Gringos among us

Then we went into Santa Maria to stock up on a few things. While we were in the tiny grocery store (imagine a small country store where items like soap products are shelved next to the WD40 -with miscellaneous stuff jammed from floor to ceiling) we not only heard, but understood a couple speaking to each other. They were speaking English! The woman heard us as well and asked us where we were from. We introduced ourselves. Stella and Carl are from Texas and they've been living in Costa Rica for 3 months now. With the down-turn in the U.S. economy, Carl realized that after 25 years of service at his job, he was just a number. He hadn't lost his job, but they assessed the situation and decided with the savings they had put aside they would take a leap of faith and create a new life for themselves. I'm amazed at how cavalier people are. To just leave with nothing but a few belongings, not having any idea where you're going to live, just letting the spirit guide you is something I did when I was younger. At 47, I'm still adventurous at heart, but it's clear that I'm not THAT adventurous anymore. Stella and Carl were telling us all the issues they've been having like not being able to open a bank account. We recommended they call the people we've been dealing in hopes that it would help them. And they don't have a car, so they walk everywhere or take the bus. Now that's fortitude! We exchanged phone numbers and wished each other well. It was a very nice encounter. As Kevin and I walked to the SUV to drive back home, we reminded each other how lucky are. As frustrating as some things have been (no internet at the house for instance), we sure don't have much to complain about.