The Bella Blog

The Bella Blog

Oct 6, 2022
1 min

Costa Rica or Panama? Which is better?

We thought you might want to know, which is why we partnered with Black Expats in Panama TO BRING YOU... The first BLAXIT RADIO Joint We just completed the CR vs Panama Round Table Round One included our 2 immigration attorneys Round Two panel consisted of our BECR (Black Expats in Costa Rica) & BEIP (Black Expats in Panama) members!! The Attorneys talk ****PART ONE of TWO *** Airing this Saturday Oct 8th 12Noon - 1pm (Costa Rica Time) on "This is It" - Straight Talk For the

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The Bella Blog

Feb 14, 2022
1 min

Brave Sis in Costa Rica

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone! Here is the video interview for "This Is It" - BLAXIT RADIO Replay from Saturday with my guest, Rozie. "UNAPOLOGETIC, AUTHENTIC WELLNESS AND SISTERHOOD FOR YOU, FOR US" Rozie is the founder and owner of Brave Sis Project, a lifestyle brand & social cause using wellness & history to build an inclusive sisterhood: for BIPOC women wishing to better know and celebrate our shared history, and for white women wishing to move past performative allyshi

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The Bella Blog

Jan 1, 2022
1 min

Happy New Year 2022

Hope you are all doing well. This year we spent the holidays in Playa Jaco. NYE video below. I have another video to post catching you up on other things and..... I have even more videos that I will be posting starting next Sat Jan 8 So Stay Tuned!!! #ThatBellaLife #BlackInCostaRica #BlackExpatsInCostaRica

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Puerto Viejo Video - Our Life in Costa Rica

The Bella Blog

Aug 11, 2021
1 min

Puerto Viejo Video - Our Life in Costa Rica

Ok y'all, I'm back with a new video! Finally got access to my editing tools. This video is from our last visit to Puerto Viejo (June 2021). We went to Puerto Viejo to attend a wedding and stayed at the beautiful (new) Umami Hotel Garden Spa. In today's video we are on a walk to find breakfast on the beach and ran into a very knowledgeable local who taught us a thing or 2 about medical plants! Many of the them just looked like weeds growing along the road but turns out that th

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The Next Big Thing! Our Life in Costa Rica

The Bella Blog

Jun 21, 2021
1 min

The Next Big Thing! Our Life in Costa Rica

Hope you are all doing well. Have you been, wondering where I've Been? The answer is, nowhere, yet. But, I have been working on a couple of exciting projects. 1. First project is - a "Jammin" trip to Morocco Morocco Jammin 2022 The Morocco Grand Tour An 11 day group trip to Morocco which we are planning for Sept 2022 The trip is to 5 cities, as well as an overnight stay @ a luxury camp in the Sahara Desert More to follow - *If you are interested please drop me an email and I

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Exploring Container Home Possibilities in Costa Rica

The Bella Blog

May 13, 2021
3 min

Exploring Container Home Possibilities in Costa Rica

When we decided to move to Costa Rica, our original plan was for 6 of us (known then as The Aspiring Expats), to settle on the Caribbean Coast. We were to buy land, build and live in 4 sustainable living, self-sufficient off-the-grid container homes with a common area hub in the center, with plans to expand into a larger container community at a later date! Five Year Look Back August 3, 2015 At our last several weekly meetings, we have been discussing housing options using al

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The Bella Blog

Apr 25, 2021
2 min

Hangin out on the Pacific Coast

We (Lavanson, Verdette and I) finally felt it was safe enough to venture out and make a visit to Jaco, where Lavanson's brother (Charles) lives. Jaco is about an hour and 15 mins from Escazú. Charles moved to a new condo about 6 months ago and we had not yet had an opportunity to see it. We spent 7 relaxing days there and had the opportunity to enjoy some of the beaches, meet up with some friends and also sample some of the restaurants. Sadly during Covid, many businesses, (i

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Join Us in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica - Black Expat Meetup

The Bella Blog

Apr 13, 2021
1 min

Join Us in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica - Black Expat Meetup

Please join us in beautiful Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica on May 13 - 16th for the 1st Annual Black Expats in Costa Rica Meet Up Bridging the Cultures is our Theme for this year All the info is below Please Click #thatbellalife #blackexpatsincostarica #retiredblackexpats #retiredblackexpatsincostarica #blackincostarica #bridgingcultures #blackexpatslivinglifeabroad

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All Around the Town - Escazú CostaRica - Mirador Tiquicia

The Bella Blog

Mar 29, 2021
1 min

All Around the Town - Escazú CostaRica - Mirador Tiquicia

In an effort to begin moving around Costa Rica again (on a limited basis) we have been researching some of the restaurants in the area. All are following social distancing guidelines and are open air locations In today's video review Located - Just 20 minutes from San José! Located in the beautiful mountains of Escazú, San José's upscale suburb. In a farmhouse setting you can experience an authentic traditional Costa Rican ambience. The Views are Awesome!!! #thatbellalife #b

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Escape to Tamarindo, Costa Rica - Wrap Up Video

