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Waking up early morning is horrible for many of us unless you’re a farmer. Normally, people who live in a colder climate go to bed late and wake up late. Some have a really hard time adjusting to that when they move to Costa Rica!
Nonetheless, when you live in Costa Rica, waking up early might be one of the most difficult habits to adapt to, but very necessary. Why?
Because everybody else does. You might not believe me, but waking up early has quite some benefits.
Like I said, in the tropics, Everyone goes to bed early and wakes up early. There are several reasons for it, but the main one is that sunrise is usually between 5:30 – 6:00 am and sunset at approximately between 5:30 – 6:00 pm. Find out today’s exact hour of sunrise and sunset in Costa Rica now.
If you go downtown at 6:00 am, no matter in which town or city of Costa Rica you live in, you’ll be surprised how alive the city is. Public schools start at 7:00 am and usually stop giving classes before 4:00 pm. Factories start at 7:00 am and most offices at 8:00 am.
Therefore, calling your real estate agent in Costa Rica at 10:00 pm is NOT a good idea, though there are a few people who try… once. My phone shuts down automatically at 7:00 pm, and I always find lots of messages when I start the next day, at 6:00 am. Of course, I wait a couple of hours before responding to those messages, except for emails, depending on where the messages came from.
Enjoy the Sunrise
I’m a person who loves working late at night, although I won’t take your calls. I guess I take to my mom who has enjoyed sleeping in all her life (after her divorce) because she has been watching a late-night movie on TV. My dad used to go to bed at 7:00 pm every night so guess what time he woke up in the morning. I go to the gym early morning, so I have a great excuse to wake up early, even though I need an alarm clock to wake me up.
Waking up early, once you live in Costa Rica, might be a challenge for you too. It is not easy to break the habit of going to bed late. I recommend you don’t try to adjust overnight once you live in Costa Rica. Try to make the adjustments gradually by the week (or by the month, if you need slow adjustment) and you’ll be surprised how fast you adapt to waking up at sunrise.
To make it easier on you, so it will make more sense to you, I came up with 6 benefits of waking up early in Costa Rica.
1. Coffee
Did you know we have incredible coffee in Costa Rica? Start your day with a cup of coffee, it’s an incredibly relaxed way of waking up and enjoying the sunrise on your terrace or balcony. I found this website that shows great photos of sunrise in some different places in Costa Rica, check it out so you can try it for yourself.
2. A Tico breakfast
Nothing is better than a healthy breakfast to start an early day. You’re in Costa Rica now, the land of the Pura Vida, so you should make time for breakfast. No need to skip it anymore because you’re in such a hurry, slow down!
If cooking is not your thing, hop in the car and drive to any central market. I don’t like rice & beans myself and even less for breakfast. But you should at least try to eat like a Tico once, you might enjoy it more than I do and adapt well. You can probably pick the fruit in your own yard also. Find out what a Gallo Pinto or Pinto Gallo is as many gringos call it.
3. Commute
If you’re an early riser and you need to go somewhere, your trip is going to be a lot easier on you. Don’t hit the road between 7:00 and 9:00 am, especially highway 1 and Route 27, because you’ll get stuck in traffic jams. Hit the road by sunrise, and you’ll be good to go.
4. Appointments
When I need to go to the doctor, a Caja hospital, or the dentist, the earlier the better. Late appointments are no good in Costa Rica and you want to be the first one to be attended. The reason? Whoever you have an appointment with, will start running late after the 2nd appointment. I can assure you that you’ll have you wait, and read 5-year-old magazines for hours, unless you enjoy being on Facebook that long.
If you really want to adapt the easy way, bring a book or your iPad.
5. The rain
During the rainy season, an early start will get you home before the rains start. During most of the rainy season, the rains start in the afternoon. There is no need for a raincoat or an umbrella if you get your appointments done and over with before the rain starts.
Have you tried sitting on your terrace and read a book when it rains?
6. Laundry
My wife switches the washing machine on at 5:45 am. All that’s she has washed and hung outside is dry by 8:00 am. The rainy season again is important. Save energy, don’t use the dryer unless it’s necessary. Turn on the washing machine as soon as you get up. By the time you’re done eating your Gallo Pinto, you can hang your laundry outside and it will be dry and smelling good before the rain starts.
Maybe you can come up with some more benefits to wake up early in Costa Rica? Leave your comments below, please.
If you are looking for real estate agents in Costa Rica who like waking up early and are punctual, contact us now.
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I DO want to remind our readers that we appreciate any referrals you can send us. Also, remember GoDutch Realty when talking about your home in Costa Rica to friends and family. We appreciate it.
