First Impressions

We arrived safely in San Jose, Costa Rica yesterday morning! 

At the Myrtle Beach airport ready to be Costa Rica bound!

Even though I had to wake up at 2:30 for the flight, I couldn't have been more excited. It is completely surreal to actually be in Costa Rica after all the planning and preparation. It finally hit me on the plane yesterday morning that I would be in a foreign country experiencing culture shock when the customs declaration forms they handed out were in Spanish! Thankfully they were translated into broken English, or I wouldn't have had a clue what was going on. It was interesting to be on a flight where announcements and forms were made in Spanish and then translated into English rather than the other way around that I am used to. It made me realize that I will be in the minority while in Costa Rica as an English-speaking gringo. After arriving, we went to the bank to exchange our US dollars for colones. The bank here is very different than the banks I am accustomed to. We were required to stand in a single file line and walk through a metal detector. The bank was stark, but the teller was friendly and understanding of my broken Spanish. Everyone here has been very friendly and welcoming so far. Later on, our group visited the farmers market which was awesome. We tried so many new fruits like passion fruit, guava, pejibaye, and many more. Being surrounded by so many unfamiliar foods and people who I can barely communicate with to ask about them was a little intimidating, so I'm glad our tour guides were there to explain. Today we visited a coffee farm and La Paz Waterfalls. Costa Rica is so beautiful! On our way up the mountain, there were what seemed to be endless coffee fields.

A coffee field 

Coffee is grown on steep inclines because the roots of the plant hold on to dirt to prevent erosion. Coffee is a major export to Canada, Europe, and the US because there are types of coffee specific to Costa Rica. At La Paz, we were able to see the native flora and fauna. Our tour guide, Javier, has extensive knowledge about Costa Rica's plants and animals. He showed us ferns, orchids, birds, frogs, snakes, monkeys, big cats, and even the poor man's umbrella... all of which are indigenous to the region.

Javier pointing out some birds.

really enjoyed learning about the country's wildlife, culture, and biodiversity even if it did rain on us. (I guess we really are in a rainforest!) I am having a great time so far, but it does still feel like we are in 'vacation mode.' The TV and radio are in Spanish and everywhere we go we are surrounded by Ticos speaking Spanish, but it doesn't feel quite real that we are about to be completely immersed into their culture. Since we are all still staying together as a group at the hotel, it is easy to feel a sense of security by sticking together, speaking in our native language, and discussing things that we are used to. This has helped me understand a little bit about how students close themselves off and only associate with people who are 'like them.' It is comfortable to stick with people who have a lot in common with you culturally and are going through the same things.

There are so many cultural differences between Costa Rica and the US. Sometimes you even need a buddy to help you turn on the sink!

I am excited to spend the next three weeks here and gain so many new experiences, but I am definitely nervous about meeting my host family Sunday night. When I am living with them I will not have the safety net of the group and will have to adapt to the lifestyle of the family. This will be an invaluable cultural experience, but I am very anxious about it.