Frequently Asked Questions...

When we tell people our plan to temporarily relocate to Costa Rica the conversation doesn't end there. Instead, it's the beginning of a long list of rapid fire questions, most answered with "don't know..." or "not sure..." but some are answerable so here's my attempt...

Where is Costa Rica? It's an island, right? To my surprise, Costa Rica is a country in Central America...not an island. I typically hide that I'm severely geographically challenged but I feel comfortable with this one because I've heard more than one assume the same thing. I guess any place with palm trees and beaches can be easily misidentified as an island. Costa Rica borders Nicaragua and Panama and more importantly, was named by Forbes.com as the 6th Happiest Country in the World (of the 155 rated).

Did you quit your jobs? Yes. It was bittersweet for both of us when we wrote our resignation letters and nervously informed our employers of our crazy plan but they accepted with kindness and good wishes (and we're grateful for that).

What are you gonna do down there? Whatever the day brings in addition to pursuing our aspirations. We want to put an "er" on the things we love to do. Mike hears the surf calling him and I need to write. We hope to leave Costa Rica as a surfer and a writer. (As well as very tanned, cultured, refreshed, relaxed...)

What about your pets? While they may regret their offer, my very gracious sister and brother-in-law have offered to foster Marley. I'm sure he'll barely miss us with three kids, a huge yard and yellow lab...he'll be too tired to wonder where we went. As for the kitties, our plans have fell through so their home is still to be determined.

What are you gonna do when you get back? We aren't sure. Of all the things we'll experience (ziplining, surfing, whitewater rafting)...returning jobless and homeless is the scariest. But I have a feeling we'll figure it out. We always do.

Call Us Crazy...

So you may have thought after a long-term stint in Japan, some Thailand tourism and many road trips throughout the United States that we cured our travel bug. We secured good jobs with colleagues we loved, got married and were headed down the settled path.
BUT...we werent' so sure.

After moving more times than we care to count, the idea of a house was welcoming. And yes, to all those who naturally followed up our marriage with the baby questions, little Michauds are on the way...someday. We were sure that we were ready for the next phase of our lives but what direction should we go? And what was our destination?

What we did know was that I wanted a break from a job filled with long hours and lots of stress and Mike - well, he doesn't say no to a travel opportunity. So after months of tossing around ideas, we finally stopped talking and started doing until it all fell into place.

On September 16th, we'll be flying out to our temporary two bedroom beach home in Costa Rica, a place I've heard more than one refer to as "amazing." We're looking to absorb every minute of our three month visas with as much relaxation, culture, and experiences as possible before we return on December 14th...just in time to reunite with our families and friends for the holidays.

Our announcement has been met with lots of questions and good wishes along with a hint of jealousy ;) but all with the same conclusion: with no mortgage, no lease, no children...there is no better time to embark on another adventure than now.

So I've set up this blog for any who are interested in vicariously experiencing it with us. I'll keep you posted on our departure, our arrival, our journey and our return. Hopefully you'll keep checking in.