The Bella Blog

Mar 10, 2021
1 min

Escape to Tamarindo, Costa Rica - Wrap Up Video

Just a quick post to say that the wrap up for our 4 day trip to Tamamrindo has been uploaded to Youtube Please check it out if you haven't already #thatbellalife #tamarindocostarica #blackexpatsabroad #blackincostarica #blackexpatslivinglifeabroad

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The Bella Blog

Mar 6, 2021
1 min

Single & Dating Abroad Pt2

LIVE in The Clubhouse Monday March 8. Please join us. Let me know if you need an invite or if any men would like to participate. Remember you need to have an iPhone. #thatbellalife #blackincostarica #blackexpatsabroad #retiredblackexpatsabroad #retiredblackexpatsincostarica #blackexpatsdatingabroad

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The Bella Blog

Feb 27, 2021
2 min

Escape to Tamarindo

We did it! We finally left our condo and ventured out on a trip! Four glorious days in Tamarindo. This was our first trip but will definitely not be our last! The weather cooperated and we have 4 very pleasant days. I was prepared for the oppressive heat and humidity but instead we had fairly hot days but cooling a bit toward the evening and a refreshing ocean breeze. Our condo had air (of course) but during the time we were inside I found it freeezing @ 72 and had to turn it

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The Bella Blog

Jan 30, 2021
2 min

It's Summer in Costa Rica!

Hey everyone! I know it's been a minute but it's been pretty quiet in our life and since we are staying home most of the time, I haven't had much to report -- but I'm back today with a few pics. Still loving our new city even if we rarely get out! The rainy season ended around the end of November and with it came the "dry" season and the wind! The winds can really get gusty during this time of year. Time to secure your plants and patio furniture!!! Its now offically summer

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Black Hair Care Products and Services in Costa Rica

The Bella Blog

Nov 13, 2020
4 min

Black Hair Care Products and Services in Costa Rica

*Special Post Today's post is directed to those women (black & brown - w/curly/kinky/tightly coiled hair) currently living n Costa Rica and/or relocating to Costa. When i set out to research the availability of products and services in Costa Rica specifically designed to address the needs of hair care for the black community, I was cautiously optimistic. After having lived in Grecia, (a small agricultural town in Costa Rica's Central Valley), for 4 years I was aware of the d

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Life on the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica (video)

The Bella Blog

Nov 11, 2020
1 min

Life on the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica (video)

Below is a recent interview we had with expats, Penny & Paul McPherson, as we sat down to discuss their travels and their life in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica!! Be sure to check Penny out on IG #plantbasedpennylife Big Thanks to Paul & Penny!!! #ThatBellaLife #BlackInCostaRica #BlackExpatsinCostaRica #BlackExpatsLivingLifeAbroad #PlantBasedPennyLife

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Our Interview with International Living Magazine - Our Life in Costa Rica

The Bella Blog

Oct 24, 2020
1 min

Our Interview with International Living Magazine - Our Life in Costa Rica

Blaxit: 5 Black American Expats Share Their Experiences Living Overseas BTW - After the article was published we discovered that we happen to know 2 of the other couples who were interviewed for the article. Riley & His wife who live in Grecia and Michelle and her husband who we visited on our trip to San Miguel de Allende - Congrats to both!!! Please check us out (small error - Some of you may know, but the above photo is actually in Escazu) #ThatBellaLife #BlackExpatsLiving

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The Bella Blog

Jul 16, 2020
1 min

Good Bye to Our Casa in Grecia Costa Rica

Hey guys, This is a short video of our house in Grecia. For security reasons we've never filmed our exact location, but since we no longer live there... Here it is! It was our 1st home in Costa Rica. We called it Casa de Coffey (a play on words using Lavanson's last name) and we lived there for 4 years, so we will definitely miss it. The views and the sounds of nature were a perfect introduction to this beautiful country. We also enjoyed the peace and tranquility of being sur

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Just in the nick of time! Our Life in Costa Rica

The Bella Blog

Jul 14, 2020
3 min

Just in the nick of time! Our Life in Costa Rica

We are finally in our new home!! In the midst of a "pandemic" With the number of Covid cases on the rise and both our city locations on "orange alert", I figured I better change our move date while things were still partially open. I moved the date from Sunday July 12 to Friday July 10. Very happy I did, because on Saturday July 11th, Costa Rica instituted the strictest Covid measures to date! The new restrictions for areas on orange alert cut driving down to one day during t

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The Bella Blog

Jun 22, 2020
2 min

Let's Take A Ride! - Atenas Costa Rica

I shared this video on one of my Facebook groups but thought you all might enjoy it as well. The TOPIC -- HOUSING - Where should we live? This is always a HUGE decision as we discussed in the real estate series. I think the decision is also complicated by the fact that Costa Rica is different from the US in many ways. First - It's not connected by "freeways" - as we know them in the US - "freeways" that take you up and down and across the country with well lit signs and offra

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The Bella Blog

May 29, 2020
1 min

And The Winner Is

We're back with an update on which property we chose! It was a difficult decision but we finally made up our minds. In the video below we will discuss the pros and cons of each location which led up to our final decision. While we were in the selection process I thought this might also be a good time to educate people on exactly how real estate works in Costa Rica as it is different in so many ways from real estate in the states, and I figured...you all just might want to kno

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