🇳🇴003: Hanna Storrøsten, Norway, 2 years
Photos (left to right): Hanna with family in Norway, Hanna with a morpho butterfly and Surfing Witches Rock
In episode 3, we speak to Norweigan Hanna Storrøsten. She shares her experience growing up in Eastern Europe, sitting in LA traffic vs living close to raw nature and working her dream job as a surf coach.
Full name: Hanna Storrøsten
Age: 26
City of birth: Oslo, Norway
Residence in Costa Rica: Playas del Coco, Guanacaste
Instagram: @hannastor
Email: h.storrosten@gmail.com
Transcription
Anisa Hill [0:08]:
G’Day friends. I'm Anisa Hill and welcome to the Move to Costa Rica podcast, where we tell the stories of people who have done just that; Move to Costa Rica. In Episode Three, we speak to Norwegian Hanna Storrosten. She shares her experience growing up in Eastern Europe, sitting in LA traffic versus living close to nature, and working her dream job as a surf coach. If you liked this episode, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts by searching for move to Costa Rica podcast. Before we dive in, remember to subscribe for new episodes release every Thursday, head to triple W dot move to Costa Rica podcast.com. This podcast was recorded in the office of Atlas Trust in Escrow in Playa Del Coco, Costa Rica. Without any further delay, here's your host, Malcolm Hill.
Malcolm Hill [1:01]:
G’Day friends. Welcome to the move to Costa Rica podcast. I’m really excited this week. I have one of my very good friends here. Her name is Hanna Storrosten. And Hannah, could you start off by telling us a little about that name, because it's a mouthful.
Hanna Storrosten [1:21]:
Yes, it is a mouthful. And it's been tough having last name growing up and going to school in the US. Yes, I was born and raised in Norway. 40 minutes outside of Oslo, which is the capital in a suburb. Very, very, very different from Costa Rica. As different as it gets I think.
Malcolm Hill [1:43]:
Very good. In Oslo, you were born in Oslo.
Hanna Storrosten [1:48]:
I was born 40 minutes outside of Oslo.
Malcolm Hill [1:51]:
Okay.
Hanna Storrosten [1:52]:
I guess suburban area.
Malcolm Hill [1:54]:
And mom and dad. Like what were mum and dad, like pretty standard Norwegians, like I don't know a huge amount about Norway. So like,
Hanna Storrosten [2:03]:
Yeah.
Malcolm Hill [2:04]:
What's suburban life in Norway?
Hanna Storrosten [2:07]:
Suburban life, I think is what you would think of a suburban life. But we maybe differ a little bit in that we moved to Eastern Europe to Slovakia when I was around four or five. So we went to international school and I actually learn English before I learned Norwegian. So coming back to Norway at the age of nine, I had to take supplementary Norwegian classes and actually learn to write. And, and then my mom, she took her PhD in the US. So she kind of had my sister was born in the US actually. So they definitely had a bit of like an international background. And I think that maybe was what sparked maybe my interest of, you know, exploring more of the world?
Malcolm Hill [2:56]:
For sure. So you how many years in Slovakia? And were you in the capital in? What's the count?
Hanna Storrosten [3:02]:
Yeah, Bratislava. Yes, we were. We were in the capital for almost four years. And that was early. It was like mid-90s. So it was right after the Soviet Union broke apart. So it was still very much like a Soviet country in a lot of ways. But not that we really, you know, we were pretty isolated and lived in a community with a lot of other foreigners and went to international school, which was run by Americans. So it's not that we were exposed that much to Slovakian culture. I think I know one word.
Malcolm Hill [3:37]:
What's that one word that you know?
Hanna Storrosten [3:38]:
That is beer. And it's people.
Malcolm Hill [3:42]:
People.
Hanna Storrosten [3:44]:
People.
Malcolm Hill [3:44]:
Okay, well, that's something Hannah that you've retained a little bit of childhood. So you moved back to Norway from kind of, I guess what people would call Eastern Europe at the time. But still, yeah, it's Eastern Europe. You move back to Norway. How old were you then? And then what was it like settling back into Norway?
Hanna Storrosten [4:05]:
I was nine and yeah, it was I think I missed the Slovakia a lot. And interestingly, what I missed a lot about it was the climate because Slovakia is way further south. So the summers are way longer and as we will probably be talking about a little bit later. Summers are warm weather and sun is my thing. So Norway, you know it's long winters. Most of the year is very cold and very dark. And the summers are very short. Probably like you know two months of real nice weather where you can be outside without wearing very heavy clothing.
