After having flown hither and yon for the entire summer, Hal and the boys and I are finally all in one place again: Kentucky. Where it looks like we'll stay. At least, that's the plan today. Or, it was an hour ago.
The original plan, waaaay back in June, when it became clear we were moving from Costa Rica, was to land rat cheer (right here in KY-speak). Then, end of September, we'd join Peggy and Brian on their move to Houston. After helping them unpack, we'd explore the Houston/Austin area, with the focus on Austin, see if that would be the permanent place. "Permanent" until I graduate from acupuncture college, at least. Then, who knows? Does any other normal non-military family roam around like this?
But we can't do it. Can't drive to Houston. Can't pick it all up and live out of a car and a suitcase for two more weeks. Can't — even if we fell in love with TX — dredge up what it takes to move our entire household again right now. Even though it's only suitcases, laptops and guitars. We are too tired and Kentucky is too beautiful. We know too many people here (starting with my entire family). We found a beautiful, old ancient, furnished, affordable house. We can have chickens and bees in our backyard. Then, yesterday, we stumbled into an awesome Whole Foods Market with incredible homemade sausage, nitrate/hormone/antibiotic free… it all fits together so nicely here. Did I mention we are too tired to move again?
The only menace in KY is snow. Perhaps "menace" is too strong a word. But it's only mid-September, the temperature was 60°C this morning and I was FREEZING. My nose was like ice. How will I survive a windchill of… anything? I'm trying to look on the bright side (honest): we only have to do snow twice. My third year of school, I'll have to move to Gainesville for the year. Hopefully, Florida will still be warm then.
Hmmm. I gotta say, now that it's all down in print, I'm thinking maybe we should dredge up whatever it takes and investigate Austin. Hate to think I'm missing out on something. The biggest downside to moving from here, where things are quasi-familiar, to moving to an entirely new area — besides being too freaking tired to think about it — is that we don't know anything about the town or anybody in it. It would be starting over from scratch. So, no. Forget Austin.
But, then again, we did it in Costa Rica. I know we'll meet people in theatre and C4L-ers and 12 Steppers right away. And Peggy and Brian will only be 2.5 hours away. And they lived in TX for fourteen years before moving to Key West. "So," I'm reasoning, "how hard could it be, really?"
See, this is how my mind works. Totally chaotic. Completely Libra: the pendulum of Justice swings back and forth, back and forth, where she stops, nobody knows. How anything gets done around here is beyond me. Literally.
So, the eagles have landed in KY. For right now. As my mind changes, I'll keep you posted. Yeah, going to be a lot of blogging going on.
Which brings me around to this: it looks like this is my last post at ABroadInCostaRica.com. The blog plan, back when I was making plans, was to continue "A Broad in Costa Rica" as "A Broad in the USA"; I even reserved the name. But, it didn’t seem right, somehow, to squeeze a round, fluffy broad into a square, unforgiving hole. Two completely different lifestyles, latitudes, foci.
And it doesn't seem fair to Costa Rica, really. Forcing a Costa Rica blog to become a USA blog? Yuck. Where Costa Rica and the adventure of living there was ripe for blog posts — breathtaking, frustrating, hilarious — the USA has little ripe. Overripe, maybe. Breathtaking and frustrating, to be sure. But there is so little fun or funny about the USA today, I’d probably have to make stuff up to entertain us all. Which I have never done here. (Now you're wondering, right?)
I hope you'll join me at FiftyToLife.com, my USA blog. I'm writing about living in the U.S., traditional food, food politics, politics, chickens and keeping the second fifty as interesting and alive as the first. If you are on the mailing list here, I will add you over there. If Fifty doesn't click with you, you can unsubscribe at any time with just a click. I'll never know, I don't follow who unsubscribes. I just figure you are nuts. Ok, kidding!
Thank you for reading what I've written so far, encouraging me on our adventures in Costa Rica. Thank you for keeping me alive while I was in the hospital. I really appreciate it. And please stay aboard with a broad at FiftyToLife. I will miss you if you go. I promise never to be boring. Or, at least, hardly ever.
Vaya con dios, mis amigos. Mas por exponer… prontitico!
Love, Saratica
Wow, we miss you. Thank you for the gift of Sam. Love her. She is like a mini you. No one can replace you of course, I can believe you have gone.
