Costa Rica Two Ways Podcast

28/07/2022

Hey, all!

While this was a fun (albeit short) ride, Mark and I have agreed that we don't really have the time to keep up with this thing, and we don't know when that will change. We were supposed to come back after the holidays, and then we were going to come back when the kids went back to school, and now we're kind of realizing that a weekly podcast is not in the cards for the both of us right now. So this thing is on hold indefinitely. The podcast will stay up and archived, the group will stay up and archived, and the main page will stay up and archived just in case.

The website is coming down though; it doesn't much make sense to keep a website up when we're not doing anything new on it.

That said...even if you never hear THIS podcast again, there is a chance that I (Arianna) will still be in the space again in a month or two (depends on a few things, but I'm looking into it -- you never really know), and you best believe I'll be making Mark join me when I can.

Thank you a million times to everyone who's been watching for us, and whether we see you here or elsewhere, we hope you're taking the best care of yourselves.

~Arianna

13/12/2021

TL;DR: We have terrible timing. See y'all in 2022.

29/11/2021

Aaaaand we're back! Head on over to your favorite podcasting app to hear about the mistakes we made when starting our journey as expats. Don't forget to rate and subscribe if you loved us!

22/11/2021

The Bradfords are taking the week off. We'll be back next week with a new episode. Until then, we hope that, whether this is a holiday-time for you or not, that you stay safe, happy, and live well.

19/11/2021

Well now I'm never going to the library.

17/11/2021

If you have any other questions, ask! We'll be happy to answer them.

17/11/2021

This little bit of wisdom comes from Arianna in our latest episode. Go listen to find out what else you should be paying attention to as you decide whether or not you want to move.

15/11/2021

Time for another episode! This time, we talk about how we chose where to live and about our first impressions of Costa Rica when we visited. Listen on Apple Podcasts at the link below, or listen anywhere you listen to podcasts!

‎Costa Rica 2 Ways on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/costa-rica-2-ways/id1591073626

12/11/2021

We're just here to help.

11/11/2021

So for the record, we looked into it later and this was a Brazilian Wandering Spider. We'll let you look these little jerks up, because we don't feel like being held responsible for any nightmares you may have. Why something this giant exists, we'll never know.

10/11/2021

This little bit of wisdom is inside Episode 1, and it's just one of the things that makes it a worthy listen for anyone thinking of moving. Or traveling. Or who just wants to listen to Arianna and Mark make fun of each other. Head on over to your favorite platform and give it a listen!

09/11/2021

Have you given a listen to Episode 1 yet? If not, you totally should, and any podcast platform can help you with that.

In the meantime, give a listen to this little clip from our two hosts as they act ridiculous, because that's all they know.

09/11/2021

THE DAY IS HERE! Head on over to your favorite podcast platform, and take a listen to Costa Rica 2 Ways, Episode 1! Don't forget to rate and subscribe, and have fun! The journey has BEGUN!

07/11/2021

IT'S HAPPENING TOMORROW! If you haven't followed us on your preferred listening platform, now is the time. When you wake up tomorrow, you'll be part of a world with a little Costa Rica 2 Ways in it. It's just beautiful. 😭

06/11/2021

Just a reminder that we'll if you didn't make our live this morning, we'll also be going live tomorrow on Instagram at at 7:30p. We'll be there until about 8, so here's hoping y'all can stop by to say hi, ask questions, and have a great time with us. See you there!

05/11/2021

This is a huge reason for why we moved.

There is a definite "hustle culture" attitude that permeates the US, but that can be felt everywhere.

You're not worth anything unless you're busy. You're not busy unless you're moving every second of the day. You live to work, or you're not trying hard enough. But then...you're also not a good parent if you aren't there every day. If you're not emotionally and mentally present whenever kids need you. If you're stressed and you let your kids see it.

It's a very weird thing to be subjected to, and we weren't about that.

So we decided to try to move someplace where the pace was a little slower. And sometimes, that slower pace drives us to the brink of insanity (Mark in traffic is both hilarious and somewhat alarming). But there's a positive part of it, too, because it teaches you a few things about patience:

You can't force time to go faster. You really don't even want to.

There's nothing you can do about it, so use this time to enjoy the people you're with, or the book you're reading, or the games on your phone.

People have families. They work for those families. They should get to enjoy them.

So it's okay if walk a bit slower, if you're still learning, or if you take the time to appreciate what's in front of you. The world will be there when you get back.

