American expat Andrew uses his travel industry expertise to run his own small hotel in Los Angeles Sur, Costa Rica. It's a place where the people are genuinely friendly, the beaches are pristine, and the cost of living is low. He offers some words of wisdom to people who are planning to move there, and what to expect -- both the good and the bad.	Andrew Mastrandonas

Updated December 7 2006

-Where were you born?

New York, USA

-Are you living alone or with your family?
I live alone but in the business I operate, a Bed & Breakfast/small hotel.

-In which country and city are you living now?
Costa Rica. I live in a town called Los Angeles Sur, which is close to San Ramon.

-How long have you been living in Costa Rica?
Almost two years.

-What is your age?
40+ :)

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Costa Rica?
I came to the decision to live in another country in 2004 when I grew unhappy with my corporate life. The desire to have a new life and to experience another culture were major factors in my decision to move overseas. I also wanted to try running a business on my own and since I had been in the travel industry in the U.S., I decided running a B&B would be a relatively easy transition.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
No, because I did not get one or need one, though like most countries it is quite hard to get one in Costa Rica. I own my business and expats can own businesses in Costa Rica, just not do work in them that the locals could do.

-How do you make your living in Costa Rica?
I am making my living running my B&B, running a relocation/retirement tour company called "Boomers in Costa Rica Tours" for people considering moving here (www.boomersincostarica.com and www.costaricarealestate.typepad.com), managing other hotel properties and doing consulting work. It just takes patience, ingenuity and a lot of networking to find opportunities, particularly when moving from a typical corporate career with a guaranteed salary every two weeks to working for oneself.  I've also gotten into real estate recently and bought with some partners, some stunning ocean-view properties near my home.  It's exciting to be doing this and fun being an entrepreneur!

-Do you speak Spanish and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
I have been learning Spanish, though my skills are still basic. I think it is important to learn the local language even though you can get by without it. You miss so much not being able to speak with the locals and to understand the nuances in language. It’s also important that you are in THEIR country and need to at least try, and they really appreciate it.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
I do miss my friends and family sometimes. To combat that I keep in touch frequently and let them keep in touch with me through my blog: AndrewNCostaRica (http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/AndrewNCostaRica).

My favorite activities in Costa Rica are horseback riding—I own a couple of horses—and going to the beach. Costa Rica’s beaches are terrific and you can still find some pristine beaches with no tourists!

-Do you have other plans for the future?
I am trying to operate my businesses so I can take off a month or two every year and travel. Most recently, I spent from mid-June to mid-August in South America. I had never had two months off to travel in my life and it was surreal. I hope to do more of that in the future; in fact, I’m hoping to spend a month doing volunteer work in India some day soon.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
I bought the B&B that I own. Compared to U.S. real estate, particularly for a large property, it was reasonably priced.

-What is the cost of living in Costa Rica?
You can live very well on about $1000/month and live reasonably well on $500/month as long as you stay away from the tourist towns.

-What do you think about the Costa Rican people?
I love Costa Ricans, or “Ticos” as they are called. They love foreigners and don’t look at us as just “rich” expats. They are genuinely friendly and genuinely enjoying meeting people from other cultures and sharing theirs. They are very proud of their country. In fact, a recent New Economics survey found Cost Rica as one of the top five “happiest” countries on earth!

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Costa Rica?
The weather, cost of living, environment and terrific people are definitely positives. Like many third-world countries, bad infrastructure, waiting in lines at the bank, post office, government offices and so on, are definite negatives. Costa Rica also isn’t known for its culinary flair, so access to high quality, interesting food, is often a problem. You have to cook for yourself!

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Costa Rica?
Like any less developed country, just remember you are not in your own country, need to have patience, and adjust to their culture -- not have them adjust to yours. Take the rainy season in stride and find things to do during the 4-6 months of rain. Try to work less if you can—why live in or retire to a tropical paradise if you are going to work all the time!?

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Costa Rica?
Some of my favorite sites:

My B&B: http://www.AngelValleyFarmBandB.com
My blog: http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/AndrewNCostaRica
My relocation/retirement tour company: http://www.boomersincostarica.com
My "Boomers Blog": http://www.costaricarealestate.typepad.com
Costa Rica news: http://www.Ticotimes.net