The Cost of Convenience

I have a confession to make. I haven’t taken nail polish off my toes in at least seven years. Don’t worry – there’s not an inch-thick layer of polish or seven-year-old color on there. It’s just that one of the luxuries of that I enjoyed before moving to Costa Rica was regular pedicures.  It was something I enjoyed doing with my Mom, occasionally Nikk, or our dear friend Otis. I would go every few weeks, even in the winter. So not once in recent memory have I had to remove my nail polish.

Like so many things, though, moving to Costa Rica has changed that. I’ve found a few places that I could go to get a pedicure, and boy could my sandals-only feet use it. But… I just started typing at least three reasons why “I couldn’t get a pedi”… and not one of them are insurmountable. We just haven’t gone. So the other day, I took off my own polish. (Luckily, because I didn’t pack my seven-plus-year-old bottle of remover, I read somewhere that lemongrass essential oil removes polish – and it worked!)

This change got me thinking. What other “conveniences” or “habits” have we given up since moving to Costa Rica?

Of course food comes to mind. We haven’t had fast food since our last day in the US. Even as pescatarians, we still found ourselves at a fast food joint every week or two. The pizza delivery that was so easy when we didn’t feel like cooking has gone away. Even cooking at home has become different, as I mentioned in my last post, since ingredients are sometimes hard to find and “running to the grocery store” is no longer a quick stop on the drive home.

Shopping in general has become more thoughtful. Goodbye, Target runs *sad face emoji*. So long, leisurely Saturday’s hitting up Old Navy, Ross, or the mall, because I “need” one thing and then buying a bunch of stuff I already have, but in different colors. No longer can we run to Walgreens for shampoo or deodorant. Any shopping these days involves figuring out if they sell the thing we want here; and if so, where; and if there is a place, do they still have the thing. 

Paying bills is even different! Where I once had the luxury of paying bills from my computer while wearing jammies, I now have to go either to a grocery store or a bank and pay the bills. It sounds weird, but here in our town, all bills except for rent are paid in cash; which of course, requires a stop at the ATM, which of course is not close, so it requires planning a drive, all of which means paying bills takes half a day. 

But you know what is convenient? 

A walk to the beach for sunset.

Gazing at the stars because no city lights interfere.

Locally grown fruit and vegetables at our fingertips.

A slower pace of life.

We’ve started to realize why not everyone enjoys moving to Costa Rica and why so many people head back home: it takes effort to do what used to be effortless. The ease of simple tasks becomes more difficult. Everything requires a little more patience and a little less hurry. Are we pros yet? Not even close. But we’re willing to keep working at it. Because the beach, the stars, the fresh food, the slower pace, the pura vida lifestyle… that’s worth it!