Costa Rica Tops List of 'Happiest' Nations

Wowza, this is very cool. Costa Rica holds a dear place in my heart, even after all these years:

1) I lost my virginity on the Costa Rica Country Club golf course when I was 14!

2) I spent about a year and a half there and went to Country Day High School

3) I heard Boston's first album and Fleetwood Mac's Rumors album there for the first time.

4) I first got into music because of the first band I ever saw at that same country club.

5) I was also robbed once there, by three guys, some screwdrivers and a knife. So crime exists there too.

6) I went through an earthquake there- not fun.

7) The rainy season there really is VERY rainy. Every day.

8) I almost drowned in the Pacific Ocean there once when we went to the west coast. Mega sized waves pounded me under to the ocean floor, and every time I came up for air, I would get slammed by another one. Swimming sideways parallel to the shore slowly as I could saved my life.

Costa Ricans are genuinely nice people. And many Costa Rican women are really beautiful, but not all- just like anywhere else.

Soccer of course is big big news there, just like most other Latin American countries.

Originally posted by star in a jar
For those of you who are thinking of moving to relatively peaceful, tropical, welcoming countries like Costa Rica...

Don't bring your problems, biases, money, way of life, racism, material wants, keeping up with the Joneses, richer than thou, etc... Ideology with you because these issues generally don't plague other top-rated countries unlike (insert name of the stinking piece of # country you're running away from.)

Become the people who are taking a risk to welcome you.

Eat their food, live with them, raise your kids with their kids, speak the language, wear their clothes...

Evidently you haven't met any upper class Costa Ricans - they are some of the snobbiest people in the world! LOL

reply to post by star in a jar


Umm... most of the top rated countries on this list have negitive migration. Which means more people are leaving them then coming to them. Many people leave top 10 places like Vietnam and Cuba to come to the USA, the figures don't lie and aren't subjective unlike this list. I'm not even American so don't call me bias. Check the numbers for yourself, although I would have thought Cuban, Vietnamese and South American migration to the USA was a well known fact. Costa Rica is one of the few on the list that doesn't have negitive migration but far less people per 1000 of population migrate to Costa Rica then the US, 0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population migration vs 4.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population for the USA.

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
Wowza, this is very cool. Costa Rica holds a dear place in my heart, even after all these years:

1) I lost my virginity on the Costa Rica Country Club golf course when I was 14!

2) I spent about a year and a half there and went to Country Day High School

3) I heard Boston's first album and Fleetwood Mac's Rumors album there for the first time.

4) I first got into music because of the first band I ever saw at that same country club.

5) I was also robbed once there, by three guys, some screwdrivers and a knife.

So crime exists there too.

6) I went through an earthquake there- not fun.

7) The rainy season there really is VERY rainy. Every day.

8) I almost drowned in the Pacific Ocean there once when we went to the west coast. Mega sized waves pounded me under to the ocean floor, and every time I came up for air, I would get slammed by another one. Swimming sideways parallel to the shore slowly as I could saved my life.

Costa Ricans are genuinely nice people. And many Costa Rican women are really beautiful, but not all- just like anywhere else.

Soccer of course is big big news there, just like most other Latin American countries.

Que hubole, maje? I, too, went to Country Day and smoked my first cigarette on the golf course at CRCC (yours was better, lol). I think you're a bit *cough* younger than I am, because it was Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath when I was in town.

Cheers!

reply to post by MysticSky




I bet you know that little convenience store right down the street then from the school, where we all used to go and hang out for lunch! What years were you there? I think mine were 79-80, or maybe 80-81...been a while. And yeppers plenty of Zep and Sabbath too!

[edit on Sun Jul 5th 2009 by TrueAmerican]

You mean La Pulperia? You must have been there when the school was still in San Jose then? Now it's in Escazu and has transformed into something like a premiere, state-of-the-art real school. Kinda glad I missed that.

I was there from 68-72.

[edit on 5-7-2009 by MysticSky]

reply to post by MysticSky


Yes! Ha! That's it!

