It’s been fascinating to hear others’ experiences and beliefs on this topic, and to have the chance to clarify my own views as I’ve responded to questions, accusations, and praise for my decision. I admit that I was afraid at how others might react, but am pleased to report that most of the responses were positive, and that many of my relationships have deepened as people opened up to me like I opened myself up in the document. I’ve also met some new friends both in and out of the church. This has been a wonderful learning experience for me and has taught me more about myself, human nature, and why people believe what they do.

It’s also made it even more clear to me how each of us see the world through our own filters of reality, and how difficult those filters are to remove. Even when we think we’ve removed them, we usually haven’t. I’m reminded of the common mistakes we all (including me) make in our thinking, so well explained in the book Don’t Believe Everything You Think which I reviewed last year. It’s a great book that really increased my awareness of how our brains work and how we form our beliefs.

I thought it would be interesting to summarize the most common responses I received to my announcement. While each response was as unique as the person writing it, there were some common themes that kept coming up. Each of the items listed below is an idea I heard several times in the responses I received. I think this list demonstrates that people have their own minds, experiences, opinions, and emotions that vary greatly even within the same belief system. Personally, I think that kind of diversity makes the world a more interesting place to live and probably helps us grow more than if we all felt the same way about everything. That is, if we can all learn to love and accept ourselves and each other with all our differences.

Here are the most common responses I received:

• You’re an anti-Mormon, deceived by the devil, and are just trying to destroy people’s faith.
• You will regret this at Judgment Day when you’re forced to humbly kneel before Christ.
• I know you left just because you wanted to sin / have more free time on Sundays, etc.
• I’m really sad and disappointed in your decision. You must be very unhappy. I will pray for you.
• I know the church is true. It brings me so much peace and I can’t imagine going through life without it.
• I’ve heard it all before, and I’m still strong in the church.
• I don’t agree with what you said, but I still love you.
• You will always be our friends. It doesn’t matter to us what you believe.
• Your document was well-written, but your logic is flawed because you’re not taking into account the witness from the Holy Ghost.
• I think you over-thought some of these things, and intellectualized yourself out of the gospel. You’re “too smart” for the church.
• I’ve had more powerful spiritual experiences than the ones you describe that I could never deny and they prove to me that the church is true.
• You were an inspiration to me growing up and helped strengthen my testimony through your example. I’m really shocked to hear this news, but I still consider you my friend.
• I can tell you’ve really thought this through. Here are some other questions you might want to consider.
• You’ve caused me to think a lot, and you’re right about many things. But I still believe in the church.
• I don’t believe everything the church teaches, and it doesn’t really matter if it’s true or false because it makes me a better person and/or it’s what I’m comfortable with, so that’s why I believe.
• I want to believe the church is true. It’s really scary for me to think that it might not be. But I have to know the truth. I’m going to find out for myself. Thanks for sharing your journey.
• It’s so nice to know I’m not alone! I feel the same way as you do, but my wife/husband/brother/mom/etc won’t even try to listen to my concerns.
• Your article makes perfect sense and I completely agree with everything you said, but I still go to church to keep my family together (my spouse would divorce me if I left, and my kids would disown me).
• You’ve really helped me at a crossroads in my life and your document brought me so much peace and has given me courage to do what I know I need to do. Thank you!
• I left the church years ago for many of the same reasons you did, and have been so happy ever since. You put into words beautifully what I was never able to articulate, and it really resonated with me. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
• We’ve been trying to figure out how to tell our family and friends that we left the church, and your document really helps spell it out in a non-offensive way. I’m going to share it with them / use some of your words in my response.
• I just want you to know that you’re not alone and that despite how some people will mistreat you for this decision, there are thousands more who support you. It’s great to see you being true to yourself.
• You should write a book about this and publish it! There are so many people struggling with these issues who feel so alone and afraid and they need your help.
• Writing that took amazing courage and integrity, and you handled it with such grace! Well done! You inspire me!

What a spectrum of responses! Do you see your response (either thought or written) in the list? Of course there were many more, and some went into great detail, but this is a summary of the most common ones.

Interestingly, when we decided to sell our material possessions a couple years ago and travel the world as a family, we received similar backlash and support from various people (although the severity was on a different scale). Some people thought we were crazy and stupid. Some were concerned about our health and safety. Others felt like we were living the dream and wished they could join us. Some ignored us. Others were inspired by us and made preparations to do the same thing themselves. I suppose whenever we make a radical decision, or a choice that breaks the barriers of culture and “normal” expectations, people will react differently, according to where they’re at in their own life, their own fears and desires, their own experience and expectations. These reactions say much more about the speaker than they do about our decisions or about us as individuals, but we can learn something about ourselves from each response if we choose to, and help each other grow.

