Finding Home (Pt. 2): The Race For Cash

We were definitely not expecting this

Oct 03, 2025

In the US the process for getting an apartment is multiple steps. It involves getting background and credit checks, showing proof of income, and having a down payment for rent. Here, Nacho simply asked when we wanted to move in. The trust-based system was refreshing but also slightly disorienting.

We were expecting the process to take a lot longer. We didn’t think we’d need to get that much cash in less than a day.

Without the cash in hand, there’s no apartment. No keys. No home.

No time to waste.

Down to the garage.

Into the car.

Six floors spiral down.

I remembered seeing an ATM machine at the apartment complex we were applying for – so that was our first destination.

We arrive at the complex.

Park the car.

Walk up to the ATM.

And there it is.

A sign that we weren’t looking forward to but should have expected: Maximum withdrawal per transaction $200(USD).

“Two hundred dollars?” I stare at the sign in disbelief.

“Per day? Are you kidding me?” Anita says, tapping the screen.

“This isn’t going to work. We need...twelve times this amount,” I mutter, calculating quickly.

“What now?” Anita responds.

We pull out $200 each then walk back to the car and tell Grace about our situation.

“There’s an ATM at the hotel I stay at for work across the street,” she says matter of factly.

That’s Grace, the human Swiss Army knife. Always ready with the right tool—even if that tool is simply knowing where the next ATM is.

So we head over to the hotel, which despite being across the street, requires driving in circles to get to. Another classic example of driving in San Jose – and certainly not the last we would encounter.

We enter the hotel lobby. Cool air. Dim lighting. The ATM is tucked away in one of the side corridors.

Luckily this ATM does not post a daily limit. But that doesn’t mean things will be easy.

Anita tries to pull out the rest of the money we need. Hearts pounding with each processing second.

The machine gives an error: This machine does not have enough money for this request.

So she tries a lower amount. Relief. The money comes out.

Now it’s my turn. I try to withdraw the same amount as Anita. And can you believe it? We are met with a familiar message: This machine does not have enough money for this request.

Okay… I put in a smaller amount. The money comes out.

Looks like we’ve run the machine dry for the day.

After two ATM trips, we have enough for half the money we owe. The sun is down, and we don’t want to risk getting large amounts of money at night. The rest will have to wait for tomorrow.

But we didn’t let that minor hiccup stop us from celebrating. After getting back to Secrt, we go downstairs and order a few cocktails. “Salud!” we say in unison – a toast to finding our first home in Costa Rica.

We soak in the atmosphere of the urban jungle as we plan out how to get the rest of the money we need.

The next morning brought two big changes: Grace’s departure and the return of our elusive fifth piece of luggage.

It sucks to see Grace go. Our Swiss Army knife is heading back to the States. But she’ll be back in a few weeks with her boyfriend – and this time she’ll get the chance to enjoy her time here.

Dropping off Grace also gives us the chance to pick up that fifth piece of luggage that was left behind in Miami. The journey to retrieve the luggage wasn’t much of a story, but what I discovered when I looked at the tag was – it somehow made its way through San Salvador!

I’d love to know how it ended up there and found its way back.

Did it stay in Miami and get routed through there?

Did it go there and have to make its way back to Miami?

Did it accidentally get sent there and then get sent to San Jose?

I guess we’ll never know, but we’re glad to have it back. A funny thing about that luggage was, every time we needed something from our luggage, it just so happened to be in luggage five.

It became a running joke in our first few days in San Jose. Just one of those things you have to laugh about to keep you from getting worked up for no reason.

That luggage was the perfect metaphor for our move: strange detours, but somehow it all works out in the end.

Our next stop is to the bank to get the rest of the money we need for the apartment. It’s on the way back from the airport. There will still be light outside. It should be no problem.

But as you know, very little in our journey has gone to plan. For one thing, there’s so much traffic. Traffic in San Jose doesn’t care what time it is. Morning, afternoon, night—it’s always there.

And then…

We miss the turn.

Recalculating…

Fifteen minutes lost.

And of course—we’re funneled back into the same bumper-to-bumper mess

“Welcome to San Jose,” I attempt a laugh. “Where every missed turn costs you twenty minutes of your life.”

As we approach the exit again – we make a decision. We won’t get off at our intended exit. We’ll just go to one of the banks downtown that has an ATM.

We should have known better.

Sun in our eyes. Vendors shouting. Exhaust fumes and honking horns everywhere. It’s the same area we’d gone to for money on our first day.

We’re still a couple blocks away.

“I don’t like this,” Anita says quietly, her eyes scanning the street.

“The bank’s just another block,” I counter, though I’m feeling the same unease.

“Not worth it,” she shakes her head. “Not with that much cash…”

Our eyes meet in silent agreement before I nod. “Hotel ATM it is.”

As we get back to the parking lot, it must have seemed strange to the parking attendant – we were gone for maybe a minute – but he didn’t say anything.

We are stressed about the whole situation, but we have faith that the hotel will have the money we need so we can get the apartment. Keeping the faith has been one of our greatest assets through the whole process.

It’s decided.

Back to the hotel.

Back to the ATM.

We pray it has enough to finally get us a home.