Living the Pura Vida -- Update from Costa Rica

 We came down to Costa Rica on January 5 to escape DC and live the "pura vida" -- the pure life, as the Costa Ricans say.  It's part of our plan to start spending the winters down here away from the cold.

It's still an experiment.  Everything is a bit of a challenge and there is always something new happening.  To take just one example, as I write this the power supply to the pump that drives our water well has failed -- so whenever the cistern empties we will be without water in our community ... at least until someone comes along to fix the problem.

We aren't terribly worried, of course, but its a small example of the challenge of living in Costa Rica.  On the other hand the benefits are immense!

The first photo, above is of the completed road to our land.  If you've been following along you know that we had to build the road before we could build the house.   Well ... the road is done now.  And late last December we got the final national approval for construction.  The municipality checked in with its own approval on January 14, and the plans for the house are now with the Collegio of Architects for final approval.

We met with the folks who are going to bid on the house earlier this month.  Their bids are due in on February 3.  On February 4, after we recover from the heart attack we can begin the process of selecting a builder.  Best case scenario is that they break ground by the end of February!  If that happens and if the 10 month construction schedule goes as planned we will have a completed house by the end of 2015.  Of course it may bleed over to 2016, but that's worth waiting for.  The picture of us is on our land.  The view behind us is what we will see every morning.

Meanwhile, appearances to the contrary, we are actually spending time working and relaxing.  Paul has been able to really dig into work for his clients and start on his next Teaching Company  course.   Katy is happy watching the birds every morning -- we have a couple of local Toucans, somer Oropendula and other species.  We are also doing some of the necessary leg work -- bank accounts and residency permits, for example -- to move things along.

But mostly we are just enjoying the peace of the place -- sunrise each morning; coffee; work at the "office" by the pool; exercise; and sharing this wonder with friends.  Two of them, Gail and Don, were down for 5 days earlier this month and two more, Lin and Gene, arrive today.  Meanwhile, our friends from Ohio, Bob and Jeanne, who we met last year here in Atenas, are back.  We've had a chance to get to share dinner with them, and of course they got to meet NatsGnome as well.

All, in all, the pura vida is the joy of life.  We are happy.