This is a guest post by Courtney Marie, who is a Canadian living in Chile on her way to moving to Costa Rica.

‘The world is a book, and those who do not travel, only read one page.’

Since the first time I read that famous St. Augustine quote, I felt home, I felt figured out, I felt understood; how beautifully said. As many travellers explore the world, we come across a variety of different people. You find others just like you, and completely different. And those two things together, among a few others of course, are the basis of enjoying traveling.

Travelling lets you explore everything from people to scenery to climate to location, until you find what you want. Sometimes one finds that what they really want is home, while others meet lovers and stay to build families, while some just keep moving.

I’ve lived in 5 countries, and traveled nearly 20, having traveled in and around each one quite extensively; I can confidently say that I still haven’t found what I’m looking for. I’ve lived away from home since I was 18, only home for brief visits. (my most recent being 4 months, something I am not likely to repeat) At age 25, I can admit there were moments when I felt homesick, but literally moments; nothing more. I have a wonderful family, who all live in Canada, and who understand and agree to my monthly Skype dates and email updates.

And so, I am not a stranger to moving. In fact, right now, I’m living in Chile, along the coast in the driest desert in the world, in a major mining city, Antofagasta. I’ve had quite a momentary stop here, as I’ll be capping off at around 18 months, but I’ve decided I’m ready to leave. Working at a local University, I’ve already informed my boss and I’m ready to go, but go where? Well, Costa Rica of course.

Everyone can associate Costa Rica with tropical weather, beautiful beaches, lots of animals, and there famous phrase ‘Pura Vida,’ so at first glance it’s obvious why this would be my next choice. But there’s a bit more to it, this is the first time, ever in my life, that I’m choosing a Country for a variety of reasons that together make it the next best move. It’s the first time I’ve really thought of the reasons behind moving, rather than just going.

Having spent some time in Chile, weather wise, I am more aware of what suits my needs. Yes, I’m from Canada, but I don’t like winter. And while I’m living in North Chile, where the winter only gets a low of 10 and usually still hits 18 during the day, Chile is chilly. It’s still cold at night and you cannot swim without a wetsuit. In comparison to Costa Rica, where humidity is a ‘problem,’ (one that I wouldn’t mind) and rainy season is annoying, it’s still warm. It’s tropical and I’m ready for the storms and ready for the heat.

Another reason for my move to the pure life is for its culture and people. Yes, I’m aware that expats have been rapidly moving in since the 70s but Costa Rica is still Costa Rica with all its beautiful Costa Ricans. I simply cannot be turned off by the threat of too many gringos. My current situation in Chile is a great example, I don’t live in a tourist town and Chile is not known for having expats, yet I find myself living with 4 other ‘gringos’ and forming a small community of foreigners here. It’s natural to become close to people from a similar language and culture, wherever you move, you are likely to find these communities, no matter how big or small. I think it really depends on the individual. If you want to have a mix of expats and locals, you can, no problem. Or if you want to indulge in what the locals have to other, then find the local things around your area and start making friends. It’s all in the hands of the beholder.

Currently Costa Rica is very politically stable and has a decent economy. For a traveler looking for a commitment, this provides some reassurance. Since I’m Canadian, I know I can apply for a working holiday visa for at least the first two years, after that I will need to have property or a job willing to sponsor me. Property, although on the rise, is not that difficult to buy as a foreigner. There are no permits, or business licenses required. Basically if you have good credit (or cash if you don’t) anyone can purchase. The idea of one day owning property and being able to sort out my legal status before ever entering the Country is a definite bonus.

If directly comparing immigration in Chile, the process was much more difficult. You have to prove, by getting a number of papers notarized, or translated, that you have the money and a job offer to work here. The process was difficult and time consuming as everything revolves around waiting in line, for hours, to get a number, only to wait again in another line. It took me nearly 6 months to get a temporary working visa, for one year. (Which included frequent weekly visits, only to find out I was missing something or needed more.) And although in recent years Chile’s economy is booming, mostly due to the mining industry, there’s still a hard divide between the beliefs of their recent dictatorship; Pinochet. You love him or hate him and there’s no in between, no room to debate and obviously because of their history it’s a very taboo topic. In my own personal experience, especially in the classes I teach, politics aren’t usually discussed and there seems to be uncomfortable tension when important issues arise.

Flights from Canada to Costa Rica are very affordable. Remember, I do have a wonderful family and this plays an important factor. From Chile, it takes almost a whole day to get home, and to be honest, it’s usually longer since you have to account for stopovers or cancellations. I can get a flight from Toronto to San Jose for $600 (US) return, direct, and that’s in high season! Flying into Chile or Peru there are only two major airlines, LAN or Sky. You always require another flight usually from LA or Miami. This is where time and money becomes important. The price to fly home and back is a few hundred dollars short of what it cost me when I lived in Australia. Flights from Toronto to Costa Rica operate through many different suppliers, possibly the reason for the low fares, making emergencies or visits a lot easier to handle.

But are these really reasons to change countries? No, of course not, they are just fueling me in the right direction. I can’t kid anyone here; the main reason is definitely the climate and lifestyle image Costa Rica represents. I’ve never been there before, so everything I think I know is just from hear say. Costa Rica translates to ‘Rich Coast’ so who wouldn’t want to live there? I want to explore the beaches, both on the Pacific side and the Caribbean side, with their world class surfing and beautiful palms. I want to trek through swamps, volcanoes and rainforests while enjoying and respecting their huge variety of wildlife. I feel that living in Costa Rica would be a proud place to live, surrounded by beautiful habitats of every kind, and yes even discovering the spiders, scorpions, and bats.

There are a bunch of small reasons that have made me choose Costa Rica. I don’t think it’s better than anywhere else I’ve been; I just think it will suit me. I want to continue learning Spanish there and to understand their culture and history. I like the idea of local and expat communities, I don’t mind rain, bugs or humidity, the flights to and from home are very affordable, and the simple life seems very easy to maintain.

I have loved all the countries and all the places I’ve visited. They are all different and I can remember each one differently. For as many reasons as I have for leaving Chile, I could also write an argument for having just enough reasons to stay. But I moved here temporarily, and that’s the difference. I’m no stranger to moving and I can handle new situations. The risks are always the same, but this time, I am different. I have never moved to a country with the intent on staying. I’ve always moved with a clear exit date, but this time I’m looking to stay. I’ve already made the necessary first steps, figuring out how to get a visa, what area I should go to, how to buy a car, and where to fly in from. Now, I’m just applying for jobs, enjoying my last months in the desert and counting down the days.

I won’t be a traveler who got stuck, or who has nothing at home, but someone who is merely being active in choosing their future. Nothing is how you first imagine it, but hey, I’ll adapt.