On the plane to Costa Rica, I was both very nervous and very excited. I would be spending four whole months living thousands of miles away from home. As we flew through the clouds, I thought a lot about how different my life would become once I stepped foot outside of the plane. Mostly, I thought about if it would be difficult to adjust to life in a foreign place where I did not know a single person. There was a lot to worry about, but I decided to keep an open mind and take it one day at a time.
During my first few weeks, I definitely took note of a lot of things that were unfamiliar to life as I knew it in the U.S. For one, I noticed that the flow of traffic is very chaotic. Some cars and trucks drive fast, and motorcyclists often weave in and out of traffic. As far as food, Ticos eat a LOT of beans and rice. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will most likely be served with a hearty portion of either of the two. There were also a lot of oddly specific things that I didn’t realize would make an impact on my daily life. For example, I have to throw toilet paper away in the trash can instead of flushing it. This is because the plumbing system isn’t strong enough to move extra materials through the pipes.