We’ve been fortunate to come to a place inside of ourselves that we’re very happy and content with. We’ve realized that we don’t have to live to meet others’ expectations, and that’s not what ultimately brings happiness to anyone. Instead, we do what ignites our passions, fills our lives with meaning, and makes the world a better place in our eyes. My hope is that we can all do just that, in our own unique ways.

Howard Thurman said, ”Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

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Share and Enjoy

Here’s a list of some of the highlights of 2011 for us, in no particular order.

1. Had a new healthy baby girl, Aysia, who was born at home in our bath tub in Costa Rica.
2. Enjoyed visits from my mom, sister’s family, Jen’s parents, and her uncle and cousin.
3. Watched a guy kiss a king cobra on the mouth, then put the snake’s head in his mouth.
4. Moved from Grecia, Costa Rica to Escazu, Costa Rica, to Penang, Malaysia.
5. Enjoyed a fun week in Kauai, Hawaii with my mom, sister, niece, aunt & uncle, cousins, and more.
6. Got robbed in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica. Lost 2 Macbook Pros, 3 iPads, camera, binoculars, backpacks, and more. Got one computer back thanks to PreyProject.com.
7. Threw a party in Utah and enjoyed visiting with dozens of family and friends on our way to Malaysia.
8. Drove my car (99 Rav4) through several rivers in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, and almost got stuck.
9. Enrolled the kids in art classes, Chinese class, community choir, day camps, and other fun activities.
10. Donated Emily’s birthday and our Christmas to charity (Emily’s idea).
11. Went to a weekly playgroup in Escazu and made many friends.
12. Played with monkeys at a rescue center who crawled all over us.
13. Tim Ferriss, author of the 4-Hour Workweek, wrote about me on his blog.
14. Watched how the indigenous Bribri indians in Costa Rica made chocolate, then we ate some.
15. Got chased and almost attacked by monkeys in national parks in both Costa Rica and Malaysia.
16. Bought my first real estate investment property. Thanks Shaun!
17. Took family yoga and horseback riding classes in Costa Rica.
18. Enjoyed soaking in several hot springs around Costa Rica, always with friends.
19. Lived for 8 months in this beautiful and artsy house in Escazu, Costa Rica.
20. My eight year old daughter learned to love reading, and has become very fast at it.
21. Toured several organic farms and learned about the farming business.
22. Saw two opossum mating noisily on our deck one night.
23. Spent 6 days without Internet in a Costa Rican rainforest with our friends, the Kings.
24. Physically left the Mormon church. (We left emotionally/mentally in July, 2010, but continued attending until March 2011.)
25. Ate delicious Indian food (roti) for breakfast almost every morning in Penang, Malaysia and usually paid less than $6 to feed our whole family.
26. Changed my blog title from Fulness of Life to Pearce on Earth and changed the design.
27. Went to a fish spa and got our feet nibbled on by doctor fish.
28. Got used to driving on the left hand side of the road.
29. Read several interesting books on my iPad and learned a lot from them.
30. Visited Kek Lok Si temple, the largest Buddhist temple complex in Southeast Asia.
31. Saw the most beautiful orchids at the Orchid Festival in Penang Botanic Gardens.
32. Ate the most delicious, unique, and cheapest food we’ve ever had in our lives in Penang, Malaysia.
33. Watched the dragon boat races at a dam in Penang.
34. Went to a jazz festival evening concert at a tropical spice garden in Penang.
35. Continued to grow my online businesses working less than 5 hours per week on average.
36. Hung out with friends at least 2-3 times every week.
37. Explored a huge 7-story shopping mall in Penang.
38. All my kids (except the baby) now know how to ride a bike.
39. Played Mario Kart wii enough that I got bored of it, but not enough to beat my kids. (It came with our Penang house, and they played it a lot.)
40. Went to a Chinese medicine man for a very strange herbal massage treatment.
41. Watched a Lion and Dragon dance parade in Georgetown, Penang.
42. Watched amazing Indian dance performances — such energy!

What did you do in 2011? Any plans for 2012?

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Share and Enjoy

Let me put all rumors to rest and state openly that yes, we have left the LDS church. As shocking and saddening as I’m sure this news will be to many people, I feel the need to be honest about it and to clear up any misunderstandings as to why we left. I realize that this announcement may cause us to face rejection and ostracism from some family and friends. Sadly, we’ve already experienced some of this. Of course, when the beliefs you deeply treasure are disregarded by someone else, it’s easy to feel like you’re being attacked personally. Please understand that no attack is intended and I completely respect those who continue to remain in the church.

