But romantic fantasies, at least in my life, have always come true when I gave them the time they needed to thrive.
Coincidentally at this time, Stephen’s father decided to build a retirement home in Costa Rica. He had previously taken several trips with his son and had been attracted to the natural beauty and simplicity of the Nosara area. He built a beautiful house on a cliff overlooking the Pacific, but after living there a short while decided the area was too remote for him. He was going to sell, and at a good price. Stephen and I came for a visit, and with a little encouragement from me, Stephen bought the investment property and we moved here together.
Although ultimately I didn’t move to Costa Rica by myself, the point is I could have. It might have been lonelier and more risky, but I know I would have figured things out and eventually built a life for myself. I have since met several women who have done so, swapping their corporate jobs to become a real-estate agent, a published writer, and an ice-cream shop owner respectively. Another woman I know, single and sixty-five, comes here every year during rainy season and pet-sits for free in our neighbor’s beautiful home.
Obviously, moving to a foreign country with a man who has a steady job is not as risky as moving alone with no job and little savings. Even if you live independent financial lives as we do, it is still comforting to know that you can fall back on your partner in a pinch. But what do you do when your partner wakes up and announces, he too can’t take it anymore?
Fortunately for me, it was not our relationship Stephen decided to ditch, but his own plum job managing money on Wall Street. The industry had changed for the worse and he didn’t see it getting any better. So instead of continuing the daily battle with the markets, he decided to embrace change for himself.
