One of the most difficult parts of moving to a foreign country is leaving friends and family behind and not knowing anyone in your new country. When I moved to Costa Rica in May 2014, I didn’t know one person in Costa Rica besides my husband who moved with me. I knew when we moved I would need to take steps to change that or I wouldn’t have any kind of social life at all.

In my first month or so living in Costa Rica, I focused on furnishing my home and learning how to navigate my new town. After that, I started my quest to meet and learn about others in my community. I admit fully this can be done more easily if you live in an area where other English speakers live, as I do. I live in Herradura, just outside the tourist town of Jaco. Many expats reside here and many native Spanish speakers here speak English because of the tourism industry.

Photo by @puravidablonde - Lori Anne Haskell

Tip 1: If you don't know Spanish well, try moving to an area where there are some English speakers. I am not saying this as a way to avoid learning Spanish, but it does help in your transitional stages. I am lucky that while I am learning Spanish, I have a husband who is almost fluent. However, when I go out and about by myself, being in Jaco does help with the language barriers.

Being active on social media also really helped me get started meeting others. I frequently received Facebook friend requests from people living in the area who had seen that I also lived in the Jaco area. I would accept many such requests in order to hopefully make new friends. My attitude on this was very different when I lived in the USA, as I would only accept friend requests from those I knew in real life. People in Costa Rica aren't as afraid of meeting others as people in the USA are. Also, there isn’t as much violent crime here so it’s a bit safer to meet strangers. Saying that I don't just meet up with anyone and everyone, and when first meeting people, I do so in public places.

Tip 2: If you meet up with others you don't know, do so in a public place and in groups.

One of my first friends here was a woman named Kim. I met her on Facebook, then ran into her at the local feria (farmer’s market). She recognized me and said hi, and we have been friends since. When we met, she had lived here a little bit longer than I had and she casually knew a few local women. I decided to ask her if she wanted to start a monthly women’s luncheon so local women could meet up with other women in the area. She thought it was a great idea, and the women’s luncheon was created. Our very first women’s luncheon only had four attendees. Not long thereafter, we had groups of thirty women or so coming to each lunch. It was an amazing way for local women to meet others and form friendships. Shortly after that, I started two Facebook pages. One page is focused on lunching and day trips for women and the other is focused on fitness and hiking for women. Both currently have over one hundred local women participating.

Tip 3: I try to support different local businesses as well with my women’s luncheons. We choose a different restaurant for each luncheon. If you form a luncheon-type group, set up each meetup at a different local restaurant. This will allow you to make friends with the various owners. This is super helpful when you need a last-minute reservation.

Try to find others with the same interests as you. I am very into wildlife photography. Often times and especially at first, I would just head out on my own to look for wildlife and take pictures. At one point, I met a local Tico, named Rodolfo aka Rudy, who is a boat captain but into wildlife photography as well. He and I soon started walking and taking pictures together. Since he is a local, he knows some amazing, non-touristy places to go walk.

Shortly thereafter, I bought a stove off of Facebook marketplace from a man named Gary. I found out he likes photography as well. He and I became friends and take many wildlife pictures together. Since Gary is a boat captain as well, he already knows Rudy. The three of us formed a group in Jaco called Jaco Wildlife Stalkers. The group has now gotten rather large and it has really expanded my group of friends. It also allows me to make friends with those with similar interests to mine.

Once I started taking and posting my wildlife pictures online, it became obvious I have a special spot in my heart for birds. A man named Tom saw my pictures, contacted me, and suggested I look into joining the BCCR, or Birding Club of Costa Rica. I did so and decided to join. The group takes monthly trips around Costa Rica, generally for two nights, to look for birds. Some in the group bring a camera and some use binoculars to see the birds. I started taking many trips with the group. I made many friends from all over Costa Rica during my trips with this group and I got to explore the country too. I eventually became the Treasurer of the Club. Due to the Covid outbreak, the group stopped doing trips temporarily in February 2020.

Tip 4: Look for local clubs or organizations to join that are of interest to you. If you cannot find any, start your own!

From March 2020 until September 2020, much was closed in Costa Rica. In October 2020, I was going stir crazy. I decided that since the birding club was not very active, I would plan my own group trips with local friends. Since October 2020, I have gone places once, sometimes twice a month. We have taken day trips, two-night trips, and three-night trips all over the country. We sometimes stay in lodges and sometimes in houses we rent. I try to make the trips low cost so most can afford to go. During these trips, I have made new friends and grown closer to the friends I have. These trips include anywhere between nine and fifteen people.

Tip 5: Explore the country with organized tours, or create them yourself.

In August 2020, a woman contacted me and asked if I would be interested in using my photography skills to help at a local animal rescue center. Of course, I said yes. I interviewed and was invited to visit. Since that time, I have been going about once a month to the Rescate Animal Wildlife Center in La Garita. While there, I take photos the rescue uses to help it with marketing and raising money for the animals. Through my volunteer work there, I have made and continue to make new friends and I help the wildlife too.

Tip 6: If you are passionate about a cause, look into volunteering in your area. You will love the work and make new friends. Some of my friends from the rescue even come along on my group trips.

In conclusion, moving does not mean you will lose your friends and family. It simply means you have the ability to gain new friends. I consider many of my friends here in Costa Rica to be my second family. I still visit the USA and my family there, so I get the best of both worlds. Pura Vida.