Heather: Dear Costa Rica

Dear Costa Rica,

I am so excited for this trip. I look forward to seeing your rich beautiful lands and taking that first breath of air when I get off the plane. I’ve been doing so much reading about you and I can’t wait to see it for my own eyes.

I look forward to meeting Ticos, whom I’ve heard so much about. I want to learn firsthand how friendly and hospitable they are. I want to hear what stories they have to share and listen to their dreams they might seek after.

I am eager to hear the language and discover a new culture because in the back of my mind, I’ll be comparing it to my own. I want to witness how different our two cultures are, yet I will also be searching for the similarities.

I want to explore the mountains and see the spectacular views. I wonder what little treasures and secrets you might hold just waiting to be rediscovered if the Ticos decide to show us something spontaneously.

I love the idea of having so much to learn that I feel content and exhausted when we get back from a long beautiful day. I look forward to sitting in silence on the porch with my host family as I write my thoughts and experiences into my journal. I want to document my memories with photos and journal entries, hoping to take home an experience of a lifetime.

I am excited to learn about the farmers, and going to the farms to taste fruits I’ve never tried before. I can’t wait to see the little children in their schools and see how they react to me being there. How fun will it be trying to communicate with their tiny little minds full of endless imaginations? 

Speaking of school, Earth University is going to be amazing. I have such a rare opportunity to walk the grounds being that it isn’t open for the general public. I am curious to meet new people from all around the world who have come to study agriculture. I wonder how different their world of education is from mine.

The food I think will be the best part. I love trying new foods. Food has a way of bringing people together, even with a language barrier. How many people will be able to say that they had a real authentic home cooked Costa Rican meal?

I was going through my itinerary today. Having a plane ticket just makes everything feel so official. It is literally all I can do to not scream my excitement to every bystander. 

Well Costa Rica, I hope you are ready for someone like me. I hope you are as welcoming and warm as I hoped you to be. I hope that my expectations of how awesome I find you are greatly exceeded. I hope this is the first of many learning experiences with you. And lastly,

I hope that Costa Rica falls in love with me too.

Pura Vida,

Heather