rica just doesn’t have what it takes to be in such awesome company.
So maybe today was not Judgement Day. Just another day tackling unreliable utilities and fallen trees. Now I will have to spend all weekend trying to resolve this category issue. The beginning of that email will start something like this:
Sorry Amazon, I’m too cute to worship the devil. But I do hear hoofs for feet will be in fashion this fall season, so it is quite tempting.
Dear and much admired writer: You must know that Costa Rica is plagued by occult-related stuff, such as La Tulevieja (female Bigfoot), El Viejo’el Monte (Bigfoot), La Segua, El Cadejos (hell hound), El Mico Malo (infernal monkey), El Padre sin Cabeza (a spectre class apparition) and, finally, the cloudy skies (during the rainy season, which is most of the year) hide entire fleets of flying saucers, including a few colossal ones of the Mothership class. The reason there are no pics of UFO sightings in Costa Rica is because we have a cloudy and rainy sky almost all year long, really. But we get more UFOs than all North America. They love to hide here, cuz all those noisy airplanes one finds in North America don’t bother them.
Finally, there are the stone spheres, which were obviously made by the same aliens that make crop circles in England, and the fact that Costa Rican coffee is awesome for tasseomancy, a form of divination (which no one in Costa Rica actually practices, because we drink so much coffee that it causes us to have precognitive visions without the need for any divination ritual, you know, kinda using the spice melange from Arrakis to expand consciousness)
Therefore, any book about Costa Rica belongs in the occult-supernatural category. Amazon is right.
And you don’t need to worship the devil, if you are so cute that the devil worships you. 😀
You can not of been in C.R. very long. This place is going down hill faster then a metiorite falling to earth. Quit the deceptions. Tell the truth.
Are you Curt Browning, the famous figure skater? Tell the truth.
It is a known fact that Costa Rica is plagued with secret criminal organizations whose goal is to take over the world (they have secret bases hidden in extinct volcanoes and paradisaical islands), and they have EVIL NAZI SUPER-SCIENCE! Really. The place is going down hill faster than a meteorite, because mad-science super weapons end up turning against their creators; then, get loose and destroy the world. When flying zombie sharks with lasers get you, you will regret not having fled the country while you still had a chance. By the way, I would gladly accept all your stuff, so you could flee the country without being encumbered by heavy things (your belongings would not save me from them flying zombie sharks with lasers, poor me, I’m sacrificing myself to save you). I you have a house, I would accept it too. 😀
Loved the book! SO—is a second book in the works?
Thanks Carol!! Yes, there is a second book in the works. Sadly for my husband, there will be more stories about him. So many more adventures have happened, I want to share them with all the people who have been following me. I hope to have it out by the end of this year.
Headed to Costa Rica tomorrow… Second trip! My husband & I would like to have lunch if you all have any time to learn more about your transition to there!
Hi Catherine, I’m sorry but I’m off to see friends for Xmas. Definitely email me if you have any questions. I will surely meet up next time!
It is great when people have a happy and successful life, but to see someone from your own town make it, it is even more exciting. Congrats on the book. As soon as I am done with this post, I am downloading it to my iPad! GO LINDEN TIGERS!!!!
Than you so much John. I believe you probably know my friends Eddie and Frankie. I visit them every time I go back to Jersey. I hope you enjoy the book, lots of Jersey references and funny things about growing up in the 70’s and 80’s.
Hi Nadine,
I stumbled across the Kindle version of your book when I was looking for travel guides for an upcoming trip to Costa Rica. I was so excited for my vacation that I downloaded the Kindle application to my iPad for the sole purpose of reading your book, and it was well worth it. I have never been happier in my entire life than when in Costa Rica.
You found a way to articulate exactly how much I hate my job by comparing it to manipulating botflies out of my body. I’d much rather have a botfly than sit here at this desk. Clearly noted by the fact that I’m reading your blog, on my company time, telling you how much I hate being here. I’ve been back for two days. Once again, depression is induced by my surroundings. It’s time to get out of my comfort zone and book a one way ticket.
So happy for you!