Malcolm Hill [4:48]:
So what is a daytime in summer? How many like in the height of summer, how many hours of sunlight do you get during the day?
Hanna Storrosten [4:59]:
Yeah. So in the south east, where Oslo is, you get probably like 12 or 16 hours of light. Yeah, like in the Max 16 hours of light. And in the winter, it's upset so you only get like, six hours of daytime or light. And then the rest of it is pretty dark or completely dark. And I'm in the north of Norway. All the way up in Northern Norway, it's completely dark in the wintertime, no light at all. And then we have Midnight Sun in the summer. So it's a really, really cool phenomenon. But it's tough. It's tough to grow up there and I lived there. I think I don't know how my parents or my family tested to be honest.
Malcolm Hill [5:47]:
Well, I guess it's, yeah, I don't know how they do it either. Hannah. Yeah, that's pretty intense.
Hanna Storrosten [5:55]:
It affects people differently, though, like, seasonal depression is a thing. And some people definitely feel it more than others. And I was, you know, one of those people.
Malcolm Hill [6:07]:
For sure. So okay, you back in Norway, you go through high school in Norway, in the Norwegian system? And then, tell us what's next.
Hanna Storrosten [6:20]:
Yeah, so go through high school in Norway. And, you know, by that point, I didn't have really any big ambitions of what I wanted to do. It's very, you know, expected to go to university in Norway. Most people get a university education so that's just kind of expected of you. Education is free, too. So like there's no excuse, right? But all I knew was that I wanted to see the world. So after graduating in 2012, I worked for six months saved up everything I could. And me and my best friend, we went on a trip for four months. Traveled through Cuba, Central America, which is what brought me to Costa Rica. And then I continued down to Brazil and Africa before returning back home.
Malcolm Hill [7:18]:
So you, my first question is what did you do for a job to make money after school to save and like, get away? And then my second question is, like, how old were you at the time? And like, how did you and your friend get around? How are you doing that?
Hanna Storrosten [7:35]:
Yeah. So I worked as an assistant nurse for the county, so a governmental job. And in Norway, salaries are pretty high. So it's possible to I obviously lived at my parents. I didn't have any expenses. But I did actually work two jobs at the time, I was working like that. And then as a nurse as well. And just, yeah, saved up everything. And we planned this trip, you know, months ahead of time, but it's not like so we had flights, we have the dates of flights lined up. But beyond that, we got around. So in queue, I was 19. We were 19. So we just graduate high school. And, for example, in Cuba, we actually had a tour lined up. We figured, well, I figured that we don't know the language. We don't know the culture. I think it's maybe safe to just have some adults in the picture first, and that was great. And we traveled down Central America, and we mostly got around in the chicken buses, which I don't know you've probably been on a few of those too.
Malcolm Hill [8:42]:
Explain for the listeners what a chicken bus is in Central America.
Hanna Storrosten [8:48]:
That is an experience. I think everyone should experience one time. A chicken bus is it's like a I think it's must be a donated American school bus. Like those yellow big school buses that have been donated to a lot of Central American countries. Or some I've got a hold of them and they pimp them up. So they paint them and they had cut lights and colors and though it's they're always jam packed with people, animals, babies, anything, luggage or cargo. And there's music pumping. And it's just an experience like you just have to. We've had some fun experiences on those chips and there's like at least seven guys working on the bus that are constantly climbing on the roof helping people on dragging people in from the back. There's a…
Malcolm Hill [9:43]:
It's a whole experience
Hanna Storrosten [9:45]:
It’s a whole experience and they cost nothing. So you just get on and a lot you know, you can get them all around Central America and we got from border to border like that pretty easily. People are very helpful.
Malcolm Hill [9:57]:
That's all good. So, on this journey, you're 19, you're with your friend. One of the countries you came to was Costa Rica. Correct?
Hanna Storrosten [10:07]:
Yes. Yep.
Malcolm Hill [10:09]:
And tell us about that trip. Because was that the very first time that that you've been here?
