Today, we had plenty of events. After arriving off the plane last night, we passed dozens of people offering rides while we waited for our bus. Before I knew it, we met our homestay family, and it was time for bed. Today, we started walking around Heredia’s central park and main streets. I learned that pedestrians do not have to ride away very quickly, and cars will continue driving. Traffic overall and the limited number of stoplights was a surprise. Today was Sunday, and everybody attended church, watched live music in the park, and ran errands. As expected, the supermarkets and typical shopping trends are much more unique than the United States. A supermarket has many individual stores where people can buy fresh products. It is common for people to visit a grocery store daily to purchase fresh produce. Additionally, fresh produce is stored above the working area to conserve space. The locals created a cozy and welcoming environment. The events in the park indeed evoked this feeling.

Following our morning tour was lunch. The servers were welcoming and incredibly patient when serving all of us with our language barrier. I felt welcomed and surprised by how genuine the servers were. For our final task of the day, we visited the Oxigeno Mall. The architecture and circle design shape were unique; I had never seen a building like them. The path to walk to the top led to a few incredible views as I looked into the mountain ranges and the city of San Jose, as in my picture. Throughout our time in the mall, as one could expect walking with a large group of foreigners, I felt a large amount of attention and stares from the locals, all in good faith and curiosity.

One of our trip’s most unexpected and pleasant surprises so far was Costa Rica’s passion for Star Wars. In the mall’s center, Lego Star Wars sets were laid out for display because of May 4th, Star Wars Day, which happened yesterday. There were too many different pieces on display to count. We also learned the importance of Costa Rican malls because online shopping is not up-to-par compared to the United States. Today was a great first full day; I am excited to see what is next!