If you are a disabled veteran with at least a 60 percent rating...
 

...take that and enjoy your life around the World..well, Central/South America.

Hey guys! I was thinking about how fortunate I am and thought maybe I could put a bug in the ear of someone to cheer them up and see a new path.

I got out of the Army back in 2010 and was awarded with a 60 percent disability rating. My terrible marriage came to an end, I had used the GI bill to graduate from college and started looking around for work. Wow, did that just about make me want spend the afternoon drinking with Ray Rice...that bad.

After 6 months of deliberating I decided to take my 60 percent (which is around a thousand bucks a month) and move to a fully equipped cabin on the beach in Costa Rica. (the light blue Caribbean waters just outside my front door)

With that monthly money I was able to easily live, enjoy internet, cable, endless white sandy beaches and still have money for "extras". (Obviously no car, big screens or hot water but NO WORK either!)

Going into that adventure I thought I would be happy being single living in one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen at a cut rate price. However..life took over and my heart went pitter patter over a beautiful, smart, gorgeous, amazing, beautiful, perfect Costa Rican woman.

It has been two years since I stepped on the plane and left South Dakota. My WIFE and I just celebrated our one year wedding anniversary on Sunday. (Thanks for the shitty gift fat Andy..my bride said "Why didn't they just count and see that there were twelve players? That seems pretty simple, right?" Gotta love her.)

Anywho, if you have some adventure in your bones (which you do if you signed up) roll the dice Vets. Or, if you are not a vet but have a thousand dollars a month pension or a big wad of cash, take a look around and decide if living in the US is what you really want.

Take the leap and you may be rewarded more than you could ever imagine!

Cheers and have wonderful day! :thumb:



P.S. For anyone that actually wants to try this, let me know and I will break down every step for you. :usa:


Edit: I forgot to mention that I am 30, a good age for retirement.

Thanks, but I already have the details...
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This is actually a pretty kickass story.

Enjoy the water man...

How old are you, and do you have kids?

Seriously though...if I were an empty-nester, I would consider doing this.

Thanks! The full story is actually way better!! I have much, much more that I could share. My future is turning out to be even more amazing. Lots of stuff coming down the pipe.

Who's coming with me!?

30 and no biological children.

very nice...have contemplated doing this when the kids are grown

im jealous my man

I tell ya.. I did not realize just how much bliss life could give you. It is glorious.

When the kiddos grow, shoot me a message and I will find you a nice place! :thumb:

Any deployments?

I'm not yet convinced.

I'm thinking you should offer me the guest room on said beach during my 1 week of vacation.

Hopefully this will be enough time to make up my mind and change my name...

Nothing to write home about! I was an airborne veterinary technician so I got tossed around a bit.

oh man

hell maybe ill shoot you a line anyway and rent a place for a month some winter

Considering there is only one big room we would have to snuggle!

It will change your life!

*a little dramatic but it is sure a blast!

I usually do every morning at 4:15...

How do you upload a photo from your computer? I can see attachments but they don't look like they post. Jeez I can't believe I am having trouble figuring that out. Maybe I should just go across the way to the beach. :)

What's your disability?

Soooooooooooo, what if you're not 60%?

You don't have those fiddler crabs on the beach, do you?

I could pass out there as long as there's a tiki bar in walking distance...

A little insight on how lucky I am. Let's see if these pics work and the FAQ was right.

*Well, the FAQ did not help. hmmm

Hi mom!

I broke my back in a bad airborne incident and apparently that made me a little mental.

I would say 60 is the lowest unless you have some supplemental income. Anything lower would make it tough to be comfortable but it could be done.

The are crabs everywhere! Both kinds! And always a tiki bar, both kinds there too!

another way is to go to www.imgur.com and host them there

and then use the image button up top (the little mountain thingy) to put a direct image

but good job mang

Did you give up your citizenship?

EDIT: I plan to retire outside the US is why I ask.

http://whatdidomarsay.files.wordpres...pg?w=300&h=225

:spock:

Hey if you can it would be cool to see the little town you live nearest to and also San Jose (?) or other big city you go to once in a while

Let us get the feel for where you live

we need to see

-bars
-streets
-buildings
-people

etc


heheheh

Do not want...

Yeah, bad pic. I got rid of the hair. I was rebelling from the 8 year Army buzz.

Me now.

Well is it tied to being 60% (because you're 60%), or is it that you need only a certain amount of money (not much) to live well?

I swore I've never go back to anywhere between southern Mexico and Northern Columbia/Venezuela, but I might have to rethink that as I grow older.

Nope! I am maintaining both.

I am actually coming back to the US for a bit.

Which coast are you on BTW? I'm an east coast kind of sailor, and I'm stickin to it!

60 is the sweet spot of the bat(for me) because it is right around $1000 which is what I comfortably lived on.

Wait...

A) I thought PR was already a US territory and
B) about 5-10 years from being 51 anyway...

On the Caribbean side. I would never live near Tom Fady on the left coast here. Plus, the 1000 bucks would mean nothing over there.

A) I thought they taught reading comprehension in US schools...I'm in Costa Rica.
B) Congrats on the recent prostate exams.

:)

How long did the whole VA process take you?

The wife is about to get out after 11 years in the Air Force and it's pretty much a guarantee that she's going to be above 60% (going on 4 knee surgeries and a couple of other issues).

At the Sioux Falls VA I was all sorted out within 9 months. Sorry for her knees!

:facepalm: ...**** me...

