The sun had just started climbing over the palms in Santa Cruz, the kind of sunrise that doesn’t rush you—just shows up, beautiful and calm, whether you’re ready or not. Skip sat at a small wooden table outside a soda near the beach. He held a cup of coffee firmly with both hands, staring into it like it might offer life advice. Once upon a time in Florida, mornings meant traffic reports, emails before breakfast, and arguing with red lights that clearly had it out for him. No

Christmas in Costa Rica doesn’t arrive with a shopping cart — it arrives with a chair pulled up to the table. Skip still remembers his early Christmases back in Florida. December meant calendars packed with obligations, traffic that tested patience, and a quiet, unspoken competition that hovered over every gathering. Gifts were wrapped beautifully, receipts tucked away “just in case,” and somewhere in the middle of it all, Skip often found himself exhausted by Christmas morni

Skip wiped a bit of powdered sugar off his shirt, spooned a bit of sweet cherries from the side of the plate and looked across the table at Teresita, and declared with full confidence,“Alright, I’m saying it. I’ve traveled, I’ve tried everything… but nothing—and I mean NOTHING—beats Tres Leches.” Teresita folded her arms, raised one eyebrow, and grinned.“Por supuesto, Skip. You finally understand something important in life. This is cultural growth. This is maturity. This is…

Have you ever wondered how to make REAL Costa Rican tamales like the ones served at Christmas in every Tico home? After our tamal-making adventure went viral last week, hundreds of you asked for the authentic recipe — and today, I'm sharing my family's traditional tamal recipe that's been passed down for generations! This isn't a quick recipe (fair warning!), but it's THE authentic way Costa Rican families make tamales for holidays and special celebrations. Grab your apron, c

Skip: Every December, I watch Costa Ricans gearing up for tamal season like it’s the culinary Super Bowl. I still don’t understand what triggers the frenzy. One minute everyone’s calm and living Pura Vida… the next minute they’re boiling pork at dawn and hoarding banana leaves like the apocalypse is coming. Teresita: Skip, you need to stop acting like tamales are some cute little snack. This is Christmas engineering. Making tamales is basically our version of NASA launch prep

Skip’s Viewpoint: So apparently I’m not as relaxed as I thought. Back in Florida, I always considered myself a professional-level relaxer. I had a backyard hammock from Home Depot, and I sat in it two whole times—which, in my book, practically qualified me for the “Zen Master Lifetime Achievement Award.” But then Costa Rica happened. I moved down thinking I’d slide effortlessly into the Pura Vida groove. I pictured myself drinking coffee, watching toucans, swinging in my hamm

Skip’s Viewpoint – The Expat From Florida Skip had lived in Florida long enough to know three things: Smiling at strangers makes them suspicious. Waving at strangers makes them more suspicious. Saying hello to strangers means you’re either running for office, crazy or selling something. So when Skip arrived in Costa Rica, he brought that same “don’t-make-eye-contact” philosophy with him. But it didn’t last long. One morning, he was wandering through a small mountain town, pr

Saying “YES” more often in Costa Rica is like discovering a hidden superpower. Skip's point of view For Skip, the proud expat adventurer from the USA, that magical little word has become his new favorite toy. Back home, the wildest thing he said “YES” to was ordering dessert on a weekday . But now he’s here in Costa Rica — where people say “YES” to last-minute beach trips, mystery foods, zip-lining through jungles, and dancing like nobody is watching (even though everyone mos

In Costa Rica, the Abuela isn’t just a sweet older lady who hands out cookies. No, no, no… she is the sun around which the entire family orbits! She’s the leader of the pack, the CEO of the household, the undisputed referee of every family disagreement and the master chef whose secret recipes are taken straight from the heavens. If you think the President is in charge, trust me… the Abuela outranks him in every home! Teresita knows this. Born and raised in Costa Rica, she ha

DISCLAIMER IMPORTANTE (But Make It Fun): ¡Atención, mis amores! Before Skip and I make you laugh about our driving adventures, let's be clear: This blog is 100% HUMOR and 0% driving advice! Costa Rica has way too many traffic accidents because some people think traffic laws are more like "traffic suggestions" or "traffic maybe-if-I-feel-like-it." We DO NOT endorse, approve, or recommend driving like a loco/loca! Please use your materia gris (gray matter) when behind the wheel

(Teresita of Santa Cruz & Skip the Expat) Skip’s Viewpoint “Ah, mi amor, you have no idea what true happiness is until you’ve tasted Gallo Pinto con alma! ” Teresita says proudly, standing in her colorful kitchen in Santa Cruz. The air smells like heaven! It's a mix of cilantro, onions and a splash of Lizano sauce that could wake up an entire neighborhood. “My abuela,” she continues, eyes twinkling, “could make Gallo Pinto thirty different ways. Thirty! And that was just be

When Skip arrived in Costa Rica, he was full of enthusiasm, checklists, and enough bug spray to protect an entire village. He’d read...

The eternal struggle: Tico Time  Tica: “Relax. If the party starts at 7, show up at 8:30.”   Expat: “I arrived RIGHT ON TIME and ended up...

Skip's point of view Back in South Florida, my “coffee time” was less about socializing and relaxation. . and more about survival and...

The Way Skip See's the Rainy Season. . Through the Lens of an Expat! If you’ve ever visited Costa Rica, you know the locals smile...

(Skips's point of view) When you first land in Costa Rica from your home country, friendship seems so easy. Everyone smiles. Everyone...

Pura Vida is magical… until it’s not. It’ll smooth over a late arrival, turn a line-cut into a laugh, and make a fruit-stand hello feel...

Listen instead: full blog narration by Tere & Skip. Press play. When Skip honked at a family of iguanas crossing the road and my...