The   Bella  Blog

Yesterday we received a message from the State Dept Come home. Now. That was the message from the State Department, which announced that U.S. citizens abroad should either return home or stay where they are as the coronavirus pandemic grows. The department raised its global travel advisory to Level 4, the top warning level, which is usually reserved for nations with war zones or beset by serious disruptions. The announcement is a recommendation, not a requirement, and many of

Good Morning from sunny Costa Rica! Since I stopped posting to our original blog "The Aspiring Expats" last year, we also get followers from the original group plus the newer group at "That Bella Life". I thought, in case any of you were wondering how big our community is, take a look! (this is our presence on Facebook) for your support!! #ThatBellaLife #RetiredExpats #BlackExpatsAbroad #RetiredBlackExpatsInCostaRica

Although we had a pretty frustrating several days last week, the end of the week turned out to be much, much better. Thursday was an absolutely gorgeous day. I even hung some clothes out on the line to dry in the Costa Rica sun. Really! I mean who gets to have such a beautiful view? I am always in awe of the beauty here. On Friday, I also picked up our homemade holiday tamales! Yum! Tamale Making - A time-honored and delicious holiday tradition in Costa Rica. For generations,

Costa Rica is one of the most popular relocation spots for US expats, however you may not be able to watch all of your favorite TV shows! Things have changed a bit since we arrived 4 years ago. When we originally subscribed to Tigo, a local cable provider, they offered a package which included a decent # of US channels including 10 HBO channels as well as several CNN channels, (MSNBC was never part of the any package option). I generally watch CNN/MSNBC for the debates. I no

(That Was the Week That Was, or informally TWTWTW or TW3, a satirical television comedy program with David Frost from BBC Television ran two seasons in the US 1964-1965) Our Life in Costa Rica Year 4 What a week this has been!! Thought I would give you a glimpse of a day in our life here. Although as beautiful as it is, at times it can be very frustrating. Not complaining. No place is perfect. I feel it necessary to report the good and the not so good. Monday (We substituted