COMMUNITY & COMPANIONSHIP

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

(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...