“Ciao,” not “Goodbye” – Beginning a New Chapter

We live in a transient expat community in the Tamarindo area of Costa Rica. Therefore, it is not much of a surprise to meet recent foreign arrivals only to find later they have left after a year or so. But when you lose long-term, contributing community members, it comes as a jolt.

Take Steve and Liisa Quinn, for example. They first visited Costa Rica in 2004.  “I had never been anywhere,” Liisa confides, “and when Steve said ‘pick a place,’ I knew it had to be Costa Rica.” Liisa enjoys nature and tranquility and from everything she had seen on National Geographic shows, Costa Rica was a treasure. “When the plane doors opened and we walked onto the rainy tarmac at the old Liberia Airport, it felt warm. It felt like we were home.”

After several visits and meeting the right people along the way, they decided to move to Langosta in 2010.  Rather than embracing tranquility though, they bought a business. Not one, but several: El Pescador (a successful beach restaurant and bar), a Bed and Breakfast, and they created Go Fish, a full-service fishing charter and tour company. “Everything just fell into place,” Liisa confirms.

Steve laughs, “Liisa doesn’t swim, gets motion sickness, and does not like eating seafood. And yet, we have a fishing business.  But seriously, we wanted something where customers could feel safe and secure going out on a well-maintained boat with a trustworthy captain. From our previous unnerving fishing experiences, that was lacking here at the time.”

Fast-forward 15 years later, and the thriving Go Fish business has won top rankings and 5-star accolades from leading travel review sites like Trip Advisor and Google. Many people do not realize the philanthropic efforts the Quinns make behind the scenes.  “Over the years, we have worked with several non-profits and veteran’s associations, raising approximately $5 million for various causes,” Steve adds.

Due to some ongoing health issues that have become too challenging, Steve and Liisa made the difficult and complex decision to run the business remotely from their home in Bobcaygeon, Ontario – where they can utilize the healthcare system.

Steve gets teary-eyed when reminiscing about life in Costa Rica. “One of the things that we will miss the most is our weekly family night sleepover, where we get together and have dinner and watch a movie with Kate, my niece, and Liisa’s best friend.”

And they will miss much more…Happy hours at El Chiringuito’s with the locals and staff and card night with Mike and Wendy. “I have met so many incredible people…from our employees to our long-term and repeat customers, to our friends here in the community.  I just cannot thank them enough.”

The Quinns are private people and have not shared a lot about the conditions Steve has been battling.  Being social at heart, he wants everyone to know that he would love to be out having a drink and some laughs like the old days. But sometimes life has a different plan.  “Look, people know something is up,” Steve continues. “I am here, I am not ignoring you. It is just tough to go out and put on a happy face.”

The good news is that Go Fish has a well-trained team in Costa Rica. The business will still be working with the captains and crews with whom they have had relationships for many years, as well as an outstanding operations manager as their boots on the ground.

Steve and Liisa still intend to oversee the business with the same passion and professionalism, so it will continue to be a 5-star operation.  They also plan to return to Costa Rica for short visits to oversee everything crucial.

They agreed that although they loved living in Costa Rica, they had missed out on precious family moments over the last 15 years. “There were consequences when we put so much into Costa Rica; we missed things in Canada, and we can put family first now,” states Steve. Liisa shared one of her favourite Dolly Parton quotes: “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”

And so, with closing out life in Costa Rica, Steve and Liisa wish you all a fond farewell and want to remind you that it is only “ciao” for now, not “goodbye.”