Rebirth
When I lost my job in 2012 I went through the normal process: searching for a new job online; connecting to people via LinkedIn; talking to recruiters; and having coffee meetings…however, this didn’t ever lead to a job offer.
During my career with Millward Brown, I had managed over the years to create my own ‘fun’ environments by hiring the right people, making sure that they had the right skills, and as a team, ‘getting it done’ while having a good time doing it. Never one to be all work and no play, I knew for sure that I was an unusual bird- at least for the US. And here I was, after recent takeovers, mergers and constant management change, laid off at 50 with no job.
After about a year I stopped searching, feeling that if I was to get a new role in IT it would come from someone who knew me or a reach-out from LinkedIn where I had had most of the more promising leads.
But, what if nothing came? That’s when my wife and I started to plan a different future, one not based on a six figure income, 60" TV’s, a Mercedes, expensive meals and $12 cocktails. During our discussions we had always thought we might retire to Central or South America, and having moved originally from England to Chicago I didn’t think another move would be a problem for me, maybe learning Spanish would be.
During the discussions, Costa Rica was suggested by other family members and I started to research properties for sale that could be used as small hotel/B&B or holiday rental. I found the Pacific side somewhat expensive and then happened across a small Caribe-Sur real estate company in Puerto Viejo (Playa Chiquita). They looked like they had a few properties in our range, so with my brother in-law, Marco, I set out to check the area out. We saw a number of already built properties but nothing really seemed to work and that’s when they suggested looking at a plot. In our week in Puerto Viejo we had come to know the locale and knew for sure that somewhere between Puerto Viejo and Punta Uva would be the ideal location. We saw a lovely 2 acre plot in Cocles, 500mts from the beach with canopy tree’s still in place.
Ideal for both shade and having nature on your doorstep. We came back to the US and I made an offer. Since then I have traveled back with my wife (yes, she trusted me to chose a good place in the first instance), who fell in love with the area also, you can read about some of her experiences here;
The process of getting here and getting started with the building has been somewhat slow and whilst we have completed the architect stage and know our builder we are still waiting for property to sell the the states, that old cash flow issue!
That said, we are here and finding the love of a simple life a blessing. We have time here, plenty of time and our dogs are loving the beach life.
How I spent days on eBay and Craigslist selling our stuff (we came with only 6 suitcases) and the process to ship our two mutt’s are other stories.
I will be documenting our progress on our Facebook page so if at all interested, here it is!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vacaciones-Oso-Perezoso-LLC/407910396018297?ref=bookmarks
I can close the chapter on my IT life thanks to being let go, which hurt at the time, but now I have a whole new book to write.
