Question of the day:“How can I make the most out of my day?”

Quote of the day: The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but respect and joy in each other’s life. –Richard Bach.

Today we took a deep dive into the daily lives of Costa Ricans (Ticos). We were divided into 4 groups and each were taken on different journeys throughout the city. Some were taken to local markets, hikes, and other families’ homes. While spending time with locals, glimpsers were able to learn more about their eating customs, entertainment, daily routines, and understood the sense of unity and educate ourselves about Ticos and their lives.

In Evelyn’s Group, they were able to explore their creative side. They had the opportunity to bake cupcakes, make bracelets, and listen to saxophone sounds. Our highlight of the day, was being able to see how comfortable the family was with self-expression and communication.

In Yanori and Emilio’s Group, they began with a 2-hour hike to the waterfall, then joining their families to cook rice with chickpeas, fried plantains, and soup. They found out that Yanori is a teacher at the local school in Aquiares but is on a 2-week winter vacation.

I, Daniel, was in Paula’s Group, where we learned a lot about her family and her hustle. We also learned the different lifestyles of Ticos and Americans. We spoke about gas prices, cost of living, and education systems. We also learned about eating habits of Ticos and how they like to spend as much time together as possible. We were shown printing machines that are used to print merchandise she sells. Following that, we also cooked a meal of chicken rice with chips with homemade juice.

Lastly, I, Iyanna was in Amalia’s Group. We took a trip to the mini mart to grab ingredients for the meal, took a 2-hour hike to the waterfall, and cooked chicken rice with salads and beans.

All the groups enjoyed empanadas at the end of the visit, as well as learned and taught a variety of board and card games too.

We returned home to learn three different styles of dance; salsa, merengue, and bachata. During this time Iyanna and I decided that it would be a good idea to teach them a new style of dance from out own community, that being stepping. We wanted to show them this so that they were exposed to a variety of dance styles and cultures while on this trip. The students were so open and it took them no time to get excited and participate.

Finally, at the nightly meeting we asked everyone how would they answer the question of the day after now spending time with these wonderful families. Many of them said that they made the most out of their day by being open minded, communicating, and loving. They connected the quote of the day by saying that Ticos don’t let blood define family but rather how one treats one another. They saw how welcoming and willing Ticos were when it came to taking us Glimpsers in for a day and being an outlet for them to learn about their culture. Many mentioned that they wanted to continue incorporating unity, hospitality, passion, and love for others into our daily lives when we get back home.