Mine is not quite as adventurous but one night, I was working late in OP and came out to me car, which had been frozen over due to an ice storm and I couldn't get the key in the keyhole as it was frozen over.

I pissed on that keyhole, melted the ice, scraped that shit from my windshied, and drove home, while my car clunked along with ice blocks frozen to the tires.

"Man, **** this shit" I said. One week later I was on my way to California. No job, no place to live and just $3K in cash.

I have NEVER regretted that silly, spontaneous move.

Here are some of the pics and a map of the town. My dog was really sick, really liked the taste of seawater..

What's your cabin look like? Size?

Here is a better beach pic. I don't carry a camera much so I really don't have too many pictures.

Looks awesome. I'd love to retire somewhere like that...

It's basically a stand alone efficiency apartment with a 15 foot roof and a front porch.

Yeah buddy! I am going to retire here too. Now that I am married I want to buy a house though. We are heading to the states next year to work for 4 years and buy a place so I can retire at 35. I will be finishing my masters and teaching k-8 special ed in Colorado Springs. My wife loves the mountains but I couldn't live in Denver. Then...retirement with a swimming pool and an ocean! Woohoo! Come join!!!

That's great man, good for you. It's not for everybody, like I keep telling my friend in Thailand. I would go crazy surfing all day, some people need to work and put value in a career but if you aren't cursed that way like I am then good on ya.

Me I'd go stir crazy.

Whatever floats your boat! Me, I literally like floating on that boat.

My wife is at 50%...

Awesome Bro! That's great.

Thank you for your service!

What kind of internet service do you get in your cabin?

Dude. I'd wondered where you went, Mecca...

Seriously though, you get it. Live the dream brother, and stay free. I should come down there and sling some timeshare...

That is pretty awesome. I've always wished I had the balls to do some spontaneous shit like that but I haven't even sacked up enough to vacation out of the country!

I'm going to come visit you, bro.

Lets see here. Fat white whale in South Dakota infected by militant feminism and doesn't f---.


Vs little hardbody Costa Rican who thinks you're the tits. Gee that's a hard one to choose

:thumb: Thanks!!

It's dodgy. When it rains..which is quite a bit..I can only read online. At the best of times I can stream an online movie with about 4 or 5 buffer stops.

My life has certainly gotten better than I imagined it could. You are welcome any time!

Oh yeah, In the 2016 season myself and my wife will be attending some lovely tailgating and catching a game in KC. It is two years away and she cannot stop talking about it! It will be nice to meet some of you!

I don't know if I need a virus around here...but sure! Come on down if the price is right! :)

What years were you in snd where all did you get stationed

Haha, did you know my ex?

And you are absolutely fricking right. She thinks I am the greatest man that ever existed in the history of the World. No joke, she treats me like it too. I was thinking of a thread that says how women should be based on my wife's treatment of me but I already heard the hammer clicking back on most of the married fellas personal handguns. Maybe I'll save it.

Proof she married a dummy like me is below.

Woah, nice!

I was in from 2003-10. I was stationed at Bragg, Ft. Sam Houston, Ft. Lewis and in Vicenza Italy with some time spent working in Germany.

Your avatar accompanied with this comment scares me a bit.. haha. Yeah, if I said "I have it all" that would be an understatement. A Super Bowl would top it off for me.

Congrats. So what is your monthly budget, if you don't mind me asking?

LMAO - I'm harmless as long as I never make it to Costa Rica.....:D

No problem.

Breakdown:

Rent- Including cable, internet and free laundry once a week - $350
Food- Including eating out - $400
Extras in the month or savings - $250+
Sunblock - $20

Seeing the beach every morning and night...well, you get the idea.

Such a fantastic story. It's really amazing how little we truly need. Guys will spend their whole lives working like dogs so they have enough money to retire where you are. Just don't need all that extra shit and guess what? You're in paradise 30 years earlier.

How is the health care?

I've been talking to my Wife about this for a while.

keep on inspiring us!

more



more!

It is really pretty cool once you let go of some of the stuff you think you need. I got on the plane with 1 duffle bag after accumulating 10 years of grownup garbage and have been in heaven.

My paradise will be changing a bit though. Now that I am married, owning a house seems way more fun to me. We are heading to the states for a few years to work(in Colorado Springs and not so bad because I love what I will be doing), living tight, and will be able to buy a nice little place on the beach for cheap! I will still be back to retirement by 35-36! Woohoo!

Sounds interesting. My wife is trying to talk me into moving to St. Thomas. I just don't know if I can do it. Wonderful place to vacation, but to live there?

Bad is an understatement. I see stories every single day, and I mean that literally, of women dying on the birthing table, old ladies legs rotting off before they get into the gov't run healthcare, children with disfiguring disease just being left disfigured. It is a third world country in that aspect. Do not believe what you will read about Costa Rica health care.

They do have "private doctors" that work on a fee basis. It is not cheap but is the best place to go to find some type of standards.

I say this and I am a legal resident of Costa Rica now with access to their system. I thought the VA was bad...

Need to make concessions for hookers and blow

Haha, this whole time I have been typing I have been waiting for last night's SOA episode to buffer. Back to that and off to eat. My wife made chicken fajitas. Yum. :bolt:

So you should hook an old guy up with your rental cabin...

See - Extras

Haha, not my style but hear stories every day about that as well! There are a bunch of skeevies hiding out down here too.

Forgot to mention a negative, never, ever, ever, forget to lock your door her. And, get a dog. A big one.

If you give me a date of arrival I am sure I could get you one! There are four total "cabinas" where I live.