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What a week! I had hoped to get this update out yesterday, but we ended up driving several hours back to San Jose, Costa Rica (the capital city) to spend the night with friends. We all drove a couple more hours to the beach yesterday, so Becca, the teenage girl staying with us for a few weeks, could see the coast!
Last weekend, we moved from the apartment we had rented for a week in San Jose to a village up in the mountains. There, we are taking Spanish classes, helping out with some ministry, and interacting with the locals.
Even though we enjoyed our first week in our new town, it definitely came with its challenges.
There are 4 stages of culture shock–the honeymoon stage, where everything seems wonderful; the frustration stage, where it’s difficult to sleep, exhaustion sets in, and there is increased worry; the adjustment stage, where you begin to get used to the language, culture, and environment; and the acceptance stage, where the new place becomes home.
Since I lived here in Costa Rica for a year in my early 20s, I didn’t expect to experience culture shock at all. Boy, was I wrong!
I didn’t take several thing into account: As one of my best friends pointed out, my perception of Costa Rica as a single 22-year-old were quite different from that of a 34-year-old mom of three (whose children are now here with her!).
That said, I have not experienced any frustration with the language (I placed in the most advanced level class, so it’s all coming back to me!) or culture but with my environment. The home where we are staying is 75-years-old, and there are some comforts from the city that I hadn’t realized I would miss out in el campo (countryside).
On our very first night there, it rained so hard that it pushed a community of ants into the house. The ants were HUGE, and there were hundreds of them all over the floor. The girls put on their rain boots, and we all went to stomping and sweeping them back outside.
There are many cracks in the windows and doors, which easily allow mosquitoes to get in the house.
I was attacked by mosquitoes in my bed the first several nights. I have read that mosquitoes prefer the type O blood type up to 85% more than others, and it seems to be true for our family. Thankfully, the girls and my husband have been mostly unaffected by the mosquitoes, but Becca and I–who both have type O blood–have gotten eaten alive. At one point I counted 40 bites on my arms and legs.
The bright side is that this has forced me to seek out any and every natural mosquito repellent, and I hope to write a post about my findings sometime within the next few weeks!
The girls have definitely entered stage 2 of culture shock this week as well. They have cried at some point every day. More than just the new environment and missing home, they have been frustrated with their lack of understanding. While we are in our Spanish class, they are in their own Spanish class. They have spent many days asking not to go.
We helped out with a Vacation Bible School at the church this week, but after the first night it was obvious that the younger two wouldn’t be able to attend the next two nights. We tried night 2 with our firstborn, but none of them went back for the 3rd night.
The girls also miss having a bathtub. It is imperative that we bathe them