Hanna Storrosten [10:18]:
Yeah, it was the first time. So I think we just came from Nicaragua. We came from Nicaragua in the north. And because Nicaragua was actually kind of wasn't even a country that we decided to go to it was almost like a pit stop between. We were actually going back to meet a friend from Norway, who's half Nicaragua and has family there. And so the craziest thing it was even part of, yeah, part of our trip. But we fell in love instantly. And, you know, I met a guy, I met a chico. So I share that story with a lot of foreign girls. And then we spent like a week here. And then we went to Nicaragua. We spent 10 days there. And then we actually flew straight to Brazil. But after my yeah, sorry. Go ahead.
Malcolm Hill [11:18]:
I was just gonna ask. So the Costa Rican guy you met, let's talk about that for a second. So this was the very first time you'd come, you met this guy obviously it was, you know, that moved forward. But then. Yeah. How did that develop?
Hanna Storrosten [11:38]:
Yeah. So you know, we met and we kept in touch while I was still traveling. And after me and my friend's trip was done after three or four months, we came back to Norway. And I was just ready to get back out again. So after not seeing my family for four months, I spent two nights in Norway and I went straight back to Costa Rica. And spend two months in Tamarindo. And yeah, before going back to Norway to work and save up money, and then my plan was to move full time to Costa Rica from then on. So it's been a lot of back and forth. But yeah, I essentially because of you know, because of falling madly in love very fast, ended up going back to Costa Rica and settling down for a while. And I was 19, 20.
Malcolm Hill [12:41]:
Okay, so you get to Costa Rica, you settle down for a while, as you said. Tell us about those. Tell us about that time. You were two months you said in Tamarindo.
Hanna Storrosten [12:53]:
Yeah.
Malcolm Hill [12:54]:
And then where was it after that? Were you already with like your boyfriend then in Tamarindo?
Hanna Storrosten [13:01]:
Yeah. So in Tamarindo, we lived together for two months. And I don't fully recall why I left Norway to say I think you know, just to go and save up some money. I hadn't worked for five, six months at that point. And then we can decide to you like let's give this a shot. And we moved. I came back to Costa Rica three months later. And we moved to Santa Rosa together. Yep. And that was awesome. You know, I mean, I’m trying to remember back now. It's seven years ago now. Santa Teresa is a really cool town. It's very surf oriented beach town. A lot of backpackers go there it's like a very young cool vibe for sure. And I had a great time you know, our life revolved around surfing and I worked at a beach bar as a waitress and bartender. And, it was like for 20 year olds just got out of high school, it was a very cool experience.
Malcolm Hill [14:08]:
So describe your day to day life then.
Hanna Storrosten [14:10]:
Yeah, a normal day would be to get up at five in the morning. Get to the beach first light, first in the water catching you know catching the first wave when it's still dark, almost. Surfing till the winds got bad or we just got really hungry and coming home and just got like eat a huge breakfast and pass out. And then usually I'd go to go to work in the evening. It was a very healthy life and I wouldn’t party or drink or really anything. It was mainly just a lot of surfing and a lot of just getting to know Costa Rica and that part of Costa Rica and learning. My Spanish got really good really fast because I worked with mainly people from Costa Rica and Nicaragua and Venezuela and yeah.
Malcolm Hill [15:06]:
When you arrived, did you have any level of Spanish at that stage? Or was it like you were thrust into it, you just have to get going?
Hanna Storrosten [15:15]:
Yeah. I mean, you know, I took Spanish in high school, actually even in middle school, but it's just one of those things where you barely remember anything, right? I maybe knew a few words. So I was really just thrown into it. But Spanish is definitely my favorite language. Not that I speak many. But it's such a beautiful language. And I lived with Costa Rican. So it became like, very fast. Actually, I remember it became such a normal part of my day that I remember, at one day started thinking in Spanish, I'm like, Whoa, this is happening. So I stayed in Santa Teresa for about eight months, because at that point, I had already gotten into university in San Diego in California. So you know, I had in the back of my head that one point I needed to get an education, right. It was very important for me, but I knew that I needed a break from high school in Norway until I started something, started my degree. And so after two gap years, at that point, I was ready to pursue that, but I knew that I couldn't go anywhere without waves. I knew that I wouldn't be able to live somewhere for a long time without having access to waves really close by so I moved. So yeah, later that year, 2014 I moved to San Diego, California. And me and my ex-boyfriend that we broke it off, didn't work out. And yeah, and life continued there.
Malcolm Hill [16:56]:
And you got into college.
