The Accidental Expat: A Costa Rican Adventure

By Adelia Ritchie, PhD

By Dan Lee, former journalist and author of Indian Shadow

I was sitting in a tree house, which was cozied up to the jungle, when Adelia came in. I'd known her for years, but we'd never met in person. She looked into my eyes and said, "I need a margarita." I felt empathy right away.

Los Gatos Locos restaurant and bar is in Ojochal, Costa Rica, and is a tree house in the jungle. We go there to visit our son who owns the place. Adelia was in Costa Rica, scouting out a place to live, but had been visiting over several years. She was going to make the jump from Washington state for personal reasons.

These vignettes give a flavor of what it's like to leave the US in your seventh decade, with what you can take on the airplane, and ship the rest in a container. Of course, you might be just sixty or even fifty, with a taste for adventure. The jungle will lower your blood pressure, and expat society is far better than looking at the UPS man on a bell cam.

Behind the vignettes, the brightly colored houses, the friendly natives, and the ecological consciousness, there is the reality of the jungle. There are jaguars that follow the banks of a river, flocks of rainbow-colored parrots, bands of monkeys, snakes, caymans, and termites.

I'll let you make up your own mind about eating termites. Adelia says they taste like peanuts. Or was it popcorn? Anyway, she's adventurous. You can be too. Buy this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Newman Springs Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 16, 2024
• ISBN: 9798890610690

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Foreword

Preface

A Writer's Lament

Getting There

Memories from a Former Life

Chapter 1: Why I Left My Nest and Moved to Costa Rica

Chapter 2: Eight Checked, Two Carry-Ons

Chapter 3: Journey to a New Life

Chapter 4: The Scarlet and Sage Casita

Falling in Love with Costa Rica: Arachnophilia

Chapter 5: Aprendizaje (The Learning)

Chapter 6: Monkey Balls

Chapter 7: An Extra-Ordinary Bird

Chapter 8: A Dessert for the Gods

Chapter 9: Tortillas, Huevos, and the Tico Way

Chapter 10: Night of the Flies

Chapter 11: Summiting the Mountain of Death

Settling In: Unseen

Chapter 12: Starting Over — One More Time

Chapter 13: Sinking into Pura Vida

Chapter 14: Hell Hath No Highways

Chapter 15: An Iguana Ate My Blackberries

Chapter 16: How to Buy a Tico House

Chapter 17: The Ants Go Marching One by One, Hurrah, Hurrah!

Costa Rica Living: Under the Mosquito Net

Chapter 18: Ojochal—Decompression Phase

Chapter 19: Kermit Lied. It's Easy Being Green

Chapter 20: It Didn't Start Out to Be an Adventure

Chapter 21: How to Eat a Mango—Don't Try This in Public!

Chapter 22: Easy Tropical Breakfast Recipe, Gluten-Free

Chapter 23: The Beaning of Life, Central America Style

Chapter 24: Building a Clothes Closet—Tico Style

Chapter 25: A Loverly Buncha Coconuts

Chapter 26: Water, Water, Everywhere… Just Not Today

Chapter 27: Are You Sure You Want to Move to Costa Rica?

Chapter 28: A New Language, a New Life: The Gateway to la Pura Vida

Chapter 29: Americans Are Ruining Costa Rica

Chapter 30: Epilogue: Coming Home to Costa Rica

About the Author

The Accidental Expat

A Costa Rican Adventure

Adelia Ritchie, PhD

Copyright © 2024 Adelia Ritchie, PhD

All rights reserved

First Edition

NEWMAN SPRINGS PUBLISHING

320 Broad Street

Red Bank, NJ 07701

First originally published by Newman Springs Publishing 2024

ISBN 979-8-89061-068-3 (Paperback)

ISBN 979-8-89061-069-0 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

For my dad, whose French heirloom tomatoes I've grown for more than thirty years, in gardens planted from one end of the USA to the other. Today, descendants of these tomato plants are aggressively vining around my new garden in Costa Rica, thriving in tropical heat and humidity.

Thanks, Dad, for teaching me the gardener's way. ¡C'est ma vie!

Foreword

When we think of adventure, we imagine exploring far-off lands, trying exotic foods, and experiencing new cultures. But for many of us, the idea of actually picking up and moving to a foreign country can be daunting. That's why I'm thrilled to introduce you to the inspiring story of Adelia Ritchie, who took the leap and moved to Costa Rica at the age of seventy-something, and now shares her incredible journey with us in this book.

Filled with fun anecdotes, practical advice, and tales of thrilling adventures, this biography is a must-read for anyone considering making a similar move. From the moment she first set foot in Costa Rica, many years ago, Adelia embraced the country's vibrant culture and stunning landscapes. Her warm and engaging storytelling brings to life the joys and challenges of becoming an expat, from learning the language to making new friends.

