Costa Rica Cost of Living Update: Total Monthly CAJA (health insurance) for my husband and I — $197

I wrote my first Happier book in Grecia, a Central Valley town in Costa Rica. The reason we started our adventure there was that we needed to buy a car. It was the most unglamorous reason to move anywhere. Grecia, for reasons unknown to me, is the mecca for car lots. We gave ourselves three months and then would move along.

That three-month stay turned into three years. Grecia is one of the happiest places on earth. We rented a house on top of a mountain where we enjoyed temperatures in the 70s (21-26C). The Ticos were kind, even waving to us each time we rode past their house on our scooter. We made friends everywhere, except with Chihuahuas, who always chased us down the mountain. To this day, I get the finger from every Chihuahua I pass.

Each Saturday, we looked forward to shopping at the farmers’ market. Food is much less expensive in the Central Valley as compared to the coast. We brought a carry-on suitcase and stuffed it with all the produce that would fit. Rob then balanced it on our scooter, even shoving the eggs under our seat.

If you’ve read any of my books, you know why I’m so fond of this town. It was where everything in my life changed for the better. It’s where my writing career began. It’s a place where I imagined all sorts of things, and many of them came true.

Even though today we live at the beach, I can still remember that cool Grecia-mountain air. We didn’t need air conditioning or heat, so the inside was always the same temperature as the outside. I never realized how good that felt.

Every Thursday, we scooter’d to Poas Volcano. The scenery looks like a cross between Jurassic Park and the Swiss Alps. At 10,000 feet, it’s one of the few places in Costa Rica I needed a jacket. La Paz Waterfall Gardens is not far down the road. We’d visit there and walk through their butterfly observatory and hummingbird garden. Before going home, we’d stop at a Mirador and enjoy a hot cup of coffee. It was simple, and that’s what I remember most about starting our adventure—living a simpler life.

Our attorney reached out to us to let us know he is selling his mountain-view property. If you’ve read my Costa Rica Escape Manuals, then you are familiar with Gilford Banton Beckford. He helped us get residency and is one of the nicest guys we know. Residency rules kept changing, and our file became more complicated. Banton quoted us a low price for the job, even though it became clear the process was more than he expected. When we offered more money, he said, “I quoted you that price, and I’m a man of my word.” We have relied on his advice ever since.

I’m feeling nostalgic today, playing a mental slide show, recalling the good times, passing over the bad. Selecting out happy moments and shaking them like a snow globe.

What I’ve learned this year is to keep the good memories at the surface. Place a paperweight on them so a breeze can’t ruffle them away. Grecia will always be near the top of the pile, reminding me of where it all started, with scooter rides and yapping Chihuahuas. And of times when we stood 10,000 feet in the air.

(To contact Gilford about his property, you can email him at gbanton8@ice.co.cr , or call 506-8896-7910)