Hanna Storrosten [16:58]:
I got into college.
Malcolm Hill [1700]:
What did you major in college and kind of give us an overview of I imagine it was four years, right?
Hanna Storrosten [17:05]
It's actually five years for me.
Malcolm Hill [17:07]:
Five years, okay, cool.
Hanna Storrosten [17:10]:
Do it out. Yes. I still majored in biology. I originally wanted to become a marine biologist, you know, just more ocean time. And that's nothing I ever grew up or aspired to be back in Norway. It was just the love for surfing kind of just woke up all these opportunities.
Malcolm Hill [17:34]:
And was that love for surfing stemmed, more or less from the time in Santa Teresa. Right?
Hanna Storrosten [17:42]:
Yeah. Oh, hundred percent. Santa Teresa is where I learned to surf feller and everything. And it was a great place to learn for sure. You know, it's a beach break. It's pretty. It can be a bit heavy. But I think it was a very, it was a steep learning curve. Especially because it's not a place longboard, right, you got to get straight on those small boards right away. So you just gotta learn fast, but it was the best. I think Costa Rica in general, just like the surf. People just have so much respect for the ocean and connection to nature. And that just really resonated with me.
Malcolm Hill [18:22]:
Very cool. All right. So were at college doing the biology degree.
Hanna Storrosten [18:28]:
Biology degree, yep.
Malcolm Hill [18:30]:
And yep, you do the five years in San Diego. And I imagine you were surfing there. Tell us a bit about surfing and San Diego.
Hanna Storrosten [18:41]
Yeah, yes. San Diego, there are waves all year, which is amazing. There's lots of waves too spread out. California is obviously a known surfer state. Water is a lot colder than in Costa Rica. So remember, that was a transition into wearing wetsuits, but yeah we live, you know, my college was 15 minutes away from the beach. So I could surf every single day if I wanted to. I would plan my classes around trying to get the best surfing like usually more in the morning. So try to get later classes and I would, you know, completely plan my weekly schedule around surfing and I wasn't alone in that. I had a lot of company in doing so which is great. So California was an amazing place to be a student, 100%.
Malcolm Hill [19:31]:
That's so cool. So, okay, you finished school and tell us about that transition.
Hanna Storrosten [19:36]:
Yeah. So upon graduating, I was thinking about my options because as a f1 visa holder, which is an international students, I could choose to stay and I had three years upon completing my degree to stay and find a job that would you know, sponsor maybe a visa or like or green card or. But yeah, or I, you know, I could go back to Norway, but that wasn't really something I wanted to do just yet. And yeah, to be honest, I didn't have any path that I really wanted to take, I almost felt like I was back in high school. All I knew is that I keep wanting to keep surfing and I love biology. I love the sciences. And so I was thinking, you know, grad school, getting my PhD or finding a job in biotech, or moving again, like even moving to Australia or somewhere different. And that's when I met Tyler, who is now my future husband, and we live together in Costa Rica. And, you know, that was the craziest thing, because at the time when we met, my plan was not to move back to Costa Rica. My experience from Santa Teresa was amazing. But I remember telling myself like, I don't know if it's for you, because I think I needed a little more faster paced lifestyle at the time, right? Costa Rica offers so many things but I think for maybe someone who's bit restless and needs a lot happening all the time, and like a lot of stimulation, it maybe not the best fit. And at the time, I was very, you know, very busy schedule, and lots of like, you know, the whole, like your early 20s, like, standard early 20 lifestyle, right. But when I met Tyler, he grew up in Costa Rica. So he was moving.
Malcolm Hill [21:43]:
Give us a little bit of history on I guess just a quick rundown on Tyler, and his background and how you two met? How did that take place?
Hanna Storrosten [21:53]:
Yeah. So Tyler was raised in Costa Rica, his parents moved down when he was four or five. And he went to college in California and high school; last year of high school as well. And, that's where we met. We met in California. But he was moving back to Costa Rica within less than a month after we met. And when we met it was like, instant, you know. It moved fast very, very quickly. So it was like it was such a shock to me that I met this person I instantly fell in love with who was moving back to the country, right? But I fell in love with earlier on. And so he moved back to Costa Rica, and we did long distance for about eight month. And I went to visit him. And the second time I visited him, I came back to California and I didn't even tell him. I told his parents first like I'm moving to Costa Rica with your son.
