I moved to Costa Rica 6 years ago from Manhattan Beach, CA. I first came here as a wildlife photographer in the early 90s and fell in love with the "Happiest Country on the Planet." My specialty is endangered primates and after photographing mountain gorillas in Rwanda and orangutans in Borneo the idea of living in Costa Rica with 3 species of primates in my yard was irresistible.

Building our dream house on the beach in a foreign country was a challenge. I hadn't so much as built a dog house for a chihuahua before but spoke Spanish, read books and dove in. I'd do it again. My husband and I now have 2 vacation rental properties in Manuel Antonio where we've created our own private nature reserves by enriching the ecosystem with over 200 fruit trees and installing "monkey  bridges" where there are gaps in the monkey corridor foraging routes.

Life is good in paradise and I'm grateful for every moment.

How did you get to where you are now?

It was a natural progression from my active lifestyle as a traveling wildlife photographer. Of all the countries I'd been to I chose Costa Rica for its wildlife, nature, eco-friendly practices, beautiful beaches, weather, great food and stress-free culture.

How do you see yourself differently now than you did 10 years ago?

My dream was to own a home on the beach, however, it always seemed just out of reach in California. If we'd stretched ourselves to buy a home there - we would have spent the rest of our lives struggling to hold onto it. We had 2 modest rental homes and sold them both to move to Costa Rica. For 25% of the cost we bought an acre on the beach and built the home of our dreams.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Sipping a delicious cup of Costa Rican coffee on my terrace enjoying nature and a beautiful ocean view.

Laugh often, love deeply, take risks and make your life a bold adventure.

Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Birute Galdikas