Experiencias en Costa Rica - Mi Familia Tica
En mi familia tica, estaban mi mamá tica Fabiola, su hijo Luca, y un pero se llama Kalvin. La casa está en la misma comunidad de los otros estudiantes con ARCOS, por eso era muy fácil visitar a mis amigos en sus casas. Mi mamá tica quería Maddy (mi compañero de cuarto para el viaje) y yo usamos la palabra ‘hermana’ en lugar de mamá porque ella era joven! Es muy divertida.
La casa era pequeña, pero suficiente para dos personas. Era sola piso, pero el patio cerca de la cocina se usaba para muchas cosas - comer, lavar las ropas, relajarse, jugar con él pero, y crecer las plantas. El clima es ideal para la naturaleza. La primera mañana, comí mi desayuno en el patio y la temperatura era perfecta con la luz natural. Las cosas en la casa (los muebles, electrónicos etc.) eran mínimo, y mi mamá tica explicó que la cultura no es materialista.
My host family and I spoke a lot about the similarities and differences between where I live in California, life at school in Ohio, and her experience in Costa Rica. Generally speaking, her mindset and daily perspective consisted of a fraction of the stress, expectations, and/or pressures of the hustle and bustle back in the United States. This was reflected in her one known English phrase being “don’t worry - be happy”, repeating it to Maddy and I each time we would come home from a long day of class feeling tired or overwhelmed by homework or culture shock. Doors were opened immediately in the morning to let fresh air and noise of nature into the house, making waking up each day much more natural as sunlight hit our eyes before that of lightbulbs. Our mama tica often listened to music and sang as she cooked, did laundry, or cleaned, making household chores feel less mundane. Lights were kept off during the day, and water was rarely over 30 degrees Celsius in order to conserve energy and natural resources. The overall appreciation for the natural world that existed in the community was reflected in household habits, and having the privilege of experiencing their hospitality to observe it was a gift that in my eyes set this trip apart from any vacation I have ever been on.