Below you’ll see a link to a document I’ve written that explains everything about my journey out of the church. It’s not anti-Mormon propaganda meant to dissuade you from belief, although it’s definitely not faith-promoting either. Mostly, it’s a personal story about me and my journey out of the church, which was much harder than it sounds. The church was everything to me and was very much a part of my identity and the filter through which I saw the world. Leaving was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and one of the most painful. At the same time, it’s been one of the most rewarding, joyous, and enlightening experiences of my life.

The letter is pretty long, but I hope you’ll take some time to read about my journey, the events and thought processes which brought me to where I am, and how my worldview and beliefs have evolved since I left. Hopefully after reading, you will be able to see us for who we are, not just for what we believe, and to continue loving and accepting us as we still love and accept you.

Also, feel free to email me or post a comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Read Why I Left the Mormon Church (PDF file)

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Share and Enjoy

Because we’re in a fairly touristy town right now, one of the questions we’re often asked is, “Are you here on holiday?” At first, we always answered, “No, we live here.” After all, we did plan to stay in Malaysia for at least three months. We rented a house and a car, signed the girls up for art and Chinese classes and a community choir, and even made some friends we hung out with regularly. I work a little every day, and we homeschool the girls. So it’s not a vacation in the sense that most people think of it.

But since we’ve arrived in Penang, Malaysia, I’ve felt more like we’re on vacation than like we’re living here. It’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by the variety and magnitude of all that is around us. There are new foods to try, unique temples to visit, beautiful nature to enjoy, educational classes to enroll in, seasonal activities to participate in, cool friends to get to know better, interesting cultures to understand, and we want to do it all right now!

Coming from Costa Rica where the pace of life is slower, and there is simply less to do, Penang has been an exciting stimulation to all our senses. We partly expected it, but I think our excitement has caused us to try to do too much at once, and we’re feeling a bit tired and drained (or maybe that’s just because of the heat). This is a night town, too, where some restaurants don’t open until 7pm, and they stay open until two or three in the morning! So we often don’t get to bed until after midnight and we wake up late, which gives us the illusion of having shorter days. It’s an interesting cycle.

So right now, I feel like I just want to slow down, finish writing my book (or even just read a book), focus more on building my business, and relax with my family. I’ve made that a little more difficult than necessary by purchasing some extremely discounted AirAsia tickets to Singapore, Bali, and Japan for this Spring. Each of those trips is requiring more time for planning than I anticipated. I know they will be rich and rewarding experiences, and I’m trying to leave some things to spontaneity, such as any longer-term (7+ days) accommodations which we’d like to see in person before we commit to. But I don’t want to go unprepared, either.

We’ve also decided to not spend a full 3 months in Penang, but to spend our last month in Kuala Lumpur, renting an apartment there, if we can, and taking life a little slower. We’ll leave all the beautiful islands with crystal clear water and the nature of the Sabah/Borneo side of Malaysia for another time. Kuala Lumpur is a new city for us, though, full of fun activities and interesting sites. But we’ve decided that we’re not going to try to do them all. We’ll focus on a few highlights and the things that are most important to us, and take a lot of rest days in between. We’ll refocus on creative education (for example, we’ve enrolled the kids in a 5-day children’s technology workshop), and maybe I’ll finally even get some time to work on my book.

Vacations are great. But sometimes I just want to “live.”

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Share and Enjoy

Actually, I love giving and receiving gifts, but it’s not always as satisfying as I’d like. I think giving is most enjoyable for both sides when the person giving the gift is doing it freely and sincerely, and when the person receiving really wants or needs the gift and is grateful for it. If the needed gift comes as a surprise, that can enhance the experience even more. Unfortunately, these factors weren’t always the case when it came to holiday gift giving.

When we lived in the USA, we weren’t rich by North American standards, but we had everything we needed, and so did everyone else we knew. Gifts that people really wanted were usually out of any one person’s price range. And the pressure to buy a gift for all our extended family and close friends made the holidays more stressful. To help with this, the year before we left we simply bought everyone the same gift: a fun board game we ordered in bulk from Amazon.com — the games even came pre gift-wrapped. It was simple, but I suppose not all that personalized. Some years, Christmas giving almost seemed like we were trading money or gift cards back and forth without any real purpose — only because it’s what was expected. Of course we want to give meaningful gifts, and we appreciate the caring thoughts behind any gift we receive, but don’t we also end up buying the things we really need and want anyway?

