Thoughts on Relocating: an interview with Jane Gregson - SRS-CR: Summerland Relocation Services

Summerland Relocation Services (SRS) was founded by Jane Gregson, providing relocation services to Americans and Canadians coming to Costa Rica for almost 15 years. Because she is no stranger to travel, Jane is actually an expert in her field for about double that amount of time. Jane has lived in and traveled to Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Pakistan, much of Central America and most of Europe. She fell in love with Costa Rica and has made it her home. As a native of the United States, Jane knows how to navigate her clients through the many issues and tricks of relocating to another country.

Jane Gregson provides tour, real estate, construction, rental and advice services through her company Summerland Relocation Services (SRS) in the southern zone of Costa Rica. The majority of her clients are American or Canadian and most of them are considering Costa Rica as a place to live.

As a U.S. native, Jane has lived and traveled in and to most parts of the world. She chose Costa Rica as her home in 2001 after coming to visit for a vacation. Jane now lives and works in the southern zone providing insight to many people on why Costa Rica is such a great place to live.

Here’s what she has to say:

“The journey to Costa Rica starts long before you get here.”

Jane speaks about this aspect and she believes it is what happens to a lot of people who end up living in Costa Rica. There is a calmness about the country and an attention to detail from people that makes you forget the often manic pace of North America. When you first visit there is a need to “get on with business” and jump right into the nature of the conversation. But with Ticos (Costa Rican people) they like to know how you are doing first; what your weekend was like and what is going on with your family. A common phrase is “tranquillo” or Pura Vida; tranquility and pure living. A trip to any gas station will often provide you with a mini car wash, especially in the dry season when most cars are dusty most days of the week. These are the things that might attract a tourist who is only casually passing through to think about what life would be like to live here.

But the larger things to think about when relocating aren’t just specific to Costa Rica. Jane says:

“Know that you are going to put a lot of energy into proving yourself right; that uprooting yourself from your native country is the right thing to do. Costa Rica is seductive because there are a lot of similarities with being able to live like you do in North America.”

The reason this point is so important is because one should always be looking out for those things which are unexpected and dissimilar from where you live and these things should also be weighed into your decision. Jane “loves asphalt”, but lives on an unpaved and bumpy road; asphalt is obviously something that she doesn’t need to be surrounded with otherwise she either would have never moved to where she lives in Costa Rica or possibly she would have never even moved to Costa Rica at all (at least not some place rural).

How SRS can help

“We give you a tour of what it is like to LIVE in Costa Rica” says Jane. “SRS will introduce you to people, places and contacts who you can trust.” Once you go on tour and really start thinking about living here, SRS helps from soup to nuts. Housing and construction are obvious things. But exposure to the culture, meeting people and maneuvering through daily living are aspects of relocating that Jane’s company provides. This is not your average real estate or tour experience. They get to know you before you make the move and then take care of you after you get here.