HARD CHOICES

Fresh Produce Available Everywhere Year Around
My photo of street market in Puntarenas.

Yeah! I know that is the title of Hillary’s book and I still intend to read it, though now it will have to wait until after my exploration trip to Costa Rica. I’ve read only a part of the introduction but decided I would finish my Ann Patchett book, State of Wonder and some more of these Costa Rica books first. But with this decision looming soon for me, I share many of Hillary Clinton’s feelings on making decisions:

When making decisions, I like her, “follow my heart and my head.” And sometimes my heart wins out over my head, though here I’m trying to use both as you may have seen in this blog.

Hillary says, “All of us face hard choice in our lives . . . Life is about making such choices. Our choices and how we handle them shape the people we become.” And this choice is certainly going to shape who I become for the rest of my life!

I’ve had some friends ask me if I’m out of my mind? Crazy? While other just look at me with that look in their face. One dear friend was concerned about my future medical needs as a senior citizen, thinking of primitive medical services like I had in The Gambia. Hopefully she was relieved when I told her that the modern and efficient medical system in Costa Rica is ranked above what we have in the United States by the World Health Organization and at about a fourth the cost.

Likewise, friends read about problems in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras and think all of Central America is overrun with drug gangs and rampant crime. Not so in Costa Rica! It is one of the most successful and peaceful democracies in the world. It is a well-educated population with near 100% literacy rate. And on the “Happiness Index” it is always one of or the highest ranking countries in the world. I’m checking out all of these concerns very well.

And for those who still ask “Why are you considering this?” I refer to one of my first posts on this blog, June 28, titled Why I’m Considering a Move to Costa Rica. Also see 10 Reasons to Go to Costa Rica, which applies to tourists as well as possible expats. Note that on this list I would substitute nature photography for the surfing. (I might try surfing once, but its not likely to be my thing!) After the trip I will have more refined lists of both reasons to move and not to move. Pray for good choice-making.