Birmingham mum waxes lyrical after leaving the rat race for a life in Costa Rica
Jul 28 2009 by Rebekah Oruye, Birmingham Mail
FROM the quiet suburban streets of Birmingham to the wild remoteness of South America, one Birmingham woman has written a book telling of her family’s adventures on the other side of the world.
Mum-of-three Jo Freeman, was raised in Hollywood after her parents moved to the city from the Wirral.
It was when the former Woodrush School pupil met husband Crispin that the couple decided to escape the rat race for a more laid-back life in Costa Rica.
The 38-year-old said: “I always wanted to get married on a beach and my husband who travels a lot said the best beaches he had ever been to were in Costa Rica. It was beautiful. We spent a month travelling around the country before we decided to settle there.”
After building a home for themselves in 2004, the Freemans started a rental home business as well as offering horse treks.
Their big move to the southern region of Pavones provided a wealth of material for Jo’s book titled A Friend Laughs.
“Whenever I would call people and tell them about all the things that have happened to us they would always respond, ‘you should write a book’.”
Some of the families experiences include; a near escape for Crispin after he was attacked by a swarm of jellyfish, finding a snake under her baby’s play mat and becoming involved with the local drug smuggler’s right-hand man.
Jo returned to Birmingham last August with kids, Estrella five, Arturo, four, and Ruby, two, but the family will be returning to their tiny village in December where Jo hopes to pen a second novel.
“Sometimes we find it difficult to think we are missing things like weddings and family occasions, but we try and come back as often as we can.”