And that, we can't disagree with.

05/11/2021

Only THREE DAYS until Costa Rica 2 Ways is live and ready for listening. We're avaiable anywhere you like to listen to podcasts, and you can access show notes and behind the scenes info about each episode on our website, crtwoways.com.

We hope you'll be listening, because we're sure going to be sharing!

04/11/2021

Thinking of learning a language? Arianna and Mark are here to share the fundamentals that are important for getting it done. There are also a few app suggestions here, and a lot of talking with hands. Check it out!

The 3 Things You Need When Learning a New Language https://youtu.be/Ou7BjaN-0Ds

Mark and Arianna talk about the three foundations you need to learn ANY new language. Lots of focus on Spanish, but the basic principles can are important fo...

02/11/2021

What're you doing on the 6th and 7th?

Know what you SHOULD do? Come talk with us live, either in our private Facebook group, or on Arianna's Instagram. In honor of the launch coming up soon, we'll be going live a couple times, and we'll be there for a few, just chilling, answering questions, and making fun of each other. It's going to be a good time.

Wanna be part of the FB group? Go here: https://bit.ly/3jdUklj

Wanna go to the Instagram live? Head over to at the time listed, and we'll see you then!

01/11/2021

People exaggerate about a lot of things, but one thing they didn't make up: The views here can be LEGIT.

Our first Air BnB had this to look at every morning from the back deck. It was perfectly cool and amazing to experience.

ALL places here don't have this to look at, but it's so awesome to experience when you can. Would you prefer something like this? Or are you more of a mountains/lakes/city/other view type person?

27/10/2021

Trust us when we say: you're gonna make mistakes when you make big decisions. That's just kinda how it works. But one BIG thing we learned is, no matter how urgent it feels, it's almost never worth rushing. We promise that if you take a moment to thnk about what you want, to do the research, to ask around, you'll feel MUCH more certain about the decisions you make. And that's a huge part of what makes the change worth it.

Signed,

Two People who made some of their own idiot mistakes

25/10/2021

I don't deserve Mark, so I reconcile this by messing with him every chance I get

-Arianna

22/10/2021

A flight from Orlando, Florida, to San Jose, Costa Rica is about 2.5 - 3 hours. It took us about 15 overall to get in and get settled. Between landing in SJO, going through customs and immigration with all that we owned in about eight suitcases and a cat, finding our ride, driving in the rain to our new temporary digs, etc....we arrived at the airport at around 6 AM EST ( 4 AM CDT), and didn't get to sit down until around 5:30 CDT (7:30 EST). This was no small task with two small children, and I would't exactly tell everyone in the world to do it. Not without the promise of something decent to eat and a bed to pass out in, anyway.

Another tip: Make sure you take plenty of photos of your moving day, because I promise you that the whole thing will feel like such a blur that you won't remember much. And I'd have been pi**ed if I'd forgotten about this.

Worth it. Straight pain in the ass, but worth it.

20/10/2021

Mark always DID have a way with accurately describing things...

18/10/2021

Fun fact: Every episode is recorded in separate rooms. The place we're renting right now only has one good room for recording together, so we often sit in different parts of the room, Zoom call each other, and record with headphone mics. Not professional or flashy, but neither is Costa Rica.

So y'know...enjoy. I sit in my own boobsweat for you.

~Arianna

15/10/2021

We present to you, your hosts:

*to be read in your best movie announcer voice:*

MARK is a former West-Coaster, from California and Oregon. His childhood was an energetic mix of family vacations, soccer games, camping, and obsessive animal studies. He has a mind for finance, meaning that he'll sit with you forever talking about interest rates, IRAs, and....uh...some other financial stuff. His professional life has been spent in tech and sales, which lends itself perfectly to his personality, a mix of nerdy and charismatic.

When not riling his two children up five minutes before bedtime, he's often working out, reading about permaculture, and doing house projects.

ARIANNA has lived all over the United States, making her an amalgam of Southern hospitality, Northeastern honesty, Texan rebelliousness, and West Coast social activism. She grew up with a Hispanic father, but knows about as much Spanish as a super-dedicated high schooler after maybe a year of studying. She's been in multiple industries, including insurance, education, and public relations, and she know writes about various things on her website, The Arianna Bradford.

As she's more of a homebody, you won't have to look far for Arianna. She'll most likely be at home reading, writing, gaming, or avoiding Mark so that he can't make her do any house chores.

09/10/2021