BootsnAll Travel Community

Hafa Adai and Hello everyone,

I was born in Guam, lived there 'til I was 4, then moved to Western Washington, where I've resided up & down, and have lived in Olympia now, going on about 11 years.
I am a LMP ( licensed massage therapist), a nanny, and I sell beyond organic, local produce and chicken for my friends I nanny for. I'm going through a divorce, my grandma just passed away, and wanting life change and different cultural immersion. All that said, I want to go to Costa Rica and go to TEFL school in Samara, Costa Rica , hopefully, get a job TEFL. I am a new member here and thought this would be a great forum to get feedback and advice.... so I'm wondering if any of you out there have any experience with TEFL, specific to Costa Rica? How hard is it to get a TEFL job near the Pacific, beach side vs. San jose? I would love to volunteer at CREAR, with the Sea Turtles, and after school programs with kids, how are they as an organization to work with? Also, since I am a massage therapist, I thought it'd be great to get a p/t job at a hotel spa resort, but I've reached a dead end in trying to locate employment for massage, and am wondering how to get more info via internet for jobs doing spa and/ or medical massage in Costa Rica? Also, I am very interested in sustainable permaculture/ agriculture with tropical produce and thought it'd be fun to travel before getting jobs, checking out local farms, communities, B & B's... please tell me any suggestions. Anyone ever heard of The Yoga Farm and Miracles, what are they like? And finally, last 2 questions: Are TEFL and massage jobs realistic employment for survival in Costa Rica? And last but not least, how hard is it to find a TEFL job w/o a BA degree? I have less than a year left to finish, it's been 11 years since I went to university and would rather experience a different culture, learning TEFL vs. finishing my degree right now ... thank you for feed back, suggestions, advice, and any info!!! Pura Vida! Nina D.

Hola Nina,

I completed the TEFL course in Quepos/Manuel Antonio earlier this year. The course is intense, but it is good. It was more work than I thought it would be.

As far as English teaching jobs go, there are plenty of jobs in San Jose. Getting jobs elsewhere, especially around the beaches, takes some searching and some potential waiting around. Those jobs are more in demand. The wages are really low...only a few dollars an hour. And make sure to see if the company you are going to work with can arrange your lodging. Chances are that you will pay for your own lodging, but they may be able to get you the 'local rate'. Depending where you are (if you're in a really touristy area), things can get costly in CR..even groceries, to eating a casado. You can survive on the English teaching wage, but it all depends on your comfort level.

I think you'd be able to get a massage job fairly easily...just go to the different resorts and market yourself. Or, if you just want to do them off and on, put ads out in the local English papers/tour pamphlets. My roommate in Manuel Antonio did that (he was a massage therapist and hair stylist) and was able to live pretty poshly.

Thanks Marisa for replying. Is it difficult to get a TEFL job w/o a BA degree in CR and how difficult in getting a descent TEFL job, in a beach town that pays comparable to a bigger city, like San Jose? I'd prefer to be in a smaller town b/c I know city costs in general, are more, but is it realistic? Your pics of your CR trip were great and the pic of Sean burnt after using 50 spf scares me b/c I'm so fair... I unfortunately, got only freckles of dark pigment, instead of a borned tan like my ma's....oh well, there's sunblock and white linen....any experiences with farms/ agriculture while u were there? Peace and Pura Vida, Nina d.

Nina, Hey! My wife and I are going to be taking the TEFL class in Samara in November. I have read so much info concerning teaching. I have been picking everyone's brain for info and asking lots of questions. I will be curious to see if your lack of degree creates a problem. Maybe the TEFL certification will help make that a non-issue. We should compare notes and see if we can help each other. I know we are going to need all the connections we can get down there. I have heard the same about teaching jobs that Marisa mentioned that there are lots of jobs in or near San Jose. We would rather teach elsewhere but are open. As for the massage job, that too, i think would come to you if you search, although, I don't think you will find much before you get down there. It sounds like the way to get a job is to be face to face in person. Hit us up and maybe we can connect while in country... later, John and Megan

Oh, and P.S. Check-out the couchsurfing dot com site. there are a lot of folks living down that have already helped me find some information out. There are some WWOOF and Farmstay groups on there too.