I had an amazing first day in Heredia! To start the day off, my Mama Tica made us eggs, ham, and toast for breakfast. Then we made our way over to Heredia by bus! Today we did a lot of walking around the city and trying lots of different fruits. Some of my favorites that I had never tried before were the cas and passionfruit! Throughout our walking tour, we learned all about how Heredia’s identity is built on a deep connection to its past, especially through its buildings. Some of the more “famous buildings” have been homes, museums, and schools. With earthquakes in mind, these buildings have some unique structures for their commitment to safety.

One thing that I found really interesting is the number of parks in the city. Heredia uses these not only for physical activity but also to socialize with friends and locals. After our tour, we made our way to the farmers market, where I found lots of fruits, meats, and fish stands. Since it was a Sunday, the market closed around 12, but we were still about to get in and explore a little before it shut down for the day. We then walked around and went into a few local stores, and then proceeded to the mall. The mall here is a deeply social place. There was a giant food court that had the classic American fast foods like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Taco Bell, which I found surprising, but they also had their own restaurants.

Looking back on this day, there were lots of things that were different than what I would’ve expected. For one, the city is a grid system, which makes it easy to navigate, once you get used to the even numbers running south and west of Central Ave and odd numbers running north and east. Central Ave in Heredia is like the Forbes Avenue of Pittsburgh!! Before coming to Heredia, I expected a lush and friendly environment, and it really surprised me how actually comfortable I felt while being here. Spending time with my host family is definitely helping me expand my Spanish speaking skills, and while it needs lots of work, they are very kind and patient. Overall, today was packed with so many fun adventures, and I can’t wait to see what more tomorrow holds!