The difference for us now is that we want and need so much less. We own only what we can fit into our carry-on suitcases. It’s not much, but it’s enough for us. We don’t want more, because then we’d have to carry it around with us wherever we go. We may replace items that are wearing out, but we already have everything we need. Maybe you do too?

This made for a different kind of Christmas last year, because Santa didn’t bring us any presents, and we only got each other small gifts. Our girls had already figured out the Santa myth before then, anyway, thanks in part to the Costa Rican tradition of gifts being brought by “baby Jesus” instead of Santa. Honestly, the holiday wasn’t quite as exciting as usual, but it was an intimate family day, and we enjoyed it.

Make a Difference in Someone’s Life

This year, we’re really excited about what we’re doing for Christmas! A few months ago, Emily was searching online (she’s a great little Googler) and came across a website called charitywater.org. She called for us to come to the computer and take a look at what she wanted for Christmas. After checking it out, we knew it’s what we wanted, too. Watch this quick video to learn about it. Then read on.

There are over 1 billion people in the world who do not have access to clean water. That’s one in eight of us. As the video explains, water affects every aspect of our lives. CharityWater.org provides clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations, and 100% of public donations go directly to fund water projects.

So, this Christmas we are not giving gifts to any family or friends. And we ask that you don’t give us any gifts either. Instead, let’s give to some people who really need it, and make a long-term difference in their lives.

Our goal is to raise $5,000 by December 31, which will provide clean drinking water for 250 people. In 18 months, we’ll also get pictures and a GPS location on a map of the completed water project. If you’d like to contribute and help us reach our goal, please visit the fundraiser page we set up at:

http://mycharitywater.org/pearce_family

To me, this kind of giving — the kind that is needed and makes a difference — is what the Christmas spirit is all about.

Other Traveling Families

Check out how these other traveling families are handling gift giving around Christmas.

• A King’s Life:  Forget the Gifts, Give an Experience this Christmas
• Family Trek: What’s For Christmas? Dear Santa, do we really need more stuff?
• The Nomadic Family: Poverty for Christmas
• New Life on the Road – Dear Mr Santa Claus Whats For Christmas
• With 2 Kids In Tow, It’s Backpacking We Go: Dear Santa, For This Christmas We Wish…
• Living Outside of the Box: The Best Christmas Presents
• Discover Share Inspire: Christmas is Coming – What Do We Give on the Road?
• Bohemian Travelers: Gift giving while living a simpler life
• Little Aussie Travellers: Presence vs Presents Christmas Time for Travelling Families
• Family Travel Bucket List: Feliz Navidad Without All the Stuff
• Livin’ On The Road’s kids: Susan – Christmas Traveling and Peter: Christmas
• A Minor Diversion – Reinventing Christmas
• Carried on the Wind – Christmas Giving

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Share and Enjoy

First, before we left Costa Rica, we had a flock of parrots visit us in our backyard. It was a pleasant send-off. Our friends, the Bustillos, also brought their whole family to our house at 4:00 a.m. to take us to airport. So sweet! We will miss them, and all the friends we made in Costa Rica!

Parrots in our backyard in Escazu

Our time in Salt Lake City was short, but we threw a “Meet Baby Aysia Party” where lots of family and friends came to say hi, meet the baby, and wish us well on our travels. It was so nice to see everyone who came. I just wish we had more time to visit.

All my siblings

After Utah, we had a long layover in Seattle, so we met with my mom and took the light rail to the International district for some dim sum lunch. It was cold there, but the trees were covered in beautiful autumn colors, and of course it was great to see my mom. We would also see more of her in Hawaii the following week. We were lucky that our trip to Hawaii corresponded with my aunt’s trip there (she is a frequent traveler to Kauai). And my sister came to celebrate her landmark birthday of 11/11/11, so my mom decided to join in the fun, too. We all had a great time together!

Oahu, Hawaii

Our first couple days on Hawaii — before we met up with my family — were spent on Oahu. The first day, I took care of some financial and business stuff that popped up, notarizing and mailing documents, etc. After that, we walked around Waikiki, did a little shopping, enjoyed the art galleries and took a peek at the beach.

We spent our second night and day with some friends, the Gledhills, who also happened to be visiting Oahu when we were. They were gracious enough to let us stay in the second bedroom of their Marriott timeshare and feed us dinner and breakfast. Ruth is also an art teacher and taught the girls some watercolor techniques, which was fun. Such sweet people. The next day, we all stopped at a beautiful lookout point over northern Oahu, visited the replica of the Byoudo-in Buddhist Temple, and finished up the day at the Polynesian Cultural Center, where we enjoyed learning about the different cultures, languages, dress, songs, and dances from the surrounding islands.

