Tico Times

 

Manuel Antonio

As we spend our last few days here in the wonderful city of Heredia, I am extremely appreciative for every part of this experience. I can think back to the first day when dodging rocks, glass, huge potholes, and trying not to get hit by a bus on our walk to school felt extremely unnatural and challenging. Even though we may still stick out and clearly look like "Gringas" on our walks to and from the ULatina, the route has become increasingly more routine and normal. We have become accustomed and know exactly what to expect. We have had the chance to learn more about Tico culture in and outside of the classroom. From the start our host family showed us how close they were to each other and how accepting they were of us. We have been able to get a peak into their daily routines, their values, and their attitudes about life. We see how they cook, how much time they spend together, and listen to their discussions about the way they see the world. I have embraced the way Ticos live and have made an effort to become apart of their culture and enjoy their way of life, even if it is only for the time being.

Aside from getting to know more about the lives of Ticos, we have all experienced more of the Costa Rican cutlure. We toured San Jose and Pueblo Antiguo to learn about the history of their culture and government, we experienced a huge part of their culture in action at the Soccer game, swam in the gorgeous waterfall at La Fortuna, and saw the biodiversity as we spotted animals some of us have never seen before. For a Country about the size of West Virginia, Costa Rica has an immense amount of biodiversity and land preserved in National Parks. It is amazing that just a couple hours out of the industrialized capital you can find waterfalls, volcanoes, and toucans flying around. As I listened to the sounds of nature in the rainforest and experienced the beauty of Irazu, the Poas volcano, and La Paz, I have gained a greater admiration and respect for nature. As we experienced some of the night life in Heredia we can tell that people our age here have some of the same interests. We may dress and look completely different, however we have many of the same interests, issues, goals,  and some of the same daily routines. Some things are in fact the same in every culture.

With the exception of the few visions I had from photos I've seen of Costa Rica, I did not know what to expect before coming here. You can imagine, envision, and wonder all you want about another culture, but you will never really understand it until you experience it. If anything I was surprised at the friendliness and calmness of the people we have encountered. Nothing seems to ever be a problem and no one is ever in a rush; PURA VIDA! Although at times it is difficult to communicate and find the perfect words and phrases in Spanish to match what I am trying to express, it is rewarding conversing with people and learning about them using their native language. 

As we leave Hereida behind,  I will miss our family, our group dynamic, our routines, classes at the ULatina, the wonderful excursions exploring the Country, and the unique and crazy things we discover each day. It's hard to think that we may never see some of these people or places again; however, I have every intention of returning one day to the Country and culture I have grown to love!