It's Blogatory

When we first began settling on this whole family sabbatical idea, I naturally turned to the internet. I spent hours delving through various google searches, culling through blogs, following links to online newsletters, trying to find out HOW PEOPLE REALLY DID THIS SORT OF THING. I found plenty of "expat in Costa Rica" blogs. All fascinating, all chock full of great information, but none with any practical postings of the process they undertook to get there. Like, uh, how many bags did you take? Um, what did you do with your house? Hey, did you buy a round trip ticket? So tell me, did you get a hepatitis shot? Nope, nothing.

So I decided I should start our obligatory blog now, complete with a counter for countdown to departure. Please feel free to skip over the boring stuff and join us in 80 days when we arrive...

For those who care to stay and read, here is my list of things to do before you take a family sabbatical to Costa Rica. Elaborations will follow in subsequent postings.

1. Stop pussyfooting around and decide one night (preferably over a good glass of wine) that you are really going to do this thing
2. Tell mothers
3. Tell best friends
4. Put off telling child
5. Tell child
6. Quit job
7. Find place to live in Costa Rica
8. Rent house
9. See all possible doctors while you still have health insurance - get your mammogram, clean your teeth, have your eyes checked...
10. Buy a new doormat and shower curtain for your renters
11. Remind yourselves (preferably over a stiff drink) that you are really doing this thing
12. Work on elevator speech answer to following question: "what are you going to do there?" ("nothing" is a real conversation stopper)
13. Shop for flip flops and sunscreen
14. Go