Na'uanu Pali lookout

At byoudo-in temple replica on Oahu

Tahitian Dancers

Kauai, Hawaii

Once we flew to Kauai, we were soon joined by my aunt and her family (including many of my cousins), my sister, and my mom on the north shore in Princeville. It’s so beautiful there! The mountains on both Oahu and Kauai are striking and dramatic, with numerous waterfalls cascading down, and green everywhere.

My beautiful wife on Kauai

I simply couldn’t capture on camera how beautiful the scene below was. The rays of light from the sun were shining through and creating magnificent colors and contrasts across the Hanalei valley. And this photo only includes a small portion of the panorama.

Hanalei

One day, we went snorkeling at Ke’e beach, near the Na Pali coast. We saw a sea turtle resting under a rock, and a monk seal that came up on shore to sunbathe. We also took a short hike up the first 1/2 mile of the trail to Na Pali to see the views, including this gorgeous one of the beach we snorkeled at.

Ke'e beach

One evening we took a short walk with my sister down to Hideaway beach to look at the tide pools, where we saw some cool sea life, and of course a beautiful sunset.

Sunset at Hideaway beach, Kauai

Besides this, we spent the week hanging out with family, playing games, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, hiking (including a barefoot hike through disgusting and slippery mud), visiting the Kilauea lighthouse/bird sanctuary, shopping, eating, and being silly and laughing together, especially my sister and me who can’t help but be goofy when we get together.

My awesome sister, Ashley

It’s difficult to compare Costa Rica to Hawaii. Both are tropical destinations with beautiful scenery and a relaxed culture. Hawaii’s mountains are definitely more striking, and they have the added benefit of no poisonous snakes or dangerous crocodiles, and being developed to U.S. standards of cleanliness, causing me to feel safer there. However, it is also much more expensive. For example, I was used to paying 80 cents for a pineapple in Costa Rica, but in Hawaii, it’s $6-8! Of course, you can live on the cheaper end (we met a family who is paying $6/day to camp out at the beach in a trailer), but food is very expensive in Hawaii.

Overall, it was a fantastic trip from beginning to end. It was so great to be able to spend time with our family and friends and be in such beautiful places. We’ll miss you all and look forward to the next time we can get together.

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Share and Enjoy

What did surprise me was that except for a small percentage of respondents, people would choose “money” and “a fancy job title” over things like “happiness,” “health,” or “friends.” Of course, money can help us attain a degree of happiness, but it seems a strange end goal to me. Encouragingly, “family” was ranked among the top choices for what is “important to your dream.” You can see the complete survey results here or even take the survey yourself, if you’d like.

Interestingly, one word I didn’t see mentioned at all throughout the survey was “freedom.” To me, this is what the American Dream is all about, and is in large part what the country’s first immigrants found so appealing — well, that and lots of cheap land. Prior to the 19th century, most countries were still run like caste systems, giving little chance for success, wealth, or ease to any except those born into a family who already had it. The American opportunity to pursue dreams, avoid religious oppression, and obtain wealth regardless of social class was a beacon to many.

However, a lot of things have changed since those early days. Most countries now respect women’s right to vote. Segregation by race has largely disappeared, and discrimination against different sexual orientations and religions is even beginning to lessen (well, in some places). Most modern countries allow any citizen to own land, create a business, run for political office, and believe whatever they want without fear of losing their rights. True, there is no utopian society on earth, but we are progressing overall, and the opportunity for success — not just in the United States, but globally — is at an all-time high.

Perhaps the survey didn’t mention freedom because we’re so used to it now that we forget we even have it. It seems that somewhere along the way, the Dream has shifted from the freedom to obtain wealth, success, and ease, to actually having those things. Historically speaking, the average person is wealthier than ever, and it’s become increasingly easy to live our dreams, whatever they may be.

But many people are still stuck in caste age thinking, limited only by their beliefs. Some fear that our society is on the brink of disaster. Fiat currency is being devalued in every corner of the globe, and further inflation is inevitable. Employees are losing jobs and many businesses are failing. Our planet is being polluted and its natural resources used up. Health care in the United States is so expensive that insurance is required to get even the most basic care. Some of our freedoms are even being eroded, from unwarranted property seizures, to the illegality of selling raw milk, to the inconvenient and useless “security” procedures at airports.

It seems we have no control over these events and circumstances. Are we doomed, as the pauper of old, to play out our lives with the cards we’ve been dealt and never aspire to do or become more? I say No! With each challenge comes an opportunity to rise above it. Further, I believe that the “New World” that was once America, now encompasses the entire globe. The Land of Opportunity is all around us. With the advent of the Internet, it also sits right in our lap.