One of the most striking things about Adelia's story is her willingness to dive headfirst into new experiences. Whether it is trying new foods, exploring unfamiliar places, or meeting new people, she embraces the unknown with open arms. And while there are certainly moments of uncertainty and even fear, Adelia's unwavering optimism and sense of adventure kept her moving forward.

But this book is much more than just a memoir of one woman's journey. It's also a practical guide for anyone considering making a similar move. Adelia shares invaluable advice on everything from finding housing and navigating the immigration system to building a social network and immersing oneself in the local community. Her insights are honest, helpful, and often humorous, making this book an enjoyable read for anyone with an interest in travel or living abroad.

Adelia's story is a testament to the power of taking risks, embracing new experiences, and living life to the fullest. Her journey is sure to inspire readers to consider their own paths and to seek out adventure and joy in their own lives. So sit back, relax, and prepare to be transported to the stunning landscapes and vibrant culture of Costa Rica through Adelia's captivating storytelling, rich watercolors and photographs, and insightful poems.

—Stacy Mantle, author of the award-winning Shepherds Moon series of novels

Preface

A Writer's Lament

I used to think I was moving to the ideal location for living the writer's life. Here in Costa Rica, the weather is always perfect (except when it isn't), the pace is slow, and nobody seems to worry about anything much.

Here, I can sink into a hammock, laptop in place, and pound on the keyboard all day long without a care in the world. My book is nearly finished, and I just need to tidy it up and do a final edit before sending it off.

So why have I stalled at this point for the past several weeks? Maybe months? Well, for starters, I blame my to-do list and the out-of-control Little Man in my Head who just will not STFU.

Excuses

At 5:11 a.m., every morning, daylight crawls in on eight hairy legs. I bound out of bed, have a good pee, turn on the coffee, put last night's clean dishes away, pour myself a cuppa, and crawl back in the sack with laptop to catch up on the news and emails.

Oh, and Facebook, Substack, Medium, NYT, WaPo, Seattle Times (just for the comics), and whatever messages have come in over FB Messenger, iMessage, Skype, and WhatsApp. I left Twitter a while ago, permanently.

I'm so looking forward to finishing that last chapter! But first, I need to make the bed, water and weed my veggie garden, and scramble some eggs, brush teeth, take meds, wash face—all that stuff.

Skype wakes up to announce next week's work meetings. Added to calendar and confirmed. Facebook notifications checked (again).

Oops! Spanish class at nine! I'm late! Behind schedule already, and the day hasn't yet gotten underway.

It's already 10:00 a.m.

Aside from my office desk, I have two areas where I like to write in a comfortable, semiprone position. One, my favorite, is my ancient, beat-up, overstuffed sofa in the living room, which is small enough to be called living womb. When I sit down, the sofa wraps around me lovingly, encouraging me to spread out and just relax, dear. There's plenty of time. And I'm down for a twenty-minute nap.

My second favorite is out back on the patio, where I have a comfy old lounge chair with a small table for my libation du jour, where I fully recline to allow for the correct positioning of my laptop. Although not as cushy as my sofa, the breeze is fresh, the birds are serenading, and I can hear my neighbor's white horse chomping on the grass next to my backyard fence.

I'm ready to write

But no. The Little Man in My Head wakes up to announce that I need to do a load of laundry. And when am I going to paint the guest room? My friend will be here next week! And I'm out of butter and won't be able to scramble eggs tomorrow unless I go to the store. And it's Friday, and is anyone going to happy hour later today?

STFU, Little Man!

For about five minutes, my mind is back on my book. I open the file to the Table of Contents, and that's when Fred, my resident blackberry-thieving iguana, decides to take a sunbath in the tree directly across from where I'm sitting, lounging, dozing, not writing. He's posing, I'm certain. He might even be flirting with me. I've had worse.

Where's my camera? The light on him is perfect. I want to paint him in watercolors later. The artist's brain kicks in with composition, pigments, and as soon as I finish this book, I'm going to paint this bad boy!

Pictures taken, filed away for later use, the clock strikes 11:00 a.m. I refill my glass of iced tea and decide to write this piece, just for fun.

As soon as I finish this, then I'll get back to work on that last chapter of my book.

Unless, that is, something else comes up.

Much later

Well, friends, with enough poco a poco, eventually, everything gets done. I hope you enjoy these little adventures and come to love this beautiful place as much as I do.

¡Pura Vida, everyone!

Part 1

Getting There

Memories from a Former Life

A tiny cloisonné salt shaker

bright Fiestaware plates

Mother's jade earrings

ceramic piggy banks

Worn furniture, much loved

a garden, well-tended

until now neglected

yet still bearing fruits

My blue-painted cottage

my chatty chickens

the cozy home I made

in the small town I loved

Those memories held

in places and artifacts

hunker in my wounded heart—

are they