Malcolm Hill [22:58]:
So from meeting Tyler to then being in Costa Rica, there was six months, follow six months to being back in Costa Rica.
Hanna Storrosten [23:15]:
From meeting Tyler till I moved was probably a month until I finished my degree. And a month after I finished my degree I moved down here full time.
Malcolm Hill [23:27]:
So tell us about the differences you experienced in I guess moving here as a girl, an origin girl who meets her local guy and has an awesome time as a 20 year old in Santa Teresa. That compared to now you've got a degree and you know, you're a few more years of age a little more mature. You met a guy you fall in love with I mean, tell me about the differences?
Hanna Storrosten [23:57]:
Yeah, major difference. To be honest, my experience in Santa Teresa to my experience living here in Playas Del Coco with Tyler feels like two different lifetimes. I think one is the mindset. Like I knew coming here this time, I knew what to expect. Yeah, I knew what I wanted. And the lifestyle in Costa Rica, the slower pace and the more grounded was exactly what I wanted as well. And another thing, another huge difference is that last time I lived in Costa Rica, I didn't have any network really. And, you know, my job was working a job making $2 an hour with preset tips on top of that, you know. Like for me, I couldn't see myself growing professionally, I guess or. Yeah, I felt like there was kind of a cap to where I could reach as a person. Whereas now living here with Tyler and his family who's been here for more than two to almost three decades, they are such a community here that immediately when I moved down here became a part of, you know, from day one. And I felt part of this family here in Coco. Coco is a small town where everyone knows everyone, and I just felt immediately so welcome here. And I remember in Santa Teresa, I remember definitely days where I felt a little lonely. Because even though there's a lot of more people there, just, you know, it's not that easy to get to know people, or Yeah, just make super close friends fast, right? And here in Coco, I just think that that's just been a huge part of it, that we had this family from the beginning you know.
Malcolm Hill [26:01]:
Absolutely. That makes a huge difference to come down and already have that support network for sure.
Hanna Storrosten [26:06]:
Yeah. And on top of that you know, I came down here with a job lined up with you and Anisa. Which made was so like, a job that I enjoyed so much from day one.
Malcolm Hill [26:22]:
So Hannah is referring to working together. We worked together as surf instructors, instructing people staying at the Four Seasons Hotel, you're in Costa Rica. And we were working together all the way up until March I think for almost a year, and yes, summer. One of the most Yeah, very, very good fun working together. Hannah over that time. And let's hope we can do it again. When times change again, but let's talk about that. I mean, you got a job as a surf instructor in Costa Rica. That was your, that still is your passion, your complete, like passion since that started in Santa Teresa. Tell me about that.
Hanna Storrosten [27:08]:
Yeah. Yeah, that was something I never thought I would do but it was. Well, I mean, first we started working where as you're like in a shop assistant right? So it's a welcoming guests. And that was a really cool experience I think. You know, I love working with people and meeting people from all over the world which you do when you work at a resort, like four seasons? And getting to know I think also, the coolest thing about working at a resort like that is you get to know a lot of Costa Ricans as well. Because I would say probably 90% of the employees are Costa Ricans there. And so you really get to feel like you're part of the cool team of the resort. And yeah, great experience. I think, for me personally, it was a great transition to moving to Costa Rica again, because I was working with amazing people. And I'm working with what I love the most what I'm most passionate about. So it didn't feel like a job most days, right. It felt like just sharing a passion.
Malcolm Hill [28:27]:
Even though we worked you pretty hard, right? We would make you get on boats at 6am and you'd be in the ocean for up to eight to nine hours a day.
Hanna Storrosten [28:38]:
Yes.
Malcolm Hill [28:39]:
It definitely wasn't a walk in the park, but extremely a joy. It's enjoyable.
Hanna Storrosten [28:43]:
I've mean being in the Costa Rican side, you feel that. But…
Malcolm Hill [28:49]:
So I have a question about life now. And I guess the reality, like how long have you been here full time now?
Hanna Storrosten [28:58]
A bit over a year.
Malcolm Hill [28:59]:
And what are some of the things you've noticed in the last year that are different to the life you might have had if you stayed in San Diego or went back to Norway? What are the three biggest things you kind of love about life now?
