Jen Beck Seymour's Blog

Hi friends! Someone asked me the other day what our next adventure was going to be, and it stopped me in my tracks. Even now; after quitting our corporate jobs, selling almost everything we owned, moving and living in Costa Rica, and most recently hiking the Appalachian Trail; it still knocks me off guard to think that people believe me to be adventurous.

When we moved to Costa Rica, it was, indeed, an adventure. We moved there with the intention to shake things up, experience another culture, to do something different. To live… not die. While living in Central America, we got to know Costa Rica well. We had adventures, unique experiences, we made friends, and we got comfortable with being uncomfortable. But, it was time to stretch ourselves again, to grow and learn, not stay stagnant. After 4 years in Costa Rica, it was time to do some more living, time for another adventure.

How does one follow up a “living in a foreign country” adventure? With another escapade, of course! On September 16, 2017, Greg and I summited Mount Katahdin in Maine. This 5-mile climb was the culmination of 179 days of hiking over 2,000 miles that started in March on Springer Mountain, Georgia. You guys, it was the hardest thing I have ever done. But more than that, it was one of the best experiences of my life! We documented our thru-hike on our blog ChicaandSunsets.com and our YouTube channel YouTube.com/ChicaandSunsets.com.

Living in Costa Rica and on the Appalachian Trail has taught us many lessons, first and foremost that the lifestyle we left before moving to Costa Rica, is not one we wish to return to. We have learned to value time over money and experiences over stuff. We are living. We love that we are in the position, now in our late-40s, to do those things that most wait for retirement for, and by then their bodies can’t handle it.

Case in point, when we thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, we spent 6 months living in the woods and hiking 2,189.8 miles, through 14 states, carrying everything we needed on our back. There is no way we would have considered such a quest during our working life. There wasn’t the time, or the energy, or the ambition. Plus we thought we needed a bunch of stuff, you know, that proved we had realized the “American Dream.” I tell the story of our escape from corporate America to a different way of life in my book Costa Rica Chica – Retiring Early, Simplifying my Life, & Realizing that Less is Best.

Is Costa Rica for you? Costa Rica is a magical country. It is a perfect fit for some and a not so great fit for others. It’s not as inexpensive as it used to be, where is? Getting anything done, especially if it involves the government, can be slow and frustrating (like in the US). There are natural phenomena that must be taken into consideration: a volcano burping smoke can shut down the airport … for days. Earthquakes can be strong enough to cause damage and injury, and rainy season can bring mudslides and cause flooding. So, if these negative things will make your life miserable, don’t move to Costa Rica. If, on the other hand, you can look past the negatives and value cultural differences, unparalleled natural beauty and wildlife, and want an adventure, then Costa Rica could be an excellent choice. Go visit for a couple of months, don’t do tourist things, treat the time as if you want to live there and are not on a vacation, then see how you feel about a move.

After our Appalachian Trail hike, we house-sat in Traverse City for 6 months (for a couple who hiked the Appalachia Trail) and then we spent some time in Europe walking the 500-mile Camino de Santiago in Spain (with visits in Paris beforehand and Madrid, afterwards).

So, what’s next? We really enjoyed the thru-hiking experience and would like to support the hiking community in some way. We have relocated to Western North Carolina and opened a hiker hostel along the Appalachian Trail! It is our way of staying involved in the hiking community. We are loving it, you can check out our hostel and recent blog posts here:  https://chicaandsunsets.com. 

Don’t forget to check out my Arm Candy website, I have some awesome new designs and am continuing to grow! Thanks for following me in Costa Rica, and I hope you continue to follow us on our Chica and Sunsets blog and YouTube. — Jen

The post What are we doing now? appeared first on Costa Rica Chica.

Hi friends! Someone asked me the other day what our next adventure was going to be, and it stopped me in my tracks. Even now; after quitting our corporate jobs, selling almost everything we owned, moving and living in Costa Rica, and most recently hiking the Appalachian Trail; it still knocks me off guard to […]

The post What are we doing now? appeared first on Costa Rica Chica.

Hello friends and welcome to another edition of the Expat Extra!  Today I am featuring Jackie and her husband Junior, who live in the Guanacaste region (western coast) of Costa Rica.  We just met Jackie and Junior a couple of months ago at the International Living Conference in San Jose where both Greg and Jackie […]

The post Expat Extra – Jackie & Junior appeared first on Costa Rica Chica.

I think it’s no secret that I love Costa Rica.  Here are just a handful of things I love about this great country:  The gorgeous central valley, as viewed from my patio (and yes, this is a Poinsettia TREE)! Coffee fields everywhere! How friendly the ticos are! The year-round perfect weather (even in rainy season)! The big […]

The post I Love You, Costa Rica appeared first on Costa Rica Chica.

Have you ever wondered about the little coffee-farming town I live in, here in the Central Valley of Costa Rica? Well – wonder no more!  I’ve written a little guidebook to help you navigate around Grecia. After living here for over 3 years, I discuss what you need to know if you are visiting Grecia – […]

The post Grecia, Costa Rica – the book appeared first on Costa Rica Chica.

One of my favorite things to order in restaurants here in Costa Rica, is Arroz con Pollo (in English means “rice with chicken”). So, if you know me at all, you’ll know that I’ve been dreaming of making this from scratch for some time now. When we go out to eat here, we will order Costa […]

The post Costa Rican Arroz con Pollo appeared first on Costa Rica Chica.

  We first met Mike & Martina just recently, after hearing about them for a while and people telling us that “you just have to meet them, we know you’ll like them!”  Well – we do!  They are our age (a rare thing here!), down to earth,  sweet and so easy to talk to.  We plan […]

The post Expat Extra – Mike & Martina appeared first on Costa Rica Chica.

Hello friends and happy Tuesday!  Just a quick note to let you know that Life Outside The Cubicle is now available in PAPERBACK!  Yes, like an actual book that you can hold in your hands.  I got to see if for myself just a few days ago, and I must say – it looks awesome! […]

The post Paperback is out! Life Outside The Cubicle! appeared first on Costa Rica Chica.

“What do you do all day?” I get this question a lot. And while exactly what I do changes each day, I was amazed by my new “normal” the other day. 4 years ago, I never would have thought I would be spending my day formatting and publishing my 3rd book and working on 7 arm candy […]

The post Life Outside the Cubicle appeared first on Costa Rica Chica.

Hello friends! Greg and I get questions all the time on self-publishing, so we have decided to do a blog post on it for you. That’s right – this post comes from both the Seymour’s today!  Here is our advice, answers, and tips for you: 1. Why did you self-publish vs. publishing the traditional way? Well, […]

The post Self-Publishing for Newbies appeared first on Costa Rica Chica.