Thanks for the ride – it’s been great. I hope you will still keep the old blog “up” because I use it as my jumping off point for most of my Costa Rica research.
All the best,
Marika
Thanks for everything, got scared for a second I would never read from you again. Never been to Kentucky but have been lots of times to Cincinnati, I guess driving to CVG doesn’t qualify as being in Kentucky does it?
I’ll follow you on your US blog cause you are definitely more entertaining than HGTV. BTW, lots of “House Hunter” shows about CR lately, yeez who buys those houses anyway?
Three thoughts: 1) I hope you hang on to this domain name, because I think you might need it again some day. 2) For your own sake, I hope you can relax a bit about the state of the U.S. of A.–there’s all kinds of fun and funny stuff here. E.g., I work with incarcerated juveniles (mostly gang members) and they’re probably the most entertaining (and rewarding) people I know. You’ll find your place to plug in. Of course I guess you’re referring more to the “big” picture, but even there, I think things could be so much worse. As long as this is a country that people are trying to get into illegally (even if the pace has apparently slowed), remember that there are MUCH worse places. As Jon Stewart said in announcing his Rally to Restore Sanity, let’s all “Take it down a notch for America.” http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-september-16-2010/rally-to-restore-sanity (or you may prefer Stephen Colbert’s “March to Keep Fear Alive” at http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/359382/september-16-2010/march-to-keep-fear-alive …you can skip the first couple of minutes). 3) Now to follow you on over to FiftyToLife.com…
…Chuck
I’ll make the change your new blog on my blog buddy list. We all wish you the best. It doesn’t matter where you land you’ll always be my buddy, one of the first we met when we started our new lives in Costa Rica. 🙂 OH, the offer still stands for Reiki training after your schooling.
Sally and tribe, I once heard a story in the rooms about an African tribe that travels on foot. They can be seen running in large groups across the land and then suddenly they all stop in place. It appears that they are just resting, when actually they are letting their spirits catch up to them. I look forward to “FiftyToLife” – Great title! Love to you all ~ Mary
I am about to go to CR– CV area and would love to know where to find 12 step mtgs. Thanks!!
I already have developed an interest in your ongoing story even though it has taken a turn to a geographical place which no longer holds my interest. I am waiting to see how you deal with snow and bitter cold. I left that weather 30 years ago and will NEVER go back to it. Even Austin has temperatures too extreme for me. My brother lived there for many years and is returning soon. Other than the uncomfortable temperature extremes, seems to be an interesting place….but for MY money, no substitute for Costa Rica.
I agree with those above who think you should hang onto the original blog (ABICR) name. You could use it from time to time to reminisce about things tico.
It would be easy enough every so often to flag FTL[[dot]com to indicate that there’s a new reminiscence over on ABICR and your old faitiful would flock to it, like bees to honey drawn!
I cannot believe that you won’t have reminiscences and flashbacks to episodes and instances in CR. Would be nice to keep those in the samosamo place where they would fit right in and continue that most interesting record.
Other than that…. Get some rest. You deserve it!
Cheers!
==
Hello, Saratica, I have followed your ABICR blog from the very beginning and I understand
why you lead the gypsy life you do—you truly are an adventuresome lady with a zest for life and those Costa Rican memoirs will always be etched in your mind and heart and we all live vicariously thru those experiences. The CR government should give you an award for being their staunchest ambassador. Whatever you do in the next chapter of your life, we will look forward to your next capers in Kentucky or wherever the gypsy caravan ends, good luck and God Bless!
Sally!! I am coming to visit you in KY in December! Stay put…….I am so excited to visit you guys in the good ole’ USA…..not because the US is so wonderful, but because I know what it is like to feel “abroad” in your own country.
Love you,
Sam
I wish you the best of luck and can’t wait to see you in GAINESVILLE, FL!! 😀 My hometown. :}
Hey Sara so glad to hear that you found a great place to live. Always think about you and look at the blog so I too want to follow you of course. Glad you found Weston Price and glad you are feeling better. I am still in Uvita and the invite is always open. My mail is deboraedholm@gmail.com
Thank you — love you all. I can’t believe we won’t be back to Costa Rica one day (and Uvita, my second favorite place in CR). It’s getting frickin’ cold here….