Thanksgiving Plus Improved Numbers: 49.4, 49.6, 51.2, 48.8, and 46.8

“View from a Costa Rica Cloud Forest”
My photo from the September trip to Talamanca Mountains & Quetzales Park.

It is a THANKSGIVING time for me the way wonderful friends are loving on me as I’m about to leave! Tonight’s going away party at the apartment of Frances Carver was wonderful with super good food by her daughter Kay and help from her son-in-law Ed. They are such great friends and the time together was special!

And the numbers? Well those are this afternoon’s weights of the five suitcases with only one coming in over 50 pounds, so I’m about to get there as I continue to adjust and remove items like the iron skillet that I pulled today! Weird you think? Well it was the only cooking utensil I felt valuable enough to take, but they have utensils in the furnished apartment and I will be able to buy things like that there. The biggest adjustment in my suitcases today was taking the 26 pounds of file folders in my Tupperware-like file box out of a suitcase and shipping it via my Miami address. I’m hoping it will get there within a month! And worth the high price I’m paying! I guess what we choose to keep or take with us on a downsizing move like this tells a lot about our priorities.  🙂

I sold my car Friday and Monday I am wiring more than 20% of the income from it to the Costa Rica shipping company as a “deposit” on the shipping of the 57 boxes of art and books. Everybody wants my money now, but after getting settled and the residency paperwork behind me, that will hopefully slow down.

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And by the way, I am so happy about President Obama’s announcement on Cuba where I hope to travel again, remembering my wonderful trip with AZAD two years ago. Now if congress will just get off their rear-ends and stop the stupid blockade, the U.S. might become a humanitarian country again. Oops! Getting political which I promised myself I would not in these blogs. But . . . I am looking forward to living in a country that has no enemies and no military or military industrial complex.  🙂

5 Suitcases Are Ready!

The 5 Suitcases Are Lined Up Ready To Be Packed

They have been lined up in my living room for quite a while and soon I have to do a dry run packing to see what will actually fit in them. I got the three hardbacks in a large size to go with my two life-time warranty soft bags. In the meantime I’m still trying to sell furniture and this weekend started packing my art collection. Books and art are what I really want to take. Furniture is so available there and with really nice woods. Though I may decide to stay with furnished apartments and not worry about furniture at all. Simplify! 

On the landing strip in Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica by Charlie
Well, I’ve been including photos of Costa Rica, so I had to find one to go with these suitcases! How about when I don’t want to ride a bus to a national park across the country, I fly in one of these little regional airline planes? This is what I flew to Puerto Jimenez for my trip into Corcovado National Park. One of the newer regional airlines is called “Nature Air” which I like just for the name! 🙂 Most trips like this cost about $40. Not bad if in a hurry! But $5 for the bus is better!

The adventures are soon to begin! And I’m ready!