Hanna Storrosten [29:17]:
I think I probably wouldn't have ended up back in Norway. But life in California would look very, very different. Number one probably spent a lot more time sitting in traffic which was one of the things that I dislike the most about living there. I think you know, I would probably be partying a lot more except now in these times obviously not with the pandemic. But, if that wouldn't have happened, probably you know, living I think more high stress lifestyle. That is common, you know, just I think I would have a job that not necessarily. Either that or I would be doing my PhD but I think like life in California is great. There's honestly nothing. There’s very little to complain about. It's such a great place and you meet so many amazing people there. But I think, for me personally, I really wanted to picture myself living somewhere where you a lot closer to nature, where it's less developed, and the air and the water feels is a lot cleaner, like just a cleaner overall lifestyle. And that's something that I started feeling in my last year in California that it started feeling a bit congested to me, because California is very populated. And I was seeking more space, I think. More of a connection to just rawer, undeveloped nature and wildlife. Yeah, I think that's probably the biggest difference.
Malcolm Hill [31:02]:
And surfing I guess. We've talked about this a bit, obviously, when we used to work together, but I have noticed your surfing has improved drastically since you've moved here to Costa Rica in a little over a year.
Hanna Storrosten [31:17]:
Yeah.
Malcolm Hill [31:18]:
And you don't surf every day, we don't live in a town that has a surf beach. But I would say you surf two to three times a week regularly, let's say. And why do you think you've been able to improve like, so much more in the last year than perhaps you had before?
Hanna Storrosten [31:39]:
Yeah, that's a really good question. Thank you for the compliment, by the way. So in California, I think you know, I could surf every day twice a day easily because I live so close and there was always waves. But I'm you know, a fairly new surfer right I didn't grew up surfing I started when I was 20. And California is crowded. Lineups are crowded and you're always, always fighting to pick up the scraps. Very rarely do you get the best waves of the set, you know. And I think that's the biggest difference is that even though I'm not surfing as consistently as I did in California, here, because there's less crowded lineups. And I would say also higher quality waves most of the year. You get to surf better waves. So when you're surfing you get to pick the better. You just get to surf better waves and like you've said before good waves make for good surfing. So I think because of that, I have been able to try out things that I never was able to try before. And surf, I think in one session surf wave, more waves right than I would in California maybe as well. To be honest, I really think the ocean temperature has made a big difference for me because I get really cold easily. So even in a five four wetsuit with booties, I can still feel like an icicle under your body obviously doesn't move the same way when it's warm versus when it's completely frozen so. And so, your sessions are longer too when you're not freezing.
Malcolm Hill [33:26]:
Have you had support from your family in living in Costa Rica? And how do you guys communicate now? How does that look?
Hanna Storrosten [33:32]:
Yeah. My family's always been extremely supportive. I think, you know, when I told them at the age of 19, that hey, I'm moving across the world with this guy that's old, like quite a bit older and that you guys don't know what that was. That was probably a big shock for them. But they didn't actually show it to me. They didn't tell me not to go at all. They were really supportive. They came and visited. Yeah, they didn't show any I guess like this discontent. Yeah, at least they didn't show me if they were unhappy with it. I know that you know, I got some other reactions from friends and colleagues that were positive. But my family's always been very supportive. And we talk over you know, we talk over FaceTime and WhatsApp daily at least a few messages here and here on our big family group chat and saying thank you. So thank you technology for that opportunity. Because it would be very tough to keep in touch if not because of the nine hour time difference as well.
Malcolm Hill:
I agree with. My family back Australia and New Zealand Yeah, eight hour time difference. But often, this might sound a little strange, but sometimes when we chat over FaceTime or over video with WhatsApp, often they're more engaged and more glued to the screen. Sometimes than in conversations face to face where increasingly people find it more difficult to stay attentive during face to face conversations.
Hanna Storrosten [35:11]:
Yeah.
Malcolm Hill [35:12]:
Yeah, absolutely. The technology aspect, for sure is huge, isn't it? It's very easy to feel like you're not really missing out on anything here.
Hanna Storrosten [35:23]:
It's true. Yeah, it's true.
Malcolm Hill [35:25]:
In the next, I guess, a few years your family life is going to be developing, perhaps here in Costa Rica. What are the things you're most excited about to experience in I guess the next decade of your life as you plan to live in Costa Rica?