And yep, I was there before it moved- in fact, I had no idea it did move until you just told me! Funny thing is, Escazu is exactly where I lived! At my grandmother's house at the time.

Ahh, ok...yep we missed each other... I don't think she was there yet in those years...She went there in like 77 or so...

[edit on Sun Jul 5th 2009 by TrueAmerican]

I was there from about 66 to 72. I went to Lincoln for a few years before transferring to CDS. There were a lot of beautiful houses in Escazu back in the day - I imagine there still are. For the longest time I considered Costa Rica home, and I miss it to this day.

Does your grandmother still live there?

PS- Apologies to the OP for hijacking your thread. I promise I'll stop now...

reply to post by MysticSky


Nope, she's down in Sarasota, FL now. And it was always weird, because while I was there, my uncle (1 year older than me, her son, and who also lived there) went to Lincoln, while I went to CDS. The greatest moment for me (I'll never forget it), was when CDS played Lincoln in a football game, and I caught the winning TD pass! Woot! No pads, no nothing, it was pretty brutal. Insane rivalry between those two American schools in a Spanish speaking country! That happened btw in that field next to the CDS, when we finally got them to mow the thing!

Originally posted by Donnie Darko

Originally posted by MysticSky
Costa Rica does have a middle class, which is rather unique amongst Latin American countries. But there is plenty of poverty...especially outside of the cities - and beggars aplenty.

I wonder if even the beggars are happy.

yes, they are.
going there was eye opening...people live on dollars a day and are visibly more happy than most americans i know that are overly concerned with how much they cant afford. lol those same people have heaps of stuff they buy and never use once. its ridiculous.

Geeze, didn't realize I would've gotten so many replies lol..

I think if they had a poll for the most unhappiest places in the world ATS would take the cake!! lol..

But seriously, I have a friend from the Dominican Republic and he is SOOO laid back.. unbelievably so.. Nothing gets him down and he really knows how to have a good time.

I think the American work week should be cut back by at least 10 hours, maybe then people will let loose a little more.

I always find myself exponentially more happier when surrounded by nature, then when im in a city/at home. The hustle and bustle and constant stress that comes along with things unnatural is something that consumes my life in depressing ways. Things would be much more simple without all the clutter.

I believe this is the reasoning, and i couldn't agree more(with myself?)

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler

They even have a law that if you rape a woman as long as you offer to marry her afterwards you can't be prosecuted and sent to jail. They don't have to say 'yes' you just have to offer.

Interesting find. I recall seeing this a few months back. Although it might sound like an easy way to get what some sick men desire, I'm sure the father's of the raped children don't need the law when they have a shotgun that can speak for them! I seriously doubt many of the fathers will wait for the "offer" of marriage after their daughter was raped by a loser.

Costa Rica might be on the top of the list of 'Happiest Nations' but I doubt rapists find much happiness there when their jewels are bypassed and the Dad of the child victim aims straight for the empty heart

I've noticed if it isn't just little girls being targeted, it's also 70 something year old little Jewish women who live in retirement villages who are also targeted, well mainly for the money. A "Happy Nation" can be what the imagination makes it I guess
sl

i have a little hideout in costa up in the farm country, love my tico neighbors..
i'm trying to get in position to spend most my time there.
there is trouble in paradise and look before you leap..
rainy season is challenging. costa has alot of snakes and bugs.
crime rate is up 700% ..yeah watch your step in central america.
fantastic pickpockets, very dangerous hookers, crack is all over now.
chinese mafia is in country. rent a gun for 5 colones and go to work.
gringos are a prime target as always. tourists, dumb hippy kids.
i motorbike around a little-into panama, another expate haven-
cheaper than- cost of rica. -also with the chinese moving in.
panama is more welcoming to those who want to settle.
costa rica has more stringent policies for pensioners .
you pay gringo prices to get residency and it takes time.
i'm what they call a perpetual tourist so far.. but maybe
i'll get my disability squared away and marry a cute tica hillbilly.
i'm headed down in a few months- PURA VIDA Y'ALL.