This is a tale about Costa Rica frogs.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr rah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah ga.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr rug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gu.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr rig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gi.

I am lying in my bed, and I can’t even sleep. The noise is incredible. It is literally reverberating off the windows and it feels like my house is moving. If these were my dogs, making this much noise, I might open the door and actually throw a flip flop at them. Shut up!!!!!  The noise stops for about 5 seconds.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr rah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah ga.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr rug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gu.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr rig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gi.

 Anyone who has ever spent one night in the tropics knows exactly what this is.  It’s the sound of Costa Rica frogs, bellowing out for all to hear.  Maybe it’s a mating request, or some kind of call to arms: could be Toad Rock n Roll or maybe they are just letting all their buddies know that MY pool is a cool place to hang out.  “Come on over man, this place is AWESOME!!!  He’s got satellite TV with Duck Dynasty, Animal Planet and all the TCU Horned Frog games, and 8 dog bowls to swim in.”   These little suckers come in all shapes, from the size of an egg to some massive dudes that are bigger than softballs, but every one of them can squawk.  You can hear these things hundreds of yards away.  I am not kidding you, and these puppies are LOUD.  If your kids screamed like this, you would beat the crap out of them and lock them in a closet.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr rah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah ga.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr rug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gug gu.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr rig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gig gi.

Not only do these guys really give you a headache, they are vile heinous creatures. My dogs want nothing to do with them either, thank goodness, because some of them, if they are eaten, can make your pet very sick. I guess I have raised a family of princesses, because they just look at these rascals with complete disgust: like “why are you here and why don’t you just drop dead?”  They leave this slimy black goop when they take a frog poop, and they seem to go every couple of minutes because the stuff is everywhere. Now, I understand, that they are a vital part of the food chain blah blah blah; they eat all the bugs and mosquitos that we really don’t want around, but that doesn’t mean I need 40 of them.

Every June, at the start of the green season, these little pukes seem to come out of nowhere. Like, where have you been hiding for 6 months? They are everywhere.  And no matter what you do, they keep coming back. One time, there was this big sucker, HUGE, like a small bowling ball, and he was just screaming for attention. So I went and got a broom, lifted him up, and heaved the SOB as far as I could, he literally cleared the tree tops. THUD when he  hit the ground, 30 yards away, and yet 24 hours later; HE’S BACK! You can kick ‘em, and smack ‘em, and throw them against a tree, and nothing can kill ‘em. Costa Rica doesn’t need an army because they have Toad Navy Seals. They are indestructible.

Tank Tops Flip Flops Newsletter edition no. 29

We are excited to share with you the story of Dave and Tina Dietz.  They are a typical young couple with 2 small children who dreamed of living, working and enjoying their life in a far away tropical land – and were actually able to PULL IT OFF!

Here is their guest blog – enjoy… 

On our last night in Buffalo I found myself at 2am still packing suitcases, the sale of our house not closed yet, and nowhere to sit because all our furniture was in storage or had been sold. I was THRILLED. You know the old saying, “you can’t see the label of the jar you’re in,” right? Well we had busted open the jar and in 3 short hours we (me, my husband, and our kids aged 8 and 7) were getting on a flight to Costa Rica to live there.

People would say to us when they found out we were moving to Costa Rica, “wow, you must really like it there if you’re going to move there!” The truth? We had never been to Costa Rica. I had met Michael Simons from Tres Amigos Realty Group and some other Costa Rica folks via email years before through mutual colleagues in my work coaching business owners internationally, and my father had been to Costa Rica many times, but us? Nope. We were fulfilling a 5 year plan that had suddenly become a 3 year plan just a few short months earlier.

We had owned our home in Buffalo-a good house in a great neighborhood-for 11 years when we decided it was time to sell. The market was decent, and we were tired of the upkeep and expense. Moving to Costa Rica had been a long term goal of ours, but we didn’t think that’s where we were going to move when we put our house on the market-we just thought we were moving to a different suburb that was closer to farmland! But just a few short weeks into getting the house ready for listing the last puzzle piece fell into place. My husband’s company changed a policy that allowed him to go from working at home to working anywhere in the world. Our reaction was instant. We were going to Costa Rica!

We wanted a lifestyle that would allow us to spend more time as a family, be closer to nature, and give our kids the opportunity to experience different cultures while they were still young. The way the world is changing, by the time our kids become adults it’s going to be essential to be able to work with people globally. I made one call to Michael, and within 20 minutes I was connected with amazing people to help me with everything from schools for the kids, to housing, to renting a car, to totally handling the legal process for applying to be residents. It was easier to set up our new life in Costa Rica than it was to get things handled in Buffalo!

Costa Rica has been the only place I’ve ever been where the reality has been as good as the fantasy. We have become closer as a family, and my husband and I have become closer as a couple too. After 15 years of marriage, I had no idea that was even possible! Our kids come home from the international school they’re attending, which we love, and jump into the pool outside our door. We get to eat fresh food all the time that isn’t over processed. Our health care is handled without crushing our budget. Best of all? My kids get to see and experience parts of the world that before they had only read about in books. Rain forests. Volcanoes. Coral reefs. Hot springs. My husband and I often take long lunches walking on the beach, or work at a beach café or by the pool.  We’re not retired, we’re not millionaires, but our lifestyle is richer now than it’s ever been, and our cost of living is less.

In my speaking and coaching practice, professionals and entrepreneurs alike come to me initially feeling stuck, stressed, and maxed out. They have this belief that you have to make tons of money and work 60 hour workweeks to get to the point eventually where you can have a lifestyle that feels like your perfect day. We’re living proof that this isn’t the case at all. We live in a time of unlimited resources and unprecedented opportunity. You can find anything you want or need, anywhere in the world. Living our dream didn’t happen overnight for us, but we had a plan so we were ready when the opportunity came. I think life’s too short to spend it on anything less than the creating a life you love, don’t you? Moving to Costa Rica has been the best decision we’ve ever made for our family.

Tina Dietz MS, NCC is an international speaker, business coach, and trainer who is on a mission to create 10,000 thriving businesses. Tina has served 20+ industries and counting, working with people from around the world through her powerful speaking engagements, interactive workshops, and personal coaching programs. Through her powerful Success Funnel System™, Tina brings together her expertise from the worlds of business, psychology, and “human design” to show her clients how to create a powerful vision for their businesses and lives and bring that vision into reality every time. Visit https://twinflamesstudios.com/