Hanna Storrosten [35:42]:
Oh, yes. I'm so excited. I will just every month every day gets better. And I think that's something a lot of people feel when they live here. That is that, the first month or year could be could be tough settling in, but it just then when you get your roots settled, it gets better and better every day. The fun, the really interesting thing for me was that even you know, a few years ago or even before meeting Tyler really, I didn't necessarily want you know, a family life. That wasn't in any of my goals really to settle down and have a family or yeah. But now living in Costa Rica, it's something I really am looking forward to.
Malcolm Hill [36:38]:
It’s made you lucky.
Hanna Storrosten [36:41]
Yeah, exactly. I think just because seeing the life of a child growing up here, somewhere like this, and hearing Tyler's childhood here, and seeing your beautiful baby boy growing up here firsthand, it’s just a magical place to grow up I think.
Malcolm Hill [37:00]:
One of those things that stand out to you that you do.
Hanna Storrosten [37:04]:
Yeah, I think it's just, it's really safe. So, you know, there's not big highways, or it's a small town, small community. And I think just like being a kid, and being able to run around on the beach, and then the bushes and anywhere, having that much more open space is huge. And then obviously, having well like really good waves super close by, and that's a whole different world than itself. And I just like the family, the community feeling in Costa Rica is where you just feel like you're part of this bigger family is a huge part of it. So I think you feel more supported I would say. I feel like going into becoming a mother here, I would feel have less anxiety about it, than maybe I would in somewhere like California. And even though in California, where you are in Norway, where you have access to the best health care, right, and the best doctors of everything, but I think there's something just so special about living more simply.
Malcolm Hill [38:20]:
Absolutely. I totally understand what you're saying about the whole big family thing here in Costa Rica, for sure. We've noticed with Maverick, that our son who's 16 months old, for those listening, he gets treated so well, just in the street, or if we go to a restaurant or anywhere we go. Every local person here gives him a smile. They're always there to lend a hand if he's, you know, if we need to do something. And for us, we've traveled with him to cities and you know, other countries as well. And there's just not that same kind of love for children, which is really strong. And you can even look through a lot of like, the legal stuff here in Costa Rica, they protect children, more than more than most countries. There's a lot of like, juvenile law, I guess you'd say. And that's really cool. And you notice in the culture, there's just a love.
Hanna Storrosten [39:19]:
Yeah, exactly. There's just feels like this. There's more space for the family as a unit. And it's valued. And I think that's coming from a more individualistic culture that that's something that's been really eye opening for me because, you know, Norway, too, is I mean, obviously, family ties are strong, but I think you're grown up raised to think very independently. And as more you as an individual, than you are finding those families have building a family or yeah. And so this is kind of new for me and it's something that I'm getting more and more excited every day I guess. Because yeah, it just seems like the most fun thing ever.
Malcolm Hill [40:15]:
It's a lot of work Hannah.
Hanna Storrosten [40:17]:
It’s a lot of work.
Malcolm Hill [40:18]:
It is all consuming being a parent. However, it's very good fun at the same time. What do you feel as though people get wrong, people who haven't been to Costa Rica or even friends and family around the world when they look at your life here? Is there anything you think that I get wrong about it?
Hanna Storrosten [40:41]:
Yes, I'm sure there are. You know, yeah. I think a lot of people assume when you move somewhere like Costa Rica, that you're just you know, it's just paradise every day where you’re living in this bubble of every like, you can't have a bad day living somewhere like this. Or, some people I think probably assume that you just become this lazy beach bum without any life goals. And, I think the first time I moved to Costa Rica, I had that first vision where I'm like, Okay, I'm moving to this beautiful part of the world. Like there's no way anyone can be unhappy or have any negative feelings at all, because everything is so perfect. And that definitely hit me. Because I you know, associate summer and warm weather with just happiness to Norway. But you can definitely have bad days and tough times even though you're living in paradise. For sure.
Malcolm Hill [41:47]:
Absolutely agree. Wherever there's people, there's problems, and there's still people here.
Hanna Storrosten [41:56]:
Yeah, you're still you, you know. Even though you're living in the same place. And I think the other assumption may be that you just, you know, you just like, stop taking care of yourself, where you live on the beach, and you just become a Rasta, which you know, because partly, I guess partly true for some. But, I find people here working just as hard if not more to accomplish what they want. But they enjoy life with it too.
Malcolm Hill [42:29]:
What type of person do you think could make a transition to a country like this? Like what would the top three recommendations be that you would have someone looking to move to Costa Rica?
