Costa Rica has always been a home to me. It is my mother’s home country, where most of her family lives.
My first time going to CR was at six months old. My mother still tells me about how I got terrible diaper rash. I guess that didn’t stop me from loving it there!
I have been fortunate enough to travel to Costa Rica throughout my childhood and teenage years. At sixteen, I decided I was serious about learning Spanish to communicate with my family. It was also my Tía Maria’s wish for me, and she always gave me Spanish children’s books growing up. She passed away after a tough battle with breast cancer, but I know she is proud of me. My cousins and I are able to spend time together when I visit and actually communicate; we’ve gone to the beach with their children and recalled the times when I was a kid and could barely speak Spanish. Now, we laugh about it in disbelief that we couldn’t even have a conversation. But I’m getting ahead of myself a bit.
At sixteen, I spent a month of my summer in Costa Rica. The first two weeks, I was with my brother, Derek, at my Tia’s. This was the first time I didn’t have my mom to translate for me, and Derek spoke about the same (little) amount of Spanish as me. Although rusty, I took advantage of what I had learned in three years of school and from hearing my mom speak it my whole life. Derek and I took a Spanish class during the week and spent time with our family at the beach, our abuela’s house, or checking out spots in Quepós on the weekends. Two weeks later, my mother joined us to visit family and explore the country. Once I returned, I was talking to my brother’s padrino, who couldn’t believe how much my Spanish conversation and pronunciation had improved. (This is my obligatory statement to say: travel/study abroad if you want to learn another language; immersion is the best way to learn!)
Ultimately, I am very grateful my mother took the time to show me Costa Rica, because it is the reason I feel the connection I do with the country and my culture. It is why every article this Latinx Heritage month has been a ~cultura~ related article and why my bandera is hung on my wall. It is where I spent two months this past summer; one studying medical Spanish in San José and the other spending time with my family & friends. That experience will get it’s own article, but I will say that it was certainly a summer I will never forget: I learned medical Spanish, made amazing friendships, and connected with my culture on a deeper level.
I am proud to be Tica & I love my Costa Rican family and friends dearly. Learning Spanish and connecting with my culture & identity has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Y como siempre digo, gracias a Diós y a mi mamá por hacerme Tica!