The first impression I’ve gained from Costa Rica is that their culture is centered upon living and the story that their life tells. Their at home life is dynamic; living with multi-generational family members in homes that are smaller than what most US citizens would be used to. Familia is very important part of the Costa Rican culture and I’ve experienced this through fun extended family gatherings celebrating New Year’s Day and birthdays. Everyone is so welcoming and embodies the “Pura Vida” lifestyle and it helps our group experience it as well. My host family specifically is very sweet, enjoys talking over small breakfast and coffee in the mornings, and helps teach my roommate and I Spanish throughout our time together. Learning about the Spanish language is an aspect of the trip I was not expected to dive into but it is something I’m enjoying and will continue pursuing.
The global business program has set up an incredible balanced experience for our group to see beautiful scenery, try new foods, learn about the history of San Juan, and all while learning more about marketing and entrepreneurship in international countries. We’ve participated in a dance class that taught us the 4 main dances in Costa Rica and also a cooking class that taught us to make a popular Costa Rican dish from scratch. Our tour guide from Arcos, Angie, has a very fun and outgoing personality that shows the passion that many Costa Ricans have for their country they call home. Our Professor, Don Lewis, is a great leader in diving in to an unknown culture and has set a great example for developing new experiences in the extra time we have outside of our events. I’m really looking forward to the events we still have with the global abroad program that are both business related and not.
Throughout the next week, I hope to continue gaining more insight to the companies that we will be touring to understanding their individual business dynamics in Costa Rica. I also hope to gain strong friendships with the other students on the trip and build upon them by getting out of our comfort zone and embracing the time we have together outside of our scheduled events. We hope to go on hikes in a couple national parks, try new restaurants and food items specific to Costa Rica, and embrace the time we have in this country!
¡Pura Vida!
