Posted on 04/23/2024 3:06:01 PM PDT by nickcarraway
US Family Finds New Life in Costa Rican Blue Zone
CNN published the story of a U.S. family that moved to Costa Rica, and it changed their lives completely. Kema Ward-Hopper and Nicholas Hopper decided to get married in the Central American nation, and years later, they made the decision to permanently relocate. Now, they live in one of Costa Rica’s blue zones, an area characterized by longevity, a slow-paced life, and a healthy lifestyle.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months before their wedding in 2016. “[I had] started treatment and everything. If you see pictures from my wedding, I didn’t have hair, and I didn’t really look like myself. But I was sick,” she told CNN. When she found herself in Costa Rica, she realized she felt different and felt as good as she had felt after her diagnosis.
“That was the first indicator that there was something special about Costa Rica,” she added. Kema Ward-Hopper had to undergo a unilateral mastectomy and a reconstruction surgery.
Subsequently, in August 2017, their family home in Houston, Texas, was destroyed by Category 4 Hurricane Harvey. Then, they decided it was time to leave. “We ended up losing our home. So, it just seemed like a lot of bad things [happening] back-to-back,” Ward-Hopper said.
They explored different options and ended up choosing Costa Rica, as they were amazed by the country’s health care and education system, as well as the environmental protections.
The nation’s proximity to the US was also a factor that weighed in. Back in 2018, they decided to make Pueblo Nuevo, in Nicoya, their new home. They spent some time in the area and loved the feeling of adventure. The family loved the sense of community and how friendly people are. They pointed out the health benefits they’ve experienced and how wonderful it is for their kids to be surrounded by nature.
“We have noticed that we feel better when we’re here. Our cardiac health and lung health seem to be better,” she added. The family enjoys the slow-paced life and all the benefits that come with it.
While they don’t know if they will remain in Costa Rica forever, they certainly believe “it feels like home” for the moment.
5000 feet up the side of a volcano. 70s by day high 50s by night year round and a large expat community you just described San Marcos Costa. It’s on my list of Central American places to chill at. Panama City is also on the list but the climate is brutal. Patagonia and the Argentine Pamapas as well. Starlink opens the entire planet for $200 a month to digital nomads. Truly paradigm shift, Iridium which I own a sat phone from us basic voice and sms. Starlink is broadband anywhere on Earth if you can make profit digitally remote it’s the way to.go.
It’s too late to repair the US.
We didn’t fight.
They did.
My husband and some of his PhilAm relatives came to the Philippines after retirement. We have extended family here. But living overseas is lonely if you don't, especially if you don't know the local language. A lot of guys with Filipina wives live with the extended family after retirement also.
It is not rejecting the USA: It is because it's cheaper to live here on Social security and it is to be with family, who care for you when you are sick. Also elders are respected here.
Without family members and knowing the language, you can live in small enclaves where there are a lot of expats. So American style stores and restaurants...These areas are more expensive to live of course, but you might feel at home.
The wife’s best friend lives near Lake Chapala, Mexico, loves it. Apparently there upwards of 30,000 Americans in the area.
Well goody for you.
My point is that a lot of people who have lived in the southwest USA have bloodlines that go back 12 plus generations. Or in my case as well are indigenous people here in Texas for at least 9000 years. We are not only the descendents of the founders of Texas and New Mexico we are people who are from here since the last ice age. My family has had land granted from Philip V since 1731 in South Central Texas in continuous cattle use at that. Another direct bloodline founded the city of San Antonio, and I have two family names on the wall of the Alamo. They are all related it was a small Spanish colonial community with Native American women takes as brides from time to time or children such as my great grandmother who was one of the last surviving members of her Comanche band.
We are Latin by blood, by culture and we all speak both forms of Spanish the Mexicans rebelled against their sovereign and won thus isolating the colonials who then asked the Anglos for help against the tyrant Santa Anna they won and the border shifted again but make no mistake the bulk of the people still living in South Central Texas are Latinos by blood before even Mexico existed from the peninsula of Iberia and most can still speak the Iberian languages if their families did their job and passed down their oral histories.
Texian’s, Tejanos,and modern Texans are all welcomed in Latin America because we are Latin by blood.
Well, goody for you.
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