Pura Vida

Pura Vida! This is what Costa Ricans say, meaning many different things, but mostly a “life is good” kind of phrase. So it hasn’t even been a week but I have so much to say, I figured I should write sooner rather than later! First off, I am sitting in my room and it is pouring rain. Truly pouring, it is so loud. And it does this every afternoon around 3 for probably an hour or so, then it may or not continue sprinkling through the evening. So that is just one of many things that I have observed since I’ve gotten here!

When I got off my plane on Saturday it was already completely dark at about 6:00, which seemed very early to me. Anyway, I got my bag and made it through customs and everything really fast. When I walked out into the “arrival hall” I was already outside and people were everywhere holding up signs and saying “Taxi? Taxi?” I couldn’t find anyone holding up an ISA sign, but a man with another study abroad group said he was on his way so I waited there and found him just a few minutes later. We waited for one other girl arriving on a flight just after mine and we hopped in a bus and I was dropped off right at my home! As I said, it was dark when I arrived but I spent the 20-minute bus ride just peering out the window! It’s a big city but it’s still very green! I got dropped right off at my house and… My host family does not speak any English! Yep, it’s a very good thing I had a basic knowledge of Spanish before coming here! There are people with my program who have very little to no Spanish knowledge. The first thing I said to my host mom was “I know some Spanish but please speak very slowly.” I said that in Spanish obviously! So she showed me my room and bathroom and I have some pictures of those below. It’s a very big room, which is very nice! Then she made me a delicious dinner!! It was noodles with chilies and onions and some delicious sauce. I’m not sure, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. After I ate I met my host dad and my two “sisters”! Oh, and by the way my host mom is pregnant and due on October 8^th!! So I will have a brand new “hermanito” very soon.  Anyway, the little girls are twin 4-year-olds and they are very cute. They are getting more used to me, but at first I think they were very confused as to why they had to speak so slowly to me! That night I had about a two-hour conversation with my host parents. They spoke very slowly, and I focused very hard the whole time! But I understood the bulk of it and Google translate came in handy for us for some words!

My home is the right half of this building. Every home has big gates in front. So I have two gates and then the door to get inside! 

Hard to see well, but this is a panorama of my room. 

I could go on for a long time describing all of the little things I’ve noticed and experienced, so I’ll just list some of them:

• ·      Everything is very open here, the doors are almost always open and my windows in my room don’t even close all the way! They are just meant to stay open. With that being said, I am getting used to things being a little dirtier (i.e, more bugs!)
• ·      I have a two-minute walk to school. So I leave the house five minutes until class!
• ·      My host mom makes juice all the time. I have had juice for every meal that she has made me. Her favorite is watermelon juice… Kind of like you’re just drinking watermelon with how grainy it is. But I like it!
• ·      I have tried a couple of different fruits that I am still not sure the names of, but they look very interesting and are delicious!
• ·      My university is a school for art, design, and architecture and it is definitely very modern in design! There is one building where all of the classes are out in the open. They are only separated by a couple of white boards!
• ·      There is also an area in the university with hammocks and beanbag chairs! How cool!
• ·      My classes are tiny! I have 7 people in two of my classes and 10 in another.
• ·      My Spanish class is completely Spanish… No English spoken at all.
• ·      The little girls I live with are named Dilanna (Dee-lanna) and Valentina. They stay up until 10:00 most nights, which seems awfully late to me for four-year-olds!
• ·      I have been very open to trying foods here. My host mom feeds me soo much food even though I told her I eat a little-normal amount of food. Some of the weird things I’ve tried: a hot dog with ketchup and mayo, rice with tuna mixed in, and I actually am coming to like black beans!
• ·      Costa Rica is known for their “gallo pinto” which is rice and beans mixed with salsa and cilantro. It’s actually quite good and I even had it for breakfast the other day!
• ·      My host mom always says “Si?” at the end of her sentences to see if I understand what she said and it is very tempting to just say “Si!” in response, but recently she’s been getting on me to not just say “Si,” which I appreciate… But it’s difficult!
• ·      My university has free dance classes Tuesdays and Thursdays and I went to the first one last night with some friends I’ve made and it was really fun!
• ·      I am the only student living with my host family whereas most host families have 2-4 students living with them. So that’s been my one complaint is that I don’t have an automatic person to rely on and go places with while most others do. But that has just forced me to put myself out there more! There are three girls that all live together that I have been spending a lot of time with and they are all great!
• ·      We have a lady that is living with us all week. I am not sure if she does this every week or if it’s just because my host mom could have her baby any day and they have the other girls to take care of. It appears she does this every week though because she helps cook and take care of the girls.
• ·      The second day here I was sitting at the table reading my book when my host dad walked by and said something to me and it caught me off guard that he was speaking in Spanish! I hadn’t gotten used to it yet!
• ·      Costa Ricans (so far) are very friendly!

So I have been really taking in a lot of new experiences and enjoying my time here in Costa Rica. I am excited to get out of the city and to go on my first “excursion” this weekend! My program, ISA, has planned excursions for us that are in the cost already. This weekend is Playa Tamarindo and I can’t wait to see the coast! I am really enjoying all of the Spanish. I’ve been putting myself out there trying to speak as much as possible and ask questions. Even as I’m typing this I am translating some of it to Spanish in my head! It’s already becoming more natural, which is really exciting! It is very frustrating not being able to express yourself when you don’t speak a language so that makes me want to learn even faster! I feel like I have so much more I could/want to share about my experience so far. So far, I love the fact that I get to live with a host family… What better way to learn about the culture?

Pura Vida!

The hammocks inside the school. 

Mis hermanas- Dilanna y Valentina

My hot dog with mayo!! I tried not to think too much about what I was eating! Not very "Costa Rican" either, right? Hot dog and French Fries??

This a central area at school and on Monday there was a brass band and these strange costumed people making everyone dance!

Three of the girls that I have become friends with! Melissa (from Wyoming), Hannah (from Nebraska) and Abigail (from Minnesota)

An empanada from lunch today- delicious, but should not have asked for the salsa (spicy!!)