Gosh dang, where do I begin? I think like our pal @birdsinparadise, I'll take a little of everything, too. You've totally got me craving sweet potato fries right now! Can you believe I actually haven't made any in a while? I do have some red potatoes that I think are destined for a potato salad, but it's been a bit since I made any fries. Well, other than another batch of the chickpea fries last week, which are nothing to sneeze at. I think a few of our little buttnuts might just about be ready. I don't think they'll grow super big in the summer time, plus I'll be happy to pull them off to enjoy sooner.
Delicious meals all around! My pal just got back from retreat in Costa Rica and really enjoyed it. Of course now she's talking about wanting to purchase property down there because she loved it so much, but I might have to share some of your experiences with her to make sure she explores all sides of the decision. Glad they enjoyed the trip, though. Safe travels as you make it to your next spot! Make sure to wave if you fly over Atlanta! ;)
Yum, I still haven’t tried those chickpea fries. They sound delish though. Since being here I discovered yucca fries too. They are bomb! So good dipped in hummus or guac or any other saucy thing you can come up with.
I bet the retreat was amazing! It’s a shame, we had the same perception as her just a few months ago. Living somewhere verses vacationing somewhere is so different. I wish more people were honest about living here. Maybe some people just don’t care about that kind of divide, I don’t know. Hopefully she has an opportunity to live here for a bit before making such an investment.
I’ll drop confetti from the plane :)
Oh man, you really do have to try the chickpea ones soon! I still love my starchy root veggies like that, but the chickpea flour is a pretty darn good way to mix it up.
Yeah, I think she might just still be in that post-vacation glow. I don't think they'll be buying anything soon, but I would imagine there's visions of permanent Costa Rican retreats dancing in her head. ;) I think a lot of people that only vacation in a spot really don't care as long as nothing negative impacts them. When you're only there for a week you don't have to worry about anything except for making sure to put on enough sunscreen. I'm sure it's a whole different ballgame when you are actually doing day to day interactions and needing to carry on actual business.
If that confetti is made from chopped up pineapple, I'll be waiting for the fly over...😜
Even better, it’s made with love 😉. @dandays has been very vocal to fellow expats about our experience to try and set an example that “it’s okay to say what you think”. A couple we just met 2 weeks ago said they thought about what we were saying and decided that we are totally right. They cancelled a check they had sent to a real estate agent and are deciding to look else where to buy their retirement home. I’m not saying that people shouldn’t move here but I am saying that people shouldn’t jump into the commitments without knowing what’s happening here. The problem is is that nobody talks about this so people don’t know. The expats that do talk about it are stuck here having invested a lot of money and it’s not so easy to sell here as it is in the states. I’m working on my “tell people what you’re thinking” now too. I see the politeness as a way to hide who you are. We need more people and less politeness (in my opinion).
Chickpea fries, chickpea balls, chickpea Cookies, I’m all about the chickpea goods. Send some fries this way and I’ll see what I can do about smuggling in some pineapple. Maybe I can dehydrate some pineapple and bring it ovahhhhh 😋
We really enjoyed it when we were just visiting too, you have to live here to realize the difference between visiting and permanent. The divide between locals and expats is gross. A vacationing attitude doesn’t notice getting robbed nor are you concerned. Vacation-mode is oblivious to the reality that locals don’t want you here.
Yeah, we had ‘plans’ too, thank God we engulfed ourselves in the culture before doing what everyone else does—regret!
Show her my how to avoid extortion article or the one I’m releasing today, I’d recommend she engulfs herself in the culture for six months and then tell you what she thinks. 👍🏿
Always good to hear the opinions of people who experience things first hand! I can imagine there are a lot of skewed opinions (for example those trying to sell you their property so they can get the heck out of dodge, haha). There are pros and cons to any place, so it is really good to find out what you are willing to compromise on before you jump all in.
I'll keep an eye out for your latest share!