Yes - I only named 2 ducks.  Mr. Keating died sometime in October, and our darling Macaroni was killed by a raccoon in November.  We were crushed.  Owning livestock is a learning experience, and we still feel the ghosts of our daily rhythms.  Sometimes in the morning I think Oh crap we forgot to let the ducks out, or at night I realize with a start that they need to be put away. Or when I open the front door it feels strange not to hear raucous quacking.  It’s nice not having the responsibility, but I really look forward to having ducks again.

And now we’re back to chicken eggs.  Chicken eggs are wussy.  They’re small (even the jumbo ones).  The shells seem unduly thin and the yolk is watery & flimsy.  It’s the difference between Schwarzenegger and the proverbial 98 pound weekling.  We gave one of our neighbors some eggs in summer as thanks for helping us out and a few days later the best he could say was I can stomach ‘em with measurable distaste.  It took some self-control not to tell him what a wuss he was.  Every time he rides by on his Harley I always think that he’s not as bad-ass as he looks

But no place is perfect, and if you are going to make an international move, you have to take the rose-colored glasses off and go with your eyes wide open.  Things *will* be different and some things will be hard to let go.  An eye-opener for me last year was the tale of another family, rather similar in outlook to mine, went to Costa Rica and just had a miserable experience.  They were gullible and not prepared for the realities that awaited them.  I’ll probably have additions to this list after living in there awhile, but this is what I’ll miss about the US for now.

Our library by smantrom

1. The library system

I use our library system a LOT, and Costa Rica has few libraries.  Our local library is small and in a gorgeous little historic building, but I have access to almost everything in our library system.  I can go online and request books, music & movies and get a nice email when they’re waiting for me.  When I find a book I want to read, the first thing I do is look it up in the library system and add it to my list.  Same thing for movies, audiobooks and, to a much lesser extent, music.  Recently I’ve been really into movies - especially since the 2nd closest library is practically a video store.

The best part is the books for my children.  I can’t imagine a better foundation to develop a love for reading than to let them loose at the library and see how excited they are to pick out books.  Using the library saves a lot of money, but it’s especially true for children’s books.  You can’t always predict what book will capture a child’s long-term imagination and which ones are worth a single read.  And having the choice and freedom to explore different stories and topics is priceless.

I will probably miss the library more than I will miss family members.  Seriously - I can have a quick videochat with a relative but new books are often not available in Costa Rica, especially less mainstream fare.  I can mitigate this by getting an e-reader, but there will still be books that can only be acquired from Amazon.  And getting new children’s books will be tough.  We’ll have to keep an updated wishlist on Amazon and ask our folks to send a big box of books down once or twice a year.

2. Easy online shopping & shipping

Well, you can buy stuff online from CR too, but shipping (and occasionally customs) is a bigger expense.  You can spend more to ship internationally, or use a service like Aerocasillas (where you get a US address and then the service ships it internationally).  Now this is part of the lifestyle & outlook change - live more simply, live with less, etc - so it’s not a complaint.  But I know I’ll miss it.  Especially since I recently got into boardgames which will be much harder to come by.  I suppose I’ll take it slow and enjoy what we have to the fullest, but there will be times when I wish I could order something and have it come sooner & cheaper.  I doubt I can buy a sofa online and have it shipped for $1 like in the US.

3. Reliability of services

In America, if the cable company says they’ll be there on Tuesday between noon and 5pm, they will show up by 5pm on Tuesday.  If they can’t, they will let you know.  If they make a mistake and no one shows up, they’ll try to make nice by offering a free box of Jujubes.  In Costa Rica, if the cable company says they are coming mañana, it could mean tomorrow, 2 weeks, 2 months or never.  Once you actually get a service - like cable or dsl - it will work.  Most of the time.  And hopefully as good as advertised (there are many who say that high speed internet in Costa Rica qualifies as great dial-up in the US).  I know that at some point when I need to work online, I won’t be able to and it’ll stress me out until I get used it.  This is another lifestyle change to adapt to, perhaps not wasting time and using the internet when it is available for what is truly necessary.  I guess it’s not all bad when you think in terms of needs vs wants, but it’ll take some getting used to regardless.

That’s my list for now.  I’m sure I’ll have some more to add by this time next year - hopefully not too much more

Ah - Imperial. Costa Rica’s yummy cerveza. Instead of champagne, I thought it would be more apropriate to toast to the upcoming year with The Beer of Costa Rica. We have an adventure that’s already begun and much to look forward to. Here’s wishing everyone a peaceful, fulfilling new year. Don’t ignore your dreams - inspire yourself and make them happen.

(I love how the ornate eagle on the label seems to be holding … a towel. Or as they say in Spanish, una toalla. Why is it there? Is the bird going to poop?)

In the process we’re craigslisting, freecycling and just plain getting rid of Stuff.  And that feels GREAT.  I never felt possessions as a weight but getting rid of them feels like a weight lifting.  Maybe it’s chi - who knows?  I think getting rid of stuff that are remnants of a past life is really it.  It’s hard to move forward if you keep looking behind and the closer we get to the move, the more I find myself looking forward and not back .  It took me years to learn to just move on and stop wishing that this & that were different.  In some ways, I don’t have a choice so there are no more excuses to procrastinate.  And I don’t think it’s reinventing myself as much as just becoming me.