Coming from Kansas, where the houses are all tan or gray with big grassy yards, and there are no mountains, my Costa Rican neighborhood is a welcomed change.
In my house, I live with my host mom, Eli, and her 20-year-old grandson, Andony. Eli is a funny and energetic woman, and she treats me just like a granddaughter. She loves when I sit and watch TV with her, and I always tell her about my day. She also loves teaching me Costa Rican phrases. When we go places together, she picks fruit from the trees and shows me herbal plants growing in the neighborhood. One time, when I had a really bad sunburn, she went outside and picked an Aloe Vera leaf and made me a homemade sunburn cream in the blender!
It can also be a challenge adjusting to another culture. Since it rains all the time, my host mom asks that I unplug my phone charger from the wall, so it doesn’t get fried by lightning and break. And if I forget to do it—well, she lets me know! I never had to worry about unplugging my charger in the U.S. It is also very humid here, so if I put damp clothes in my hamper, they’ll start to grow mold. When I come home from traveling she expects that I give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Little things that can seem strange or annoying to me are a reminder that people live differently from the way I grew up. I now can appreciate things about the U.S. and Costa Rican way of life, and love them both!
Living with a host family in Costa Rica has been one of the best things about my time here. I learned about their traditional dishes, fruits and vegetables because my host mom cooks Costa Rican food for me. I also get to practice Spanish all the time, since they don’t speak English. I’m now a part of their family, and I will always feel a little bit Costa Rican.
