Mia Falbo, Plus3 Costa Rica Summer 2024
After spending two weeks in Costa Rica, I feel like I have already become part of a new community. I had the opportunity to stay with a host family during this trip, and I think that has really made an impact on my experience there. My host mother, Zeneida, is very kind and patient, even though I do not know much Spanish and cannot communicate with her very well. Being at my house in Costa Rica makes me feel like I am at my grandmother’s house, which is comforting given that everything else in the country is so foreign to me. In addition, living in Heredia has been like living at Pitt. Since we are in a town not far from the city, San Jose, the sound of cars and motorcycles driving by is quite common. There are some small parks, as well, but the area is quite urban.
The school that I have been going to lectures at, Universidad Latino Americano, is very similar to the University of Pittsburgh. However, there is no air conditioning in the building, which can be almost unbearable at times. There have been several other differences between Pittsburgh and Costa Rica that I have already noticed. Primarily, the use of malls is much more popular here than in the United States. Additionally, Costa Ricans are very relaxed, especially when it comes to being on time to appointments. In fact, it is quite common for people to be 5-10 minutes late.
My typical day here consists of waking up around 7:00, eating breakfast with Zeneida, touring a local company and hearing from one of their managers, and returning to my house to eat dinner with Zeneida. At night, I spend time getting to see the rest of Heredia with the other students. While in the United States I spend my evenings with friends, the rest of my day here is very different than my usual schedule. At home, I usually wake up much later, and most days I do not eat any breakfast. It has been interesting to have three formal meals per day, as I usually do not eat in this fashion. Furthermore, at Pitt I can walk to all my classes during the day, but for the company tours here I am on a bus ride that may take up to an hour.
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