Mike and Alice Olson escaped the bitterly
cold winters of North Dakota and
found “home” in an idyllic
undiscovered beach town.
There, they say, they found warm temperatures and warm hearts…
“We wanted to live in a peaceful nation where we could afford to make
a difference in our community.
Costa Rica offered us all that and more…"
Dear International Living VIP Member,
Mike and Alice Olson were born, raised, and married in Fargo, North Dakota. They raised their children there.
But there came a time when they’d had enough. Fargo, as you may know, is one of the coldest cities in the United States. From October through March, temperatures rarely rise above the freezing mark. Brutally cold winds blow across the flat plains, often bringing long, heavy snows.
"We used to be kind of proud of ourselves for surviving those winters," they say. But finally, enough was enough. After a stint in New York City, they found beach life calling to them.
"We wanted to live in a place that was warm… and peaceful," they say.
And that’s exactly what they found in Costa Rica in the tiny Nicoya Peninsula beach town of Nosara.
The beaches there are the main attraction, Mike and Alice say. There are five separate nearby beaches, in fact, in secluded coves and bays. The largest, Playa Guiones, is three miles long, and has been named by National Geographic as one of the top 20 surfing destinations in the world.
The beautiful beaches and the laidback tranquility of Nosara attract young, lively visitors who come to surf, practice yoga, and enjoy the stunning natural landscape and wildlife.
"There are howler monkeys and Olive Ridley turtles that lay eggs on the beach and gorgeous birds everywhere," Mike and Alice say.
On their first trip to Nosara, back in 1994, Mike and Alice bought a little house just three blocks from the beach.
"It was all we could afford."
And they settled in to make a life in the idyllic little beach town that "has a fabulous commitment to community."
While a lot has changed in the 20+ years that Mike and Alice have lived in Nosara (everyone today has a cellphone and the internet is everywhere) the sense of community has remained strong.
"We created a non-profit to build a community library back in 1999," they say. "Now it supports a recycle center and environmental education, organizations that care for both wild animals and domestic pets, new facilities for our local public schools and scholarships for our Montessori school."
Over the years, they renovated their home and gardens into a tropical oasis. Two years ago they sold it in favor of a new house in the hills with an ocean view.
They watched as both foreign retirees and young families have moved into the area.
"We now have two well-known yoga centers that train students and teachers. You can get a class any time of the week, and that contributes to a very tranquil way of life in the community. We have a couple of small supermarkets now, and our Montessori school now has 175 students. All this has changed our community for the better and brought a new young energy to Nosara."
Life is good in Nosara, Mike and Alice say. At home, they sit on the porch and watch the wildlife. They play bridge and enjoy dining at friends’ homes or in one of the many eclectic restaurants…
"We couldn’t ask for a better retirement."
Costa Rica ticks almost all the boxes on anyone’s retirement checklist:
- Conveniently close to home—With many direct flights to two international airports (and a third in the works), it’s close to the U.S. and Canada, (less than three hours from Miami).
- Excellent weather—From the temperate Central Valley to the beautiful tropical beaches, there’s a climate for everyone.
- Top-quality healthcare—The World Health Organization praises Costa Rica for its health care system, and has ranked it better than the U.S., despite spending 87 percent less on healthcare per capita.
- The most stable democracy in Latin America—No other country has the peaceful history and democratic stability of Costa Rica (and no army)!
- All the comforts of home—modern shopping malls and world-class hospitals. Reliable high-speed Internet is available just about everywhere.
- Low, low taxes—You’ll pay zero income taxes on foreign-earned income. If you buy a home in Costa Rica, your annual property taxes will be little more than $200-$500 in most cases. And there’s no capital gains tax!
- With one of the world’s lowest poverty indexes and a high standard of living, Costa Rica offers a surprisingly low cost of living.
Sure, some of the things I’ve just mentioned are also true of many Latin American countries. All are more affordable than the U.S. and some are even closer geographically (but not by much). Many have democratically elected governments, although few with as longstanding history as Costa Rica.
But as Mike and Alice and others have learned, Costa Rica offers advantages most of us aren’t aware of:
- A built-in community of English-speaking locals and expats—it’s said that more than 11,000 U.S. retirees currently live in Costa Rica.
- It’s healthy… with little pollution and lots of clean water and fresh air. (Costa Rica is one of the only countries in the world to reverse deforestation!) A staggering 99% of its energy comes from renewable, money-saving sources.
- Adult literacy is practically 100%. Thanks to the well-educated, well-informed workforce, many international companies have offices, factories, and call centers here—contributing to the strong and stable economy.
- The happiest people in the world live here . Sociologists from the Happy Planet Index have said Costa Ricans "report the highest life satisfaction and have the second-highest average life expectancy of the Americas (second only to Canada)."
It’s no wonder that many foreign retirees are living Pura Vida (the purely good life) in Costa Rica. And you could, too…
Find Out if Costa Rica is Right for You
Announcing International Living’s
2015 Fast-Track Costa Rica Package
Including all the recorded presentations, speaker’s slideshows and more… from this year’s 2015 Fast Track Costa Rica: Lifestyle and Opportunity Conference.
Listen in and discover everything you need to know about Costa Rica to determine if it’s your ideal retirement or relocation destination…
Come away with all the knowledge and contacts necessary to make your move with confidence.
| Access the 2015 Fast Track Costa Rica Package Here |
|---|