Today was our first full day in Costa Rica! We started the day by having breakfast with our host families where we ate eggs, ham, and toast. While it seems like typical American breakfast, it was interesting to see how something so familiar can still manage to be presented extremely differently in another culture. My host family has been extremely kind and have definitely tested my Spanish knowledge. While I took Spanish in high school, keeping up with the Spanish has been a challenge. However, everyone has been extremely kind and found ways to communicate, whether through gestures or Google Translate.

We then toured Heredia and saw got to see La Fortín, the central park, the markets, and so much more. Many of the businesses were closed after noon since it is Sunday, but we still got to see a lot. My favorite part was probably going to the market and trying fruits that I have never had before. Granadilla was my favorite fruit that we tried because it was unlike anything that I have had. It is part of the passion fruit family and has a sweet but tangy taste. Ultimately as we walked through Heredia it was interesting to see how Costa Rica has an extremely social atmosphere. With the various parks throughout the cities and neighborhoods as well as the busy market and malls.

Today was a great introduction to Costa Rica and I am excited for what is to come. While being somewhere that is thousands of miles away can be difficult, everyone has been extremely welcoming and made the transition easy.