A woman who fled the United States to live in Costa Rica’s ‘blue zone’ with her family after noticing she felt much healthier when she visited the island amid her battle with cancer, has shared some of the immense benefits of living in the Central American country.
Kema Ward-Hopper, originally from Houston, Texas, was devastated when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, just months before marrying her longtime boyfriend, Nicholas, in Costa Rica.
Even though she was in the middle of her treatment, they decided to go ahead with the trip and flew to the Latin American country to say “I do.”
And as soon as they landed in Costa Rica, Kema noticed a marked difference in the way she felt.
A woman fled the United States to live in the ‘blue zone’ of Costa Rica with her family after noticing she felt much healthier when she visited her amid her battle with cancer.
Kema Ward-Hopper was devastated when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, just months before marrying her long-term boyfriend Nicholas in Costa Rica.
Even though she was in the middle of her treatment, they decided to go ahead with the trip and flew to the Latin American country to say “I do,” and she felt much better there.
The five places with ‘Blue Zone’ status: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California in the United States
Kema said he felt more energetic and was suddenly “getting better,” but a week after returning home to Texas, he was “bad again.”
For years, he couldn’t stop thinking about how different he felt in Costa Rica and finally decided to move there full-time.
Kema underwent a unilateral mastectomy and is now cancer-free. She is seen during her battle against cancer with her daughter.
He has now spoken openly about all the ways his and his family’s lives have improved since leaving the states during a recent interview with cnn – from your children being able to connect with nature to the strong sense of community.
“I felt better than ever since I was diagnosed,” he recalled to CNN about his first trip to Costa Rica.
‘I thought I was getting better. But it really seemed like it was environmental, because after about a week [back at home]I felt bad again.
“That was the first indicator that there was something special about Costa Rica.”
Kema explained that she ultimately underwent a unilateral mastectomy and is now cancer-free, but the family faced more tragedy a year later when their home was destroyed by a hurricane.
While looking for a new place to live, Kema and Nicholas couldn’t stop thinking about Costa Rica.
The family eventually decided to move there full-time, and now she has spoken openly about all the ways her and her family’s lives have improved since leaving the United States.
Kema (seen with her daughter) praised Costa Rica’s strong sense of community, explaining: ‘The locals are helpful whether they know you or not. The community takes care of each other’
“We felt like we wanted to go back there and feel good,” Kema recalled. “There’s something energetic about being in Costa Rica.”
In 2018, the couple, along with their young daughter, Aaralyn, packed up all their things and officially moved to the country.
They settled in Pueblo Nuevo, a small town located on the Nicoya Peninsula that is one of the few blue zones in the world: the areas of the world where people have the highest life expectancy.
He noted that the food is healthier and the air feels cleaner. She said: ‘We have noticed that we feel better when we are here. Our heart and lung health seems to be better.’ Pictured is one of the meals she recently prepared.
Without a doubt, adjusting to life in Costa Rica was a shock, since they were not used to living “in the jungle.”
“It was an adventure,” Kema joked. “A long learning experience.”
But the couple were immediately drawn to the country’s simple lifestyle, relaxed nature and strong sense of community.
“I had an idea of what I thought a community was, but that completely disappeared when I got here and experienced real community,” he gushed.
‘The locals were helpful whether they knew you or not… It was amazing. The community really cared about each other.”
The couple, who expanded their family by welcoming son Nicolai in April 2020, say their days now consist of “a lot of walks” and splashing around on the beach, and they’re especially happy that their young children have connected with nature.
‘My husband and I commented that she could have had a childhood like the one we had in the 80s and 90s – b“Being able to go out and play without the watchful eye of your parents,” Kema said.
She said that there, “families come first,” adding, “I feel like in America you feel pressure to take your little kid out to dinner or something.”
He said that there “families come first” and added: “They love children.” And I don’t necessarily know that I felt the same [in the US]. It is a very family-oriented nation.
Additionally, she said she has felt less “tense” since she moved, as things feel much slower there than in the “super fast” states.
Kema described the Costa Rican people as ‘hard-working’ and much more connected to their environment. She appears in the photo with her daughter.
‘Here, if your child wants to play and walk around the table, then they tell you to leave him alone and let him. So it’s just different.
‘They love children. And I don’t necessarily know that I felt the same [in the US]. It is a very family-oriented nation. Families definitely [come] first.’
He also noted that the food is healthier and the air feels cleaner. She said: ‘We have noticed that we feel better when we are here. Our heart and lung health seems to be better.’
Additionally, she said she has felt less “tense” since making the switch, as things feel much slower there than in the “super fast” states.
Kema described the Costa Rican people as ‘hard-working’ and much more connected to their environment.
“They live with the land and not in spite of the land,” he added. ‘They are not trying to eliminate all of nature in order to exist. They simply exist with nature. At least where we live.
The family has no plans to return to the U.S., however, Kema admitted she misses some things, like it being cold on Christmas and being able to order from Amazon, which doesn’t exist there.
‘When Christmas comes around, sometimes I just want to put on fuzzy socks and a big hoodie and curl up somewhere cozy with a cup of hot chocolate while it’s cold outside. but that doesn’t happen [here]. “It’s a warm Christmas,” she said.