Aero: Alysa Halsey – Costa Rica 2016 – Life at Home

Creative Commons Image via The LEAF Project

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Before leaving for the trip, I honestly didn’t think too much about what it would be like to live with a host family; I had enough to worry about. Nevertheless, the sooner it got to meeting them at the airport, the more real it became, and the more worry I felt. Despite my sudden worries, my family was absolutely amazing and I can say that I fell in love with the entire family. Not just because of the way they treated me, but because of how they treated each other. Family life in Costa Rica is much different than most families in the United States, especially from where I live. Families in Costa Rica are very close knit, supportive, and show their love through physical touch. This was very refreshing to see, considering that most families I know barely hug each other.

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Alysa Halsey

Another big difference I noticed was the daily routine in the household. The other students and I would wake up in the morning, and ask the brothers what their plans were for the day, and most of the time, their answers were “I don’t know.” This wasn’t because they didn’t have things they could be doing or because they were lazy, it was simply because they don’t have strict and set schedules like we do in the United States. Tico’s and tica’s are very relaxed when it comes to daily routines and prefer to go with the flow rather than trying to swim upstream and make life more stressful and difficult. But without doubt, every morning the parents were up early watering the plants, making breakfast, and spending quality time together. It was plain to see how in love they were, and that love radiated onto their children.

Living with Maria Marta and her family was a life changing experience. It is truly remarkable how little time it takes to care for people you recently met. The two brothers, Danielle and Marco, are two of the most kind and thoughtful people I have met in my life, and it only took me two weeks to figure that out. I don’t think I could have had a better experience with my host family and I can’t wait to see them again.

Alysa Halsey
LEAF Contributor
ML@FLCC: Costa Rica 2016

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