Easier?

Starting our second adventure out west immediately feels very different than Costa Rica.  When we try to put our finger on what is so different, we come to the conclusion that it is accessability and convenience.  From the beginning, we have access to a car.  This within itself provides a tremendous amount of freedom.  We don't have to worry about scheduling nor figuring out transportation to our next destination.  Secondly, the US is the land of excess.  If you need anything on the road or forgotten anything, you can find it around every corner.  In Costa Rica, depending on the town, you may simply have to do without or until you get to a town that has what you are looking for, and if/when you do find it, you are overpaying for it because it is an imported product.

Lastly, it helps that everyone speaks English.  I would recommend that everyone visit a country in which you are barely familiar with the language or culture.  It is quite a humbling experience and definitely provides a new-found respect for those who have migrated to our country and what their daily life is like. Needless to say, being surrounded by your native language is just easier.  You don't have to try as hard or think about it.