The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Costa Rica is genuine character. It is a country that not only has beautiful landscapes, but is also rooted in a rich, deep culture that permeates through my interactions with the people. The host family that we are staying with doesn’t speak any English, but that does not stop them from trying to make conversation and always making sure we are safe and well fed. In all honesty, coming to Costa Rica was scary for me because I have never been abroad before and I wasn’t sure if I would like studying abroad or not. However, after coming here and settling in, I have to say that Costa Rica, specifically the area we were in today, Heredia, is very welcoming. It presents a nice, lush atmosphere that is hard to find in the United States.

Something that surprised me upon my arrival and introduction to Costa Rica were the number of parks that they have. Not only that, but almost everyone here has a pet, specifically dogs. These peritos can be found anywhere and will start barking at you if you walk by their gate. I know this because their barks follow us as we walk around our neighborhood. The parks all have exercise equipment styled to look like playground equipment, but there were bikes, ellipticals, and other machines in most of these parks. We learned that the abundance of parks and this equipment is to encourage exercise by the citizens of Costa Rica while also increasing green spaces. I found this to be incredibly interesting and quite effective since most Costa Ricans socialize in the parks or the general stores called pulperías. 

The center of Heredia includes their cultural district with historical buildings like the municipal offices and their hallmark El Fortin. But the most interesting part of this cultural district is how Heredia came to be known as the “city of flowers”. It’s due to one of the most well preserved buildings in the district that belonged to its very own Presidente Flores. I personally love looking at old buildings like this and the old church across the street makes the atmosphere quite beautiful. Costa Rica has been an amazing country so far, while it had its share of surprises, I would say that those surprises have only made the trip that much more interesting and I can’t wait to discover even more new, surprising things!