Kimberly
You had me spitting out my coffee when I read this. I actually had to reread it out loud to my husband. I am touched you bought my book and was moved by my story. Seriously, I WAS you. Even the way you write, it sounds like me when I wrote that first chapter. It was a time in my life when I would do ANYTHING to get out of that office. Just anything. I felt like I had a ticking bomb inside me.
I hope you contact me if you are ever in the Tamarindo area. So many wonderful beaches, and I have a place I would love you to see. It is the Beach Club at the Hacienda Pinilla development. It only cost $20 a person (but that is credited to your food and drink) and it is so lovely, so swanky, and you don’t have to be a millionaire to enjoy it. I actually hand out in the travertine bathroom, seriously, I hang out in there. My husband always thinks I’ve been kidnapped.
Pick up that phone, book that vacation, and lets get you seeing some howler monkeys.
Okay I will read it. Was down last year and planning on coming down in September. I have a friend with a house in the hills outside Playa Hermosa / Jaco. By the way. My back is becoming hairy and my gum line is receding on two teeth. Have I met you before?
Dannie
LOL!!!! Okay, I was a little harsh on old boyfriends, but they really deserve a few spells cast on them. Trust me…I’m doing a service to all you nice guys out there. Let’s weed out the creeps.
I am not a “blog reader” never have and never…oops, I like what I am reading here. I think I am reading a blog and liking this more than the third cup of morning coffee. Sorry, not better than the first one. Keep writing, I love it.
Glad you like it. I wish I could say I got it all figured out, but as you can see, I’m just taking it one day at a time. I hope you keep reading, and laughing.
since I’m catching up on all blog posts, you’re going to get a lot of out of date comments from me most likely….
let me just say, i must be some kind of wizard because half of my exes have receding hairlines and the other half have hairy backs.
and in case of a caffeine emergency, you should get a french press and cold-brew some iced coffee. stat.
I shall cast a spell and all your ex-boyfriends will have a hairy back with receding hairlines.
These exes will also deposit large amounts of cash in your bank account to make up for your wasted time with them.
Your Welcome 😉
Congrats! The sun also rises, and the trees shall fall and the book will be loved by everyone.
I feel so low tech, my MIL ordered the kindle copy days ago and I will order the paperback tonight. Great cover, too.
We are so happy for you!
Thanks Alex, it was fun to write, although I did share a lot of stories about my husband. He doesn’t know half the stuff I wrote about him.
Started reading it on Kindle – it’s great so far! Love the way you write!
Possibly some kind of monkey god worshipper but definitely not a devil worshipper 🙂
Yes, I am planning to make a monkey shrine in my room. Maybe they will start coming to my side of the street.
Hey Nadine,
Congrats on the book coming out. I haven’t been able to wrestle the kindle away from my wife. But she finally finished today, so I can get going on it again.
I have had to be content with her laughing out loud, as she read it while laying next to me in bed.
She thinks it should be required reading for anyone contemplating a move to Costa Rica.
Warm Regards,
Pat
I am so glad she laughed. As you know, moving to Costa Rica can be challenging, but doing it with a husband originally from Brooklyn puts a whole new twist.
You can relate to all the stories, I am sure. And you are right, it should be required reading!!!
Hi Nadine,
Congratulations on completing and publishing te book. What an achievement.
Just ordered my copy today (paperback and Kindle copy) and am looking forward to making a start on it this afternoon.
Good luck with the occult readers too – how did that happen.
Say “Hi” to your sister Stacey, tell her some people do read the Acknowledgements section.
Best wishes,
Ian
My sister just gave me a call and couldn’t stop laughing after reading that. I told her people read the acknowledgements. I know I do.
I am so appy for your success as well. Wow…I see another book in your future.
Just ordered your book. Excited for you. Congrats!!!
Thanks!!! There will be a lot of laughs at my expense.
Congrats on the paperback release – that’s awesome!
Thanks Erin, pretty excited. I’m number one in my category today on Kindle. No clue how I ended up in the Occult category. But who knows, perhaps that’s a large fan base I’ve never considered?
Maybe it was the thing with the BATS.. lol
I can officially say, I am out of the occult category, replaced by the fun loving “adventure” category. I like that one a lot better.