I arrived in Costa Rica about a week ago and it has been a lot of fun. We are staying mainly in Heredia, just outside San Jose, and it is so beautiful here. There are a lot of trees/vegetation and hilly mountains. I noticed pretty quickly that Costa Rica relies heavily on tourism. San Jose is also a pretty big city and is the capital of Costa Rica. There are a lot of shops, national parks, museums, and theaters.
On this trip I hope to gain a better understanding of the Costa Rican culture, more than just what you can read from a book. I want to be immersed in the culture and experience what it is like to be here.
I have noticed some differences between Costa Rica compared to the United States. In Costa Rica, they have a saying called “pura vida”, which they say for pretty much anything. “Pura vida” means pure life and it means more than just a saying in Costa Rica, it describes the way they live, and I’ve noticed they say it a lot in conversation. Also, there are a lot of cats and dogs here, at least in San Jose. They have them walking in the mall and roaming around the streets. The cats here are also really big compared to the cats in the United States. Also, the driving in Costa Rica is a lot more aggressive than it is in the United States. I have taken multiple ubers so far in this trip and some are more aggressive than others, but the difference in driving is something that stuck out to me. Another difference that stuck out to me was how highly they value family. They have multiple generations living in one house. For example, in the house that I’m staying in the grandma is staying on the first floor and then her son and his family are all staying on the second floor. I’ve noticed a lot of the kids, once they grow up, they still end up staying in the same house as their family.
Overall, I’m having a really good time and I feel like I’m learning a lot about the Spanish language and about the businesses in Costa Rica.