People will always be willing to give you something in exchange for something else of equal or greater value. I’ve created an online business that provides value to music teachers, and they gladly pay me each month for the service I provide. Most of these teachers live in the United States, but many of them live in other countries including Australia, Singapore, Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Ireland, Panama, Brazil, France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, and dozens more.

This business has allowed me to live my American Dream, which at some point may include a big house and fancy car, but for right now, it’s international travel, time to pursue my passions, improve myself, spend time with my family, and help others achieve their dreams. I’m hoping that the book I’m currently writing about how to create an online business will help accomplish that last one.

People everywhere are looking for valuable solutions to their problems. Do you have a solution that could help someone — anyone — somewhere in the world? If so, then you may have an opportunity to start living your American Dream. There is no need to limit yourself to your country of birth, nor to the social class in which you were raised. Borders between countries are imaginary lines, not much different from the lines that stand in between our dreams and our living reality. You can cross those lines and start living your dreams today. No passport required.

———

Note: I wrote this article to be published at the same time as several other bloggers who all decided to write about the topic of the “American Dream.” Please see the other posts on this topic below.

• Nancy from Family on Bikes – What is the American Dream?
• Lisa from Around the World in Easy Ways – An American Dream Fairy Tale
• A King’s Life (hers) – Redefining an American Dream
• A King’s Life (his) — Livin’ the not-so-American Dream
• Talon from 1 Dad, 1 Kid, 1 Crazy Adventure – The American Dream
• Lisa Wood from New Life on the Road – Living the Australian Dream
• Lainie from Raising Miro – Erosion of the American Dream
• Bohemian Mom — The Illusion of the American Dream
• Kimberly from Fulltime Families — Trapped in the American Dream
• Family Travel Bucket List — Bye Bye Miss American Dream
• The Great Family Escape — The Real American Dream
• Melissa from Break Out of Bushwick — Good Morning, America, Let’s Occupy Wall Street!
• Livin On The Road – To dream a little dream of … travel

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Share and Enjoy

Inbio Parque

Lake at Inbio Parque

Inbio Parque is a large walking park focusing on environmental issues and celebrating biodiversity. They have stations for learning about different animals and insects, plant life, climate change, self-sufficient housing, and more. It’s a fun and educational way to spend a morning or afternoon, and we all enjoyed it. They also have a petting zoo, a maze, and a couple restaurants. It’s quite large. Note: Make sure you ask for the “local” rate. Foreigners are charged almost 10 times as much to enter.

Refugio Herpetologico de Costa Rica Rescue Center

Emily feeding Luna the Squirrel monkey

Emily has been volunteering weekly at a local animal rescue center, and it continues to be the highlight of her week. She loves feeding the monkey, toucans, parrots, and more, and is a big helper with cleaning, too. You can read her thoughts about this on her blog. The rescue center focuses on snakes, but they also have several different types of monkeys, turtles, a couple crocodiles, and lots of birds. If you’re in the Santa Ana/Escazu area, check it out!

Esterillos Oeste

We took a couple day trips with our friends, the Kings, to a lovely beach called Esterillos Oeste that’s about an hour and a half drive from Escazu. We had a great time playing in the waves, sand, tide pools, snacking and talking together, flying kites, and had some great meals afterward in nearby Jacó. While there, we also saw scarlet macaws munching on almonds in the trees right above our heads, and even a whale off in the distance! Here’s a video I made of the trip:

Horseback Riding Lessons

Marie's first horseback riding lesson

As a family, we’ve been taking a weekly yoga class, which we’ve enjoyed. Our yoga teacher also teaches horseback riding lessons on her beautiful property. We’ve had two lessons so far, and it’s been fun to learn how to ride a horse.

Cooking Birthday Party

Kids rolling dough at party

One of the girls’ friends, Addie, had a Costa Rican Cooking birthday party where the kids learned how to make pizza, cupcakes, cookies, and tortillas. The kids had a lot of fun making the food, and enjoyed eating it as well, and playing games while the food was cooking. Everyone had a good time.

Cartago Churches and Craft Brewery

One day, after a great sushi lunch with our friends, the Kings, we went with them to Cartago, about 45 minutes east of San José. There, we saw ruins of an abandoned church in the center of town. The gardens inside were lovely, although we couldn’t enter, but we enjoyed dozens of squawking parrots in the trees.

