Every once and a while, it is nice to hear of another fellow Canadian’s perspective on living far away from the land of our birth…

Here is what Jason Mueller, owner of Jacoropes in Costa Rica has to say:

As a Canadian, of course, I am proud.  I think most people are proud of where they come from no matter what country you call your native land, from Canada to India.  People seem to have an attachment to their home land that they can’t kick no matter how far away you are from home.  I have talked to a lot of people who are on some amazing adventure half way across the globe in a picturesque scene and when I ask the question if they miss home the answer always seems to be yes for the most part.  Most of the time the answer is “I miss my family and friends.” When I ever I go on a trip I am always happy to be back home and I think that I am definitely lucky to be Canadian.  It is true that Canada is a privileged County.

Currently I am living 5600 kilometers away from Canada in Costa Rica and I have not been home in nearly 2 years.  I moved to Costa Rica to start a completely different life and that I got.  I will say that the heat has been very hard to acclimate to and I still struggle with it on days.  The hardest part was having to work in construction while building our adventure tour in Jaco, Costa Rica.  I think I have Canadian in my blood so it makes it harder to deal with the heat.

Apart from the heat I would have to say the second hardest part about starting a new life in strange country is the language barrier.  After two years I still have so much to learn and it becomes frustrating at times when you can’t express yourself the way you want to or understand exactly what is going on. If you are planning to move abroad I would recommend to try and learn the basics beforehand.

Photo: Jason Mueller

If someone asked me what I missed most about being away for so long I would have to say my family and friends of course.  I have had some friends and some family come visit me here but I am missing out on so much.  I felt ashamed when my nephew wouldn’t even talk with me over skype because he doesn’t know his uncle the way he should.  Other than the obvious of missing friends and family there is heaps of things that I miss and yes Tim Hortons is one of them along with maple syrup.  Mostly I miss the times that I spent outdoors fishing, hunting or just out getting dirty for a drive in the truck.

Canada is such a vast Country in comparison to Costa Rica and there is so much more to explore.  Everywhere you look in Canada you will find a back road that you can go get lost on and here is Costa Rica, not so much.  I am going to be so happy when I finally shipped my truck to Costa Rica. I have spent a lot of hour’s day dreaming about having it here with me.

Most people who move away from Canada to another paradise probably hatted the snow and would be happy if they never had to step foot in it ever again but I for one actually loved the snow.  I don’t miss the everyday life dealing with snow but I’m talking about snowboarding, skiing and snowmobiling.

I will say that I am missing Canada quite a bit right now but there are some things in Costa Rica that I would not want to live without like the fruit and vegetables especially.  The food here is absolutely amazing and no poutine or Timmies can beat the fresh organic produce that is consumed here.

Photo: Jason Mueller

If you are thinking about making such a drastic change in your life like I did then I would have to say go for it.  I undeniably do not have any regrets although I do miss my home land and I am sure you will too.  I would recommend not waiting so long to go back home and visit your family and friends like I have done.

“If you go anywhere, even paradise, you will miss your home”

Malala Yousafzai

Are you living far from the land of your birth? What do you miss about your old life or enjoy about your new life?