While living in Costa Rica for the past month there have been large differences in the way people live here compared to the States. For instance, many people here do not have cars rather they take motorbikes or four-wheelers because they are easy to fix, cheaper, and can get up the mountainous roads much better. The traffic here is crazy where everyone drives around haphazardly and typically does not follow basic traffic rules. This includes stopping for pedestrians, stopping at stop signs, passing on double yellows, passing on blind corners, cutting you off, staying in the middle of the road and not moving, and more. I do not think I would be able to learn how to drive here as it can be very stressful. Another typical thing here is the lack of hot water, many of the families do not have hot water and take cold showers. I am not used to cold showers at all and I am not sure that I will ever get used to them even after being here. Most people here also walk everywhere, something I am used to in Charleston however the difference is the elevation and climbing hills to get to where you need. To walk .8 miles in Charleston would take no more than 10 minutes, whereas in Costa Rica it would take about 45 because of the steep hills you have to walk up. You also have to be careful of the cars driving past you because they will drive impossibly close, they do not care if they hit you or how close they get.

For every meal, it is very typical to have gallo pinto which is rice and beans. I have had it for breakfast lunch and dinner for the past week. I am not sure how the locals here are able to eat it so often as I typically get sick of eating something only twice in one week. Gallo pinto is really good, but for me, it is too much. There is also casado which also has rice, beans, a salad, and some type of meat. The star of every dish is rice and beans rather than it being the side it is the main course. I am used to the meals back home having the protein as the main focus of the dish and the sides, ie. rice, and beans have less importance.

While traveling here some of the group members and I have taken public transportation, something I have never done before. In the buses, there is no air conditioning only windows for ventilation. It can be very hot and sticky on the buses as well as very limited leg room and your seat sit straight up, all in all very uncomfortable. The ubers in San Jose are incredibly cheap here, I have not spent more than 10 dollars for a ride and that includes the tip. Our professor was telling us how the taxi companies do not like uber since it is technically illegal and they will throw rocks at the cars. Traveling by car or bus in costa rica takes 3 times longer than it does in the states and has taught me how to be very patient during the process.