I went to Costa Rica for the first time. Here are 5 things I'm glad I packed — and 3 I wish I'd brought.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
An aerial shot of the rainforests and beaches in Costa Rica.
I had the time of my life in Costa Rica, but there were a few things I wish I'd packed.

Matt Champlin/Getty Images

I was pregnant and stressed about being a single mom. Then, a friend changed my perspective, and we ended up co-parenting together.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
Monique Doughty
I was worried about single motherhood until a conversation with another single mom changed my perspective.

Photo credit: Rashiid Marcell Coleman

Promises of happier, healthier living drove tourists to Costa Rica in droves. Now, locals say the Blue Zone lifestyle is dying out.

Tech Insider : Travel
A landscape showing Costa Rica's Arenal volcano and the valley below it
Tourism has spiked in Costa Rica, but locals say the flurry of activity has caused the Blue Zone lifestyle they're seeking to fade away.

Sergio Ortiz

I moved our family from California to Costa Rica for love, and it ended up being the best thing for us — despite the breakup

Tech Insider : Travel
Vincent Alcampo (left) and his mom, Ivette Cuevas (right) in the basket of a hot air balloon.
Vincent Alcampo (left) and his mom, Ivette Cuevas (right) in the basket of a hot air balloon.

Vincent Alcampo

3 things I learned about longevity while visiting the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica, one of the world's Blue Zones

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
A small blue boat is tied ashore on the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, in Montezuma, Costa Rica.
While traveling in the Blue Zone of the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, I saw the local's holistic approach to diet, exercise, work, and social life was the key to the region's longevity.

Matthew Williams-Ellis/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

A retired boomer who moved from the US to Costa Rica said it's 'horribly incorrect' to assume life in Central America is much cheaper

Tech Insider : Economy
San José, Costa Rica
Gary Keenan first moved to the outskirts of San José, Costa Rica.

Gianfranco Vivi

3 easy ways to bring the Blue Zone diet home from Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula

Tech Insider : Travel
A black plate on a blue tablecloth, featuring a small side salad, white rice, a kebob of vegetables, and a steak of tuna fish.
In the Blue Zone of Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula, locals prioritize simple, fresh ingredients and lean proteins in their diet.

Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert

A boomer who struggled to afford retirement in the US moved to Costa Rica and said money is much less of a concern

Tech Insider : Economy
Cheryl Sands
Cheryl Sands recently moved from Illinois to Costa Rica.

Cheryl Sands

Americans who moved to Latin America for cheaper retirement, starting a new life, and better work options explain the pros and cons

Tech Insider : Economy
Cheryl Sands (left) and Janet Sussman (right)
Cheryl Sands (left) and Janet Sussman (right) both moved to Central America.

Cheryl Sands/Janet Sussman

Why people risk their lives to milk deadly snakes

Tech Insider
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