Today was an incredible introduction to what a real Tico life is like. We visited the local market, made it on the news, got a tour of Heredia, tried their local ice cream and foods, and learned about their customs. We’ve also learned a lot during our short time at our home-stays. My “mom” and her cat have been very welcoming. However, of course, there are culture shocks. I knew about their emphasis on sustainability before coming here, but it’s so cool to see it in practice during everyday life. In the US, it’s so common to hear people say, “Save the planet!” while doing nothing to help the environment. My home-stay mom, on the other hand, practices this in real time. Whenever we end a meal, we do not throw out our scraps or our napkins. We put them in a bin that she uses to compost. She is also very much a Tica with her concern for our food. She gets so stressed when we are full quickly and feels like a bad cook, but we try to let her know it’s not at all a reflection on her.

In Heredia, I did see a lot of things that also confirm that the “pura vida” way of life is alive and well. Many people at the Mercado Central would try to talk to us and my instinct was always that they were trying to scam me. While there may be some truth to that, I do believe some (if not most) people meant it genuinely. No one was particularly rude to the big group of students who had not a clue what was going on and were cramping their local style. No one seemed to want to yell at or correct us and they were incredibly patient. I can see how life might not always be perfectly easy, but it moves slow and community is always their to lean on.