This past week has flown by faster than I wanted it to, but when walking outside in the mild, California-like impeccable climate, I got to slow down and think more about my time in Costa Rica.
Coming into the trip, I expected the tours and excursions to be more commercialized given that the country?s main industry is eco-tourism. However, what we found more often than not, was that we were talking to Ticos and oftentimes even the people who founded the companies themselves. Just because the country gains a lot of revenue from tourism doesn?t mean that they have lost their local touch; in fact, each of the owners shared a deep passion for Costa Rica and its unique culture and environment.
Another misconception was that learning Spanish and speaking in Spanish with Ticos would be very difficult. However, I learned that even for some people who had never spoken Spanish before, it wasn?t as hard as we thought. I have come to realize that communicating with others involves a lot more than just ?words?. Facial expressions, body language, and hand gestures all tie into communicating with others.
Upon speaking with more local business owners, I learned that regardless of where you go, ?word-of-mouth marketing? plays a large role in business. Many of our excursions involved lots of laughs as each company touched on how important it is that each person has a great time visiting their business. I thought that it was very fascinating that humor happened to be a common denominator that made everyone feel like they were enjoying being around that company.
We also learned that starting a business in Costa Rica is a very lengthy, expensive process that is much more difficult than the U.S.?s process for opening a business. Each business owner talked about how it took patience and overcoming hardship, but it made me realize that motivated people can find a way to make it happen. Each of them simply had a passion and followed it. It wasn?t necessarily that they were geniuses and knew everything about business, but rather, they all wanted to make a difference and decided to take it one step at a time along the way. Eventually, they got to the successful point where they are today.
Overall, I learned that we as people are more similar than we are different. I got to witness firsthand how love transcends language and cultural boundaries, and that smiles are universal. Costa Rica will forever hold a special place in my heart because of its impact. Pura Vida, Karina Owens
