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All of our step by step Costa Rica planning tips in one spot
We met while volunteering in a community for adults with mental disabilities in Virginia, fell in love, moved to Germany for four years, then moved to Costa Rica where we have been living ever since.
It was a spontaneous decision to move to Costa Rica, (Thomas was offered a job in the capital city of San Jose and we moved six weeks later) but it was the best decision.
We love it here!
You can usually find us chasing fabulous vibes around Costa Rica while helping you to do the same through our website.
Keep your time, keep your mind, keep humble
Start your life in the middle of the jungle
When we first moved to Costa Rica we did not have a ton of money.
Despite that, we wanted to travel in Costa Rica as much as possible.
It was difficult at first because everything we read online was about all inclusive resorts and nice guided tours.
We just couldn’t afford that, so we had to figure out our own way.
After a year we had successfully seen most of the more popular towns in Costa Rica.
At that time, Sarah decided to start a website to help other people plan their dream vacation to Costa Rica.
Her goal was also to be a voice for all of the smaller local travel companies in the country that sometimes struggle to get recognized over the bigger conglomerates.
And Costa Rica Vibes was born!
We were so young….
We met in 2010 while volunteering for a year in a community for adults with mental disabilities in Virginia.
Sarah had just graduated college and wasn’t really interested in the whole 9-5 thing yet and Thomas had to complete nine months of civil service which was required by the German government at that time.
He was able to complete this requirement by volunteering and he could even do it overseas.
Somehow we both ended up in the same little village in Virginia at the same time.
After just a few months together we needed to plan our future.
Thomas needed to go back to Germany because his visa was about to run out.
So, we brought a picnic to our favorite lake, and vowed not to leave until we figured out our future.
Thomas didn’t want to try long distance. And to stay in the US legally our best option would have been to get married.
So, Sarah decided she would move to Germany.
Looking back, it was crazy.
Two months after Thomas left the US, Sarah followed and we started our life together.
After four years of living in Germany, we were ready for a change.
At that time, Thomas was working as a German kindergarten teacher and Sarah was teaching English.
We figured it was most important for Thomas to find a job first because Sarah could teach English anywhere.
After a few months of applying, Thomas was offered a job as a kindergarten teacher at the German school in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Less than two months later we packed our bags and flew to Costa Rica.
It didn’t take long for us to fall in love with the country we now call home.
Life in Costa Rica is pretty perfect for us.
Running this website has given us the opportunity and reason to see almost every area of the country.
Thomas was able to quit his job and work full time for a company online. This has given us even more flexibility.
Sarah loves Costa Rica because the weather is always good (she does not do well with dark winters), she sees her family in the US much more than she did while living in Europe, and she absolutely loves her work running this site.
And Thomas loves that he can go fishing every day, that there is always something interesting to explore, and that it’s always warm out.
some of the things we love to do
Sarah is usually the one planning the trips. Thomas is the one picking up the pieces (how very German of him).
Sarah is the dreamer. Thomas is the practical thinker.
As far as traveling goes, we are a bit of a contradiction. We like to have things such as transportation and accommodations arranged ahead of time but tend to go with the flow as far as activities.
We love to really explore the places we are visiting, but we also make a point to stop and just enjoy the moment.
It is not unusual for us to spend a day drinking margaritas on a beach and spend the next day doing a several hour long hike followed by a sunset kayak trip.
We like to get the best deals possible (which we always share with you) but also find places with the best vibes.
We are all about off-the-beaten-path activities and supporting local businesses.
Oh and we love to be outside!
Just for fun….our opinions on the important Costa Rica travel questions
Beaches
Relaxation
Pool
Caribbean
Dry Season
Volcanoes
Sunset
Rainy Season
Pool
Mountains
Volcanoes
Adventure
Sunset
Pacific
some of the places we love to visit
here are some good places to start….