Ruins in Cartago, Costa Rica

We also visited a beautiful old church unlike any other I’ve seen in Costa Rica, the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles, built in 1639, but later restored after an earthquake. It was very elaborate, and the people inside were crawling on their knees up to the altar. Each year, two million Costa Ricans choose to make a 22 kilmeter pilgrimage to this church, many of them doing so on their hands and knees.

Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles

Inside Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles

After that, we toured the only craft brew in Central America and learned how beer is made, then had a fun dinner together at a nearby restaurant, where I sang karaoke, and the kids danced.

Kids snacking on barley at brewery

Costa Rica Children’s Museum in San José

Costa Rica Children's Museum

Wow. The Museo de los Niños here is not only HUGE, but also well done, and I regret not going sooner. We had so much fun and learned a lot, too. The building used to be a women’s prison, and each jail cell has now been converted into a room focused on a different theme, from how the human body works, to outer space, to how airplanes fly (including the ability to go inside a real cockpit), to ancient Egypt and the science of light, and so many more! Most of the exhibits are interactive and it’s a lot of fun for kids and adults. And don’t forget to visit the slanted house (casa inclinada).

Space Exploration Room

Girls wearing traditional masks

Kids dancing on "T.V."

Bowling with friends

One morning we went bowling with some friends. We’ve actually been bowling twice in Costa Rica. There is a small bowling alley in San José, but a new one, Bol Cariari, just opened up near Cariari Mall in Heredia that is much larger and also has some beautiful views from the windows. We had a lot of fun playing, and Amie gave the kids a nice lesson on the physics of friction and momentum.

Bowling at Bol Cariari

Playing with Aysia

Okay, so this isn’t necessarily a Costa Rican activity, but we love playing with our baby, and we spend a lot of time doing it. She smiles often now, laughs occasionally, and is getting closer to being able to crawl. She makes really sweet noises and Emily and Marie enjoy playing with her, and trying to get her to smile and interact with them.

Aysia smiling

Also check out this cute video of Aysia smiling and laughing.

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There are a few extra items we’ve collected over the past couple years. We bought a car, a foosball table, and a small Bose speaker system to play music in the house. We also picked up a few household items, computers, clothes, and kids toys. But it’s much less than we ever had in the USA, and we’ll be getting rid of all of it and more when we move to Malaysia in a few weeks. We’ve realized we need even less than we thought we did. Now we have a new member of the family, and the usual baby stuff to take along with us, but we still don’t plan to check any luggage, and we may even leave Costa Rica with less than we came with. Click here for the list of what we’re getting rid of.

Luggage when moving to Costa Rica

Our first experience practicing living with less was when we traveled to Panama for six weeks in 2009 to test the waters of living abroad. We didn’t bring any toys with us, but the kids found plenty to do. We bought a pad of paper and pencil for them to draw with once we got there, and when they got tired of drawing, they made paper airplanes or did origami. They also enjoyed bubbles, as well as the imaginary games they made up.

Last year we had the opportunity to travel to South America for a couple months. We decided for that trip, that we didn’t need our suitcases, and would be able to get by with a small backpack each. We’re so glad we did! And that’s how we’ll travel everywhere from now on, unless we’re moving. It’s so much easier. We felt sorry for the other travelers we saw lugging around several heavy bags each, and wondered what they might possibly have put in there. A few shirts, a couple pair of pants, underwear, a computer — what more did we need? Toiletries can be bought when we arrive, and paying someone to wash your clothes is very cheap in that part of the world, so we didn’t need a lot of clothes.

One of the great lessons I’ve learned from my time abroad is that you don’t need lots of stuff to be happy. And the more stuff you have, the more stuff you have to worry about. If you don’t use it, why keep it? It just clutters up your life.

Having lived with less for so long, our kids are understanding this lesson as well. Emily chose to donate her eighth birthday to help a poor child in India receive an education through SeeYourImpact.org. Emily didn’t want any presents or new toys (just a watch so she could practice telling time, which we got her). She knew that more toys wouldn’t make her any happier than she already is. But she did want to make a difference in someone else’s life. Her goal was to raise $250 and she raised $271! Well done Emily! And thank you to everyone who donated. In a couple weeks, we’ll have a story and pictures of the girls she helped. Here’s the donation page on SeeYourImpact.org if you’d like to check it out or contribute as well.

Living with less isn’t for everybody. But we’ve found it not only surprisingly easy, but extremely liberating to carry with us only the things we use regularly, and to not purchase new items we won’t use. We spend less money on things we don’t need, so we have more to spend on things that are more meaningful to us. And that enriches our lives.

