During our four hour drive I noticed that a lot of the houses were very spread out in comparison to the communities in Heredia. Additionally, most of the houses seemed like they consisted of one or two rooms that were constricted to one floor. The houses were worn down yet they kept their color. We passed some small schools and sodas on the way. Most of the sodas didn’t seem overly crowded or open at all. The communities we drove through seemed very peaceful and content with their way of life. A lot of the properties had sheep, cows, and horses in a fenced in area. In all truthfulness, I was asleep for a decent amount of the trip but I did wake up at what I think was the most beautiful part. As we drove through, the scenery was breathtaking. It felt like we were on top of the world, overlooking an endless sea of mountains. The road was hidden behind a string of trees planted along the side and occasionally there was a “guard rail” made out of wood and what looked like wire.

My perception of Costa Rica has changed because the exposure I got from visiting these different communities gave me a lot of respect. The lifestyle that Ticos lead is hardworking, respectable, and friendly. It made me think about how America was created and our lifestyle. Living in America and obtaining the American dream doesn’t sound as gratifying as living in Costa Rica and making a name for yourself. It is a blessing and a curse that we live in a country where the language is the universal language. Many schools in Costa Rica and schools in general have english as an additional class in their main curriculum as opposed to the second language of their choice. The sense of security that Americans have with not having to even learn another language makes me think that we are lacking something within ourselves and allows us to become lazy.

Ricardo Guindon’s presentation was very insightful. I really appreciated that his presentation included mostly pictures and not words. Less than a century ago, a group of people—including his father—decided to travel to Costa Rica to make a life for himself because at the time, men were required to sign up for the army draft when they turned 18 in the US. Before his father’s immigration, his father was arrested because he didn’t follow this military law due to his religious beliefs. After many weeks and four months in prison defending himself in court for his decisions, he decided to move to Costa Rica because the abolishment of their military recently occurred. His father and a group of other people made a life for themselves at the top of a mountain that is now called Monteverde. They focused their economy on diary and cheese production. Foreigners have a huge impact on the Costa Rican economy and culture because since tourism is a huge boost to their economy, communities have altered their way of life to suit the needs of visitors in order to make money. Even driving around tonight to the forest walk there were a copious amount of stores and restaurants that would attract tourists. I hope that Costa Rica doesn’t lose its pride in culture and tradition by changing themselves in order to make money. Usually, foreigners are not always welcome in a country but Ticos are very patient and kind.