When my wife and I moved to Costa Rica nearly seven years ago, we moved with the intention of leaving a "rat race" in the States, retiring to a completely different atmosphere and being able to enjoy life maybe a little more than if we had stayed in the States ( hey, we aren't rich!)

We anticipated maybe buying a little piece of land, building a house and peacefully enjoying the rest of our lives without the pressures that life in the States coupled with owning our own small business...seemed to bring. Well, we did do all of that but what then transpired could have been the topic for a movie script.

The ambiance of the people, and their true acceptance of us, as well as the ease at which we seemed to "fit in" truly astounded us. Many people have problems with the slower pace, the manana attitude, and the bureaucratic nightmares which seem to permeate the culture.... as well as the many seemingly illogical ways of dealing with life. Somehow we didn't. Sure, it bothered me in particular that we had to wait for a day to open a bank account or get a phone line... or even get a simple document completed. But somehow we managed to adapt and adjust our way of thinking.

The beauty and diversity of the country is astounding. A short drive can take you to several different microclimates... from cloud forest to rain forest to agricultural farmland to mountains and volcanoes...all in the space of half a day! And the people in each area are literally as different as night and day...much like the people are different from California to Kentucky to Maine... except in a much much smaller area.

We began a company to help people deal with the intricacies of buying real estate and building in Costa Rica. And slowly it grew...and grew some more. And before we knew it we were developing land ( on a small scale) and building houses. We were written up in Newsweek and other publications. The simple life that we had sought wasn't so simple anymore.

But it was fun. And that is the difference... the beauty, the simplicity, the acceptance and the seeming inevitability of our business growth and the fact that it just "seemed to happen" makes everything all worthwhile.

Costa Rica has given us everything we could ever want out of life. And in spite of all the little things that sometimes do go wrong here...we now see the glass as being half full instead of half empty.

If you are tired of your life or your situation ... or maybe you just want or need a change...visit Costa Rica. You just might end up staying the rest of your life. To explore more of your options in this great country... check out http://www.cr-home.com

Randy Berg and his wife moved to Costa Rica after selling their business and everything they owned...they knew no Spanish and not one single person when they arrived. Read about some of the things they have come to love...and a few that they don"t. "You ain't in Kansas anymore. "

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