Hectic Day in the Best Country-Daisha

Today was our first official day in Costa Rica! For breakfast, our mama tica gave us rice and beans, queso and toast! I really enjoyed the flavor of this meal, and getting to speak with my mama tica about the Costa Rica lifestyle.I learned that our mama rica volunteers at one of the hospitals and there are many ways in which you can volunteer at the hospital specifically. Our mama tica also explained some other was you can help the community!

After class, we crossed the bridge and went to the bank so students could convert U.S dollars into colones, or take colones straight from the ATM. Brenda and Angie assisted me with interacting with the teller, which made me appreciate the experience more.From the ATM, we took public transportation to downtown Heredia.

When entering downtown Heredia, Angie took us to the market to see fresh produce, meats, coffee makers and so much more! Throughout my experience in Costa Rica I want to try as many fruits as possible. Watermelon is my favorite fruit, so I couldn't miss out on this great opportunity to buy some. From talking to the seller I really enjoyed the experience of buying produce from the local area and having an engaging conversation .

Once we left the market, Angie took the group to a local restaurant for lunch! After lunch, we continue to walk around Heredia to visit the some historic parts. Angie gave us an explanation and the background of some of the buildings and areas. To see the historic buildings, pigeons, and wonderful trees, there was a lot to take in!

A few students and myself went around Heredia to jewelery, clothing and even skateboard shops! It was amazing to see the differences and similarities of items in stores. There are definitely stores I will go back to, to purchase some items for my family and friends!

Once me and Precious walked backed to our homestay it was time to pack. Unfortunately, we had to move homesteads due to internet issues. Before we left, we had a wonderful conversation with our old mama tica. We recorded an audio message which is kept in her phone forever! I received our old mama tica contact information, so we will have countless conversations and gif sending!

As we met our new homestay family, we had a good interaction with the papa tica, mama tica and their oldest son! The papa tica and son are able to speak English to an extent so it was very exciting to interact within both cultures. We all agreed to learn how to speak each others language and not focus on one. We ended the night playing UNO, which was super competitive! Of course I won a few times but our mama tica is very good at the game.

As I ended my night in the new homestay, I reflected on how hectic the day was in Costa Rica. I can't believe we are only on day two, but I know the best has yet to come!

See you guys soon,

Daisha