Other Blogs

Be sure to check out these other great bloggers and families who are living with less and have written about the same topic recently:

Worldschool Adventures: Getting Rid of Stuff

Family on Bikes: Enjoying life with less

Break Out of Bushwick: Live with less – Lessons learned from downsizing

Family Travel Bucket List: Living with Less and 5 Kids? Isn’t that an oxymoron?

Around the World in Easy Ways: Living with Less

Carried on the Wind: Living with Less

Our Travel Lifestyle: Does having all our gear again really make us happier?

Livin On The Road: Four Kids and Almost No Toys

The Drop Out Diaries: Anchors Aweigh

Discover Share Inspire: 1 Truck, 2 Continents, 7 People – How We Live With Only @321 Things

New Life on the Road : Living With Less Stuff

GotPassport™–  Less IS More: George Carlin Had A Point About All That *STUFF*

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While many of my international friends will nod in agreement, or at least understand this statement, those back in the U.S. are most likely cocking their heads wondering how I can say such a thing. Because, truthfully, it’s hard to survive (financially or otherwise) any medical problem in the U.S., including a minor one, without health insurance. And even with insurance, the cost can be prohibitive, causing some people to forego getting the care they need.

When we were in the U.S., we paid about $500/month for a high deductible insurance plan that only started covering us once we had $10,000 in health care expenses in a given year. That means I would pay $6,000/year for insurance, plus any health expenses up to $10,000 before insurance even kicked in (ie. $16,000/year)! Unfortunately, without health insurance, we feared some medical catastrophe costing $50,000 or more, so we continued paying into the system, even though we never really used it. When compared to the cost of healthcare in other countries, these numbers are completely ridiculous!

Healthcare is affordable without insurance in most countries

The past two years as we’ve lived abroad and traveled to seven different countries in Central and South America, there has only been one occasion when we’ve needed to call on a doctor for sickness. It was in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and Emily had an ear infection. A doctor drove one hour to our hotel (and back) to check her out and write us a prescription.

The cost? Just $70 for the visit, and $8 for the medicine at the pharmacy. We also had some dental work done in Costa Rica, each cavity costing $40 to fill. And this year, we spent about $2,500 total for a wonderful English-speaking doctor and midwife to attend our home birth in Escazú, Costa Rica. This included all of the pre- and post-birth appointments, monthly ultrasounds, the delivery itself, and all other costs associated with birthing a healthy baby. Sure, it would have cost less than half that to do it in a private hospital, and basically free if we went to a public hospital. But isn’t it nice that we had the choice to do things our way for a reasonable cost?

You can get health insurance in Costa Rica for under $50/month, but I didn’t really see the point, since we almost never visit the doctor, and we have a large enough cushion to cover any medical problems that may arise. With costs so low, even the most horrific medical problem wouldn’t break the bank for us, and I see no point in having health insurance, as long as we remain outside the U.S. Even if we returned, I still don’t know if I would get it. I’ll explain why below.

Granted, our family is very healthy. We eat well, have no major health issues, no allergies (that we know of, besides cats), no chronic conditions, and we generally avoid dangerous activities. We also try to let our bodies heal themselves where possible. Some studies show that 85% of our physical problems heal on their own, without any medical intervention*. If we catch a virus or a stomach bug, much of the time there isn’t much a doctor can do to make it go away any faster, although they can prescribe drugs to help relieve symptoms.

Cut out the middle-man and pay directly for the service

After having experienced the low cost and fantastic quality of health care in other countries, I now feel completely ripped off for having paid into the U.S. insurance system for so long. If I had taken that $500/month and saved it instead, after 5 years, I would have had $30,000 saved up. I doubt I would have spent that much on healthcare in the U.S. during that 5 year period, even without insurance. And if I did have an expensive medical problem, I could do what many others are now doing — fly to Mexico, Costa Rica, or numerous other countries to receive medical care at a fraction of the cost, along with a nice hotel stay and a mini vacation — and still spend less than I would have in the states. I’d rather keep my money safe than give it to an insurance company, who will fight tooth and nail so they don’t have to pay the medicals bills they said they’d cover.

I suppose we have been lucky. I know there are people who have serious medical problems, and without insurance they would be severely in debt, perhaps even if they received care abroad. So I can’t really say that it’s best for everyone to stop paying for insurance. But one thing is certain — continuing to give money to U.S. insurance companies is not going to make healthcare any cheaper nor fix the broken system.

One thing I’ve learned from our travels is that I feel much happier when I don’t hold onto items or continue paying for things that I don’t use regularly. That’s why all my possessions can fit into a carry-on suitcase, and it’s one more reason why I don’t have health insurance.

* Thomas E. Kida, Don’t Believe Everything You Think, p. 59. Kindle edition.

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