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Have You Ever in Costa Rica? A Fun Checklist for Expats & Travelers

Recently, I was hiking in the mountains along Costa Rica’s Southern Pacific Coast. The trail went from gravel road, to horse track, to narrow jungle path… until I realized I was temporarily lost.

The squawk of loras (parrots) pierced the morning air, and somewhere in the distance I heard rushing water. Retracing my steps, I eventually found my way out. Almost getting lost in the jungle was a first for me, but it made me wonder—was this something other people here had experienced too?

That thought led me to reflect on the many “only in Costa Rica” moments—some I’ve lived through, some I’ve just heard about. I decided to turn them into a kind of life in Costa Rica checklist.

Give yourself one point for every item you’ve experienced:

The Costa Rica Experience Checklist

While living in Costa Rica, have you ever…

  1. Gotten lost while hiking
  2. Been caught in a rainstorm while outdoors (hiking, biking, golfing, etc.)
  3. Been caught in a rip current in the ocean
  4. Had your travel plans interrupted by strikers blocking the roads
  5. … by landslides
  6. … by floods
  7. … by volcanic eruptions
  8. … by earthquakes
  9. Been on a bus that broke down
  10. Been in a car that broke down
  11. Had a mechanic come to your broken-down car and fix it on the spot
  12. Felt an earthquake strong enough to break glassware in your house
  13. Felt an earthquake that shook the building you were in
  14. Felt an earthquake that made you run for cover
  15. Been injured while doing physical activity
  16. Been hospitalized
  17. Had surgery in a private hospital
  18. Had surgery in a public hospital
  19. Been robbed
  20. Had sex with a Tico/a
  21. Paid for sex with a Tico/a
  22. Bought drugs on the street
  23. Bought drugs in a pharmacy
  24. Gotten an injection in the back room of a pharmacy
  25. Paid off a Transito to avoid a ticket
  26. Paid off a building inspector
  27. Paid off a government official
  28. Been arrested
  29. Spent time in a Costa Rican jail
  30. Gone to your country’s embassy
  31. Gone to your embassy broke and asked for help with a flight home
  32. Bought a house
  33. Built a house
  34. Sold a house
  35. Abandoned a house
  36. Eaten at a soda while seated on homemade wooden stools
  37. Watched an entire soccer game
  38. Watched an entire soccer game and understood everything that happened
  39. Ridden a ferry
  40. Flown in-country
  41. Married a Tico/a
  42. Had children born here
  43. Raised children here (who were born elsewhere)
  44. Been to a Tico wedding
  45. Been to a Tico funeral
  46. Gotten into an argument in Spanish

Scoring Your Costa Rica Life

My own score was 33.

  • If you scored higher than that, chances are you’ve been here for quite a while and know the country well.
  • A lower score likely means you’re newer to Costa Rica—or maybe you just don’t venture out of your gated community very often.
  • And if you somehow said “Yes” to all 46? Well, you’re either lying… or a true degenerate.

Pura Vida!

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