The first thing to determine is how comfortable you are with risk. How big of an emotional and financial hit are you willing to take? Know you WILL take one, and you may not recover. Of course you’ll have setbacks, challenges, sacrifices, and even some failures. But that’s how we learn. What about your network of family and friends? Sure, you can Skype them everyday, but can you live without their actual physical presence? Can you be alone? What about personal safety? Do you have faith in your ability to make wise choices and keep yourself safe?
It all comes down to trusting yourself. If you believe you can figure things out and make them happen, then chances are you will. The trick is to allow enough time to let life unfold and opportunities to present themselves. Although it does take an initial leap of faith, you have to let the process evolve, and often things unfold in a completely different way than you had originally planned.
When I finally did move to Costa Rica last year, surprisingly, I was not alone. I moved with Stephen, a man I met while standing in line at Staples — to my point that we have everything we need, right here, right now, right in front of us, (or in this case, standing right behind!). We just have to be open to the possibility and let things evolve.
It was months into our relationship before I discovered that Stephen had been coming down to Costa Rica for almost fifteen years. He loved the ruggedness of the country and the fact that here, he could be left alone. He had even bought a small piece of property years back as an investment, and I was disappointed to learn that he had sold it — so much for my secret fantasy of moving here with him someday.
Meanwhile, my job frustration in New York continued, as did my desire to write. Although I still worked grueling hours producing drug launches for the pharmaceutical industry, I began crafting short stories at night. Stephen had his own challenges. He had launched a hedge fund right in the midst of the growing financial uncertainty. It was taking everything he had, both financially and personally, to keep it afloat. Our lives were in turmoil, and we were both coming to our own individual breaking points.
