Costa Rica–Guest Blog

Like a Child

 Wednesday, September 3, 2014

My first few days in Costa Rica have been incredible, overwhelming, humbling, and wonderful all at once! So much has happened already, I feel like I’ve been here a month, but it’s only been about a week! Classes have just started, but I’ve learned so much already just from experiencing this different life. I guess the best way to describe what I’m feeling is to say I feel like a child, both in a good way and a bad way.
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I feel like a child when I can’t successfully communicate what I need, want, or feel because I am not yet comfortable with the language. I feel like a child when I use the wrong word in Spanish and cause a lot of confusion (I mixed up the words for ‘before’ and ‘after’ and it took about 10 minutes to clear up what I was trying to say!). I feel like a child when my language and grammar is corrected in almost every sentence I say. I feel like a child because I still have to be escorted everywhere because I’m still trying to learn my way around. I feel like a child when I don’t know how to count the correct amount of change to give the bus driver and everyone stares at me because I have no idea what I’m doing or where I’m going. I am sure as a child it was overwhelming when so much of life is brand new to you and others have to help you with everything, and I feel the exact same way.
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​ But I also think feeling like a child can be a good thing. I am seeing this world with a whole new child-like wonder! Every time I go outside I see the gorgeous mountains that surround the city of San José or the vibrant, different plants outside, and I just marvel in the beauty of this new and gorgeous world I’m in.

Sporting a little Valpo pride with the beautiful mountain backdrop at Guayabo, Costa Rica

The gorgeous view from the backyard of my host family! Loving the vibrant and beautiful plants!

Also, like a child, I am an information sponge right now! I ask a ton of questions everyday, and I am learning at an extremely rapid rate, just like children do in the early years of their lives.  I feel like I ask the question “What is this called?” about 50 times a day, but I am learning so much just by asking! I feel like a child when I see and taste new fruits and vegetables and foods that I’ve never seen or heard of before. For example, this is a fruit called a mamón chino that we saw at a street vendor in downtown San José. It looked so weird on the outside – red with these long spikes on it. I thought to myself “There’s no way that’s edible food”. But when he opened it up and I saw the fleshy inside of the fruit, I was so surprised! And by the way, it was delicious and very sweet. And this has happened many times already!

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In this new and crazy adventure, I need to have the faith of a child as well. Faith that others will help me get to the right place. Faith that my host family will take care of me. Faith that I will get more comfortable with the language and that things will get easier. I need the faith that God will get me through each day and that He will keep me safe. The faith of a child is completely trusting, and I need that kind of faith at this point in the journey.

​ I think appreciating the little things in life like a child does is an important part of the “Pura Vida” or pure life/good life that the Costa Ricans live. I hope I continue to keep my eyes wide open like a child and learn and appreciate all the little things that this new life has to offer.  

Guest Blog Post written by Jeneal Hunt. See original blog post here.