God willing and the creeks don’t rise, one month from today at this very moment (4:56 pm) I will be sitting at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport with Charli waiting to board the first leg of our flight to Costa Rica!
Gadzooks!
After years of imagining and planning — and months of hard work — I’ll be on my way to a whole new adventure.
It still feels fantasy-like
But I already know what I’m gonna write in this space when I finally get there.
The perfect song lyrics are on my lips and in my heart.
The chorus of the song starts with “It’s” and ends with “for me.” Can you guess it?
Lisa is going to try to get permission to sit with us in the airport until we board. I don’t know if that will be possible, but if it is, it will help the three hours pass pleasantly… as long as we don’t blubber the entire time, that is!
I have been in touch with the mobile vet to confirm Charli’s pre-flight exam. (Cost: $491.++)
My immigration coach has been enormously helpful in keeping me on track with all the paperwork and helping me retain a “tranquilo” vibe so I never felt overwhelmed. (I won’t divulge her price since I haven’t asked for permission, but it’s beyond reasonable since immigration lawyers and others usually charge between $2K and $4k to provide the same service essentially and she charges nowhere near that.)
I have procured an experienced escort to get me to both appointments in San Jose (for fingerprints on September 9th and immigration paperwork on Sept 11th) the week after I arrive. ($300 including two Uber trips at $50 each.)
Before those appointments happen, I have to deposit the equivalent of a total of $255 USD into the Bank of Costa Rica and get a receipt to show during the immigration appointment, and I have to get a SIM card for CR and a phone number there so I can add it to the paperwork.
And I have to make arrangements to get the official translations of the paperwork delivered to me by the person who’s doing that. (Translations are costing me $282.50)
And buy cat food, litter and Kris food. (The least of my expenses!)
My first month there will cost nearly three times as much as what I hope to pay monthly after I find a place.
Info about my landing pad in Costa Rica:
All without a personal vehicle. I may have to Uber, taxi or go by bus to Grecia proper. I don’t think it’s very far from where I’ll be staying, but it’s farther than walking distance, I’m pretty sure. I may look into buying a powered bike with a basket on it if Grecia isn’t very far away and I don’t find a place nearer it. Or maybe they have a powered bike to rent. Or maybe I can ride with someone going into town. That’s all in flux, but — one day at a time!