Hola familias! Somos Jailene, Sheny, Sam, and Qua’Nae. Today we were the Líders del Día, and the theme was community day. We started off with an amazing breakfast of pancakes and fruit. Next, we met up with four different families at the park and split up into groups.

Jailene: My group went to the home of a young man Emilio and his mother Noy, who is a schoolteacher at the local elementary school. We started off with questions to get to know them and then moved on to playing video games with Emilio. Then, we had a delicious lunch of arroz con pollo, a garganzo bean soup, and sautéed vegetables. Afterwards, we all played Uno together and played with their dog. The highlight of our trip was making our own tortillas with Turrialba cheese and empanadas with plantains and cappuccinos. Overall, we had lots of fun and we all will miss Noy’s delicious food and fun times with her.

Qua’Nae: My group went to Amelia’s home, who was a chef at a local school. She started off by teaching us how to play a game called “Rumy,” which I won, of course. Then we had a pretty traditional Costa Rican lunch, we also made empanadas with Turrialban cheese. Overall, I was happy to learn a new game and undergo an interpersonal Costa Rican experience.

Sheny: My group went to a woman’s house who had a niece who had brought over stuffed animals to make us feel welcomed. Her niece also drew us very cute pictures with the words “te amo” on them as well as dancing to the song ‘Under the Sea.’ Our group made arepas and empanadas then went for a walk around the community with a quick stop at a homemade ice cream place. Overall, we had an amazing time in her home, making food and enjoying the company of the young girl (who is in first grade).

Sam: My group went to a man’s house who had a wife and 2 grandsons. We talked with them about what we wanted to do when we are older, and then made arepas with his wife and grandson. We ate the arepas with coffee then played Jenga and 2 new card games in Spanish.

Our group felt that today was very significant because we got a better look at how life is for some Costa Ricans in the countryside and were able to build a strong bond with people who didn’t previously know us. They let us into their homes warmly. For some of us, there was a language barrier, while others were able to speak Spanish comfortably. Overall, everyone made personal connections with the locals.

Personal Messages:
Sam: Miss you, Mom and Dad.

Sheny: Te extrano mucho dante

Qua’Nae: I miss you family!

Jailene: Miss you Mom, Dad, Jimmy, and siblings. Love you

See all the pictures from today’s adventures here!