Hanna Storrosten [42:45]:
Yeah, I think you know, I think one of the most important things for me has been my ability to it's maybe gonna sound a little strange but entertain yourself. Because, I think growing up in a city or living in a city or close to, there's always events going on, there's always something on the agenda, right? There's parties, there's a concerts, there's trips, like there's so many plans.
Malcolm Hill [43:14]:
There's life.
Hanna Storrosten [43:17]:
There's a lot of life. And, I think living somewhere like Costa Rica, probably one of the best way to succeed is being comfortable with being yourself by being with yourself. You don't have all these distractions all the time, there's a lot of days that maybe the hours will seem quite long if you don't have like hobbies or interests or something that keeps you happy. Because I think for a lot of people the transition of not having just, you know, every weekend being jam packed with plans could make some people probably feel a bit restless. And I think that happened to me when I was 20. I started feeling that restlessness of missing out on a lot of things. But now this time, I don't feel like I'm missing out at all. I love you know, we could spend hours just working on my little balcony garden or just enjoying. I mean, it is my team.
Malcolm Hill [44:25]:
Enjoying your partner.
Hanna Storrosten [44:27]:
Enjoying my amazing partner and our friends. And it might seem to a lot of people like we don't do that much. But to me, it feels like I'm doing way more than I was.
Malcolm Hill [44:37]:
Yeah, that's what the por la Vida is.
Hanna Storrosten [44:40]:
It really is. It really is.
Malcolm Hill [44:42]:
Actually just living life and being with friends and all that.
Hanna Storrosten [44:44]:
Yeah.
Malcolm Hill [44:45]:
Hannah, this has been an absolute pleasure. Is there anything else you want to share with either friends or family who perhaps don't live in Costa Rica or even your friends here?
Hanna Storrosten [44:59]:
I think you know, I've a lot of friends in California that I think, you know, could wish to move and live somewhere more off the map more remotely. And I would definitely advise so obviously, I think it's a very special life here. And I think moving away from the familiarity can be scary, but I think it's very, very, very giving. So yeah.
Malcolm Hill [45:36]:
That's great. Where can people find you, Hannah? If they want to get in touch with you or learn more about you, where can they find you?
Hanna Storrosten [45:45]:
Yeah, although I don't have a huge social media presence. I am on Instagram as Hannastor. Hanna H-A-N-N-A-ST-O-R. And also email if you want that.
Malcolm Hill [46:01]:
We can. Yeah, explain it. Go for it.
Hanna Storrosten [46:05]:
Yeah. At H dot S-T-O-RR-O-S-T-E-N @gmail.com. That's a mouthful. But yeah.
Malcolm Hill [46:17]:
And we will have all Hanna’s details in our show notes on the Move to Costa Rica podcast.com web page, where this episode will have its own page. It'll have some footage of Hannah's surfing, some videos and photos of Hannah surfing, if you want to see that. And yeah also an opportunity to get in contact with Hannah through that method as well. Hanna, I want to thank you so much for your time today. It's been a pretty cool chat, I've learned about your story I knew nothing about before. And I think that your story is absolutely going to be inspiring to a lot of women like yourself. Very cool. And a lot of people like yourself in general, not just women.
Hanna Storrosten [47:05]
Thank you so much. Thanks for having me. I've had a great time.
Malcolm Hill [47:08]:
Yeah.
Anisa Hill [47:10]:
Here's a sneak peek of the next episode. In Episode Four we hear from Bari Lerhman, a mother of two born in New York. Barry chats with us about making the switch from bagels to rice and beans, falling in love during a boat trip to the Cocos Islands, and the pros and cons of raising two children in Costa Rica.
Bari Lerhman [47:36]:
And all of a sudden I get some right 12 watts in my ear. And I'm like, Oh, I'm getting stung and Oscar grabs a handful of mud and like whacks me in the head with the mud. Yeah, because mud is good for the wasp sting. But at the moment I don't know that. I just know that first I’m getting stung by wasps and then this guy is.
Anisa Hill [47:55]:
If you enjoyed this conversation, please rate, review, and share it with your friends on social media. For a full list of show notes, episodes to your inbox, information on becoming a guest on the show, and how to support the show on Patreon. Head to triple W dot move to Costa Rica podcast.com. Remember, new episodes are released every Thursday by 6am Costa Rica time. Thanks so much for joining us. Until next time, pura vida.
