I am thoroughly enjoying my first week in Costa Rica. The most pleasurable part of this experience has been meeting the people of this country. Costa Ricans are largely friendly and have ben accepting of us strangers so far.
The culture of Costa Rica is more family-based than U.S. culture. For example, most homes are multigenerational, in which children tend to not move out until they are married and often stay with parents to take care of them. In the U.S., we are used to people moving out of their childhood homes until college or professional life; these milestones do not separate families here. During my stay I was able to attend a family gathering celebrating New Years Day, along with another student. I saw how close Costa Ricans are with their extended families and was welcomed graciously by these people I had just met. To me, the combination of good company, good food, and good vibes defines the communal culture of this country.
Many Costa Rican companies are also very conscious of ESG goals, possibly more than their U.S. counterparts. On our trip, we heard the stories of one coffee and one chocolate company based in the country. Both companies distinguished themselves with a focus on socially conscious behaviors. For example, the coffee company introduced the only fully organic beans in the country to their production and the chocolate company used cacao scraps for 95% of their packaging materials. In ways, both companies innovated upon the status quo of how business is conducted. Creativity combined with a desire to improve the world benefits Costa Rica as a whole.
I want to continue to immerse myself in the culture and the traditions of Costa Rica by always saying ‘yes’ and exploring something outside of my comfort zone. Along the way, I want to learn more about the human experience and what it looks like across the world.