Feliz Navidad from all of us at CR Home!

The country of Costa Rica virtually shuts down from just before Christmas until after January 1.  Government and municipalities are closed as are state owned businesses.    Sure, there are still some retail establishments open and the bank is open for half a day today but for the most part…it is an established time for family and “pura vida”.
 
Streets are jammed in Grecia with last minute shopping and just simply enjoying the time off with family.   Almost every evening during the month of December , downtown Grecia has a parade , a show, or a concert of some kind.   Fathers visit the park and buy their children ice cream and families enjoy each other.  Mothers and daughters walk down the street with their arms around each other…and with no embarrassment ( would your teenagers even been seen in public with you?).

This time for us is a time of reflection too , because it gives us an opportunity to reflect again upon why we moved here and what we have learned.

Originally Rhonda and I decided to “retire” to Costa Rica primarily because of a lower cost of living AND because we wanted a different climate . ( hey, we’re from Minnesota ) AND because we wanted a different locale to retire other than the norm of Florida or California or Arizona. 

We have learned about property and we have learned how to build.   And our business, which was originally formed simply to help other newcomers has grown beyond our expectations.

But that isn’t the best part. 

For Rhonda and I , living in Costa Rica has meant a return to a simpler life that we always thought was gone . Many of us dream about days past when family was the center of everything and community was foremost. The days of respect and the simple virtues we learned when we were children are almost all gone.

And they have been replaced by a commercialism and a reliance upon the “system” and government taking over major parts of our lives.   And the present system has spiraled almost out of control…where medical care is now beyond the cost of the majority of citizens and “getting ahead” and even “staying even” and “keeping up with the Joneses”  have become the average person’s focus.  
We expected a change when we moved but we never expected what we have today…we have friends that accept us for what we are…we have a community that we are part of …we live in a country where family and community is valued above all else…families still gather weekly, without fail, to enjoy each other …children are valued and Christmas is a time, not only for presents , but for sharing…

I jokingly refer to our life here as kind of a Spanish “leave it to Beaver” movie but when I say it, everyone knows what I mean.  Nostalgia is a wonderful thing, but for most of us it is a dream.   Those dreams are alive and well in Grecia where we live. 

Christmas and the holidays are a time to enjoy each other and spend time with each other.   Back in the States Christmas has become a major production and it is considered almost mandatory to spend “more” each year for gifts.   Here, gifts are given but even the more affluent families do not give expensive presents…it is the time together that is the gift.  

Rhonda and I moved here for retirement and have found opportunities everywhere we look … and not only business opportunities but opportunities to make a meaningful difference in lives.   It takes very little to make a huge difference in lives here…whether it be employment of construction workers, donations to a school fund,  or donations to feed the poor.   We are happy that what we do makes a positive difference in lives…and that is another reason that confirms that what we do with CR Home is the right thing.   We believe that there are very few coincidences in life and that we ended up here for the reasons described herein.   And the people we work with and the friends that we have made are all proof of these “coincidences”.

So , in closing…we have been blessed and given so much more than we ever expected from the people here and the country.   Costa Rica not only has rekindled a past that we thought was gone but also has bought a new sense of adventure to our lives. 

Thank you to all of you who read these newsletters and our website…and to all of you we have met…and will meet.

Happy holidays and feliz navidad from all of us at CR Home…
Randy and Rhonda, Suts ,  Alberto,  Michaelangelo, and our new office manager… Johny. ( yes, correct spelling ).teve and Marzena, Rodrigo and Charlotte, Logan and Dolan, Liffer and Yolanda, Jilan and Charlene,  Alfaro the “woodpecker”, and our new sco