This is a part of my series on why I moved to Costa Rica. If you missed it, you can read the introduction to the series.
You might be wondering why we made such a life changing move.
Was it fear? Anxiety? Something else?
Not exactly. We weren’t running from something—we were running toward something.
Our life in Florida looked good on paper:
A home we loved.
Wonderful family and friends nearby.
Jobs that paid the bills.
But beneath the comfort was a creeping numbness.
Unnecessary commutes.
Schedules we didn’t control.
Creative dreams that kept getting pushed to “someday.”
We weren’t unhappy, but we weren’t fully alive, either. And that scared us.
Because we could see exactly how the next five, ten, twenty years would unfold.
And while there was nothing wrong with that path… it wasn’t our path anymore.
But underneath it all was a quiet dream I’d carried since college: to live abroad.
I used to imagine what it would be like:
To live in a new country
Build a life from scratch
Be more adventurous
But I kept telling myself it was something for later.
After I got a stable job.
After I bought a house.
After I did all the things I was “supposed” to do.
If we didn’t change something soon, we knew what would happen:
More years would pass.
More dreams would collect dust.
And we’d wake up at 65 wondering what we missed.
So we gave ourselves a new question to live by:
What if we said yes now—while we still had time, energy, and a wild streak left in us?
That’s when the real work began.
Are you living life too comfortably? Are you willing to make a big leap yourself?
I’d love to hear your story in the comments.
Up next: The Beginning of a Creative Reset
Series in Order:
We Weren’t Unhappy But We Left Anyway
Currently Reading: Why We Left a Good Life Behind
Letting Go (Pt. 1): The Beginning of a Creative Reset
Letting Go (Pt. 2): Clearing Space for What’s Next
Between Worlds (Pt. 1): The Messy Middle of a Creative Reset
Between Worlds (Pt. 2): Saying Goodbye to Our Old Lives
Final Farewell (Pt. 1): Saying Goodbye to Orlando
Final Farewell (Pt. 2): Our Last Days in Florida
Journey to San Jose (Pt. 1): The Not So Calm Before the Storm
Journey to San Jose (Pt. 2): We’ve Finally Made It
Journey to San Jose (Pt. 3): First Day Adventures
Finding Home (Pt. 1): Our First Big Decision
Finding Home (Pt. 2): The Race For Cash
Finding Home (Pt. 3): A New Start
Settling In (Pt. 1): Early Lessons & Adventures
Settling In (Pt. 2): So Many Curveballs
Settling In (Pt. 3): Everyday Moments That Make This Home
Settling In (Pt. 4): The End of the Beginning
I am at the is it too late stage. Happy for you!!
I’m so inspired by all of this!