Costa Rica Chica: Retiring early, simplifying my life, & realizing that less is best Paperback – October 5, 2014

An entertaining and very engaging read! Didn't want to put it down.As author of another popular Costa Rica book myself (Unraveling the Mysteries of Moving to Costa Rica), it was a lot of fun to read about folks whose experience was at the other end of the spectrum from ours. We were "retirees" with pensions (at least, my husband, mom, and dad had pensions) and shipped a FULL household down including a car (with not one but *two* shipping containers!) whereas Jen and Greg are considerably younger, moved with a few extra suitcase (even with our two containers we still flew down with 19 suitcases ourselves!), and are managing car-less.Jen did a great job of bringing the reader right into their lives in Dallas, their process of deciding whether or not to move, and then their actual move. A practical look at it all, as well as "just plain fun" reading. The only thing I think a lot of readers might wish she covered in a bit more depth was the financial factors of their early retirement. Living a "simpler" life is great, but even that requires funding!That was one of the things I had to really wrestle with when we first moved there -- we're so "trained" in the states NOT to talk about money. No one talks about their salaries or investment income, how much their house cost (or how much their rent is), what they paid for their car and so on. It's considered rude, whereas when people are looking at doing something as radical as moving to another country, the finances are a VERY big deal. When we lived there we eventually just got used to people all talking about how much everything costs. Jen did a good job of covering that "cost" aspect of their new lives, but pretty much completely left out any meaningful discussion of the "income" side of the equation.Yes, we're used to that being "personal" but, again, for others trying to imagine how they might do such a thing, it seems that Jen could have really done a huge service by sharing more about how she and Greg managed this early retirement, how in the world at their age they'll have sufficient funds to live without working further, how taking this early retirement will impact their eventual social security (which will be substantially reduced by having cut 20 years off their work-life) and so on. (I, for instance, bit the bullet and spoke quite plainly in my book about what kinds of pensions my family had, and how that worked for our cost-of-living and I know it's hard to "expose" yourself that way, but so many people are trying to figure it out for themselves and really need the insights from others who have done it!)That was certainly my only "complaint" about Jen's book, and as you can see didn't take away any stars. Even without that it's a great read and I wish Jen and Greg continued happiness.

Jen and Greg Seymour are my heros! I downloaded this book as soon as it was available and was completely enthralled from page one all the way through! I have read every E-book on Amazon that I could find on being an expat and living in Costa Rica - many of them informative and helpful - but this is the first that made me feel that I was personally on the journey! Jen and Greg have found a way out of the drudgery of the "American Dream", which replaced the priority of personal relationships with the mentality of "He who has the most toys wins", into a new world of true "quality time" with each other, new friends, and the beauty of nature. The peace and contentment that comes from this is priceless! I have often longed for a "different" life that would take me back to the priorities that I grew up with - devotion to family and friends and the mentality that we "work to live" instead of the American dream mentality of "live to work". It is my hope that more people will follow in Jen and Greg's footsteps, along the trail that they have blazed! It does not mean that moving to Costa Rica is your only option (althought I like what I see!) but it does mean being willing to sacrifice your daily "wants" to begin a life of true value and contentment which is a most essential human "need" - and actually, as God intended us to live - loving and respecting each other, loving our neighbors as ourselves, and finding our own version of "pura vida"! Thank you Jen, for this personal and warm introduction to a new life in a new way and for sharing your journey with us! God Bless!

How Can We Live The Good Life Without Killing Ourselves To Attain It?This is one woman’s story of how she and her husband figured out that living the good life doesn’t necessarily mean owning an SUV and commuting from a big house in the suburbs to a job that sucks the joy and health out of a person. They gave it all up for a life many North Americans can’t even imagine—one that some would even disdain but which all would secretly envy. Jen and Greg discover their American dream in Costa Rica, a Central American country near the equator—a land of jungles that reach all the way to the beaches, where tropical fruits abound and adorable sloths and squawking parrots flourish in the wild. But Jen discovers that it also abounds in crocodiles, spiders, and snakes, not to mention major road hazards and aggressive drivers.Jen shares with the reader her adventure as she works through the pros and cons of what kind of life she wants with Greg and what she is willing to give up for it. Her dilemma is one with which we are all familiar: How can we live the good life without killing ourselves to attain it?Whether you are considering packing it all in and heading off to exotic foreign lands, or if you’re dreaming of adventure, you will appreciate Jen’s sometimes introspective, sometimes heartbreaking, quite often funny, yet always warm and thoughtful account of how she and Greg broke free and made a new and better life.Like the Blue Morph butterfly of Costa Rica, Jen escapes her suburban cocoon and becomes the person she was meant to be, and in the process, she provides inspiration to others.

I purchased this as a follow up to Greg Semour's Living in and Visiting Costa Rica (100 Tips etc) as I am in the process of making a decision to relocate to CR. This book is written from quite different angle, giving lots of incite into the decisions behind their move. The fears and excitement but also, within the story, gives added hints and advice on relocating. I started reading thinking this was more a personal journal but as I got more into the book I found reading such a personal story was an absolute pleasure. Jan's enviable relationship with her husband Greg, their positive attitude to life in their new home; together with a wonderful sense of humour leaves the reader with nothing but optimism and a sense of adventure. Thank you x

Thanks, Jen, for sharing your thoughts and logistic practicalities about your move to Costa Rica. I can relate to most of what you wrote, and is an inspiration to discover life, not as a tourist, but as an expat, outside of North America and away from the evasive nature of the American Dream. Maybe one day (soon!) I/we will be at your door for a cup of steaming coffee, a fresh eclair, and a memorable chat. Keep on writing!

I have been following Jen's blog for about 10 months now and quite enjoy her humorous story telling. I purchased and read her book shortly after it became available. It didn't disappoint! As someone thinking of moving to Costa Rica in just a few years it is full of valuable insights and interesting accounts of trips and places to visit. Can't wait to get there. Thank you Jen!!

A very quick read with some useful information. However, I found it an inferior, less humorous imitation of Nadine Hays Pisani's"Happier than a Billionaire".

Thanks for all the amusing tales and bits of advice ! A fun read if you have even the slightest dream of living a more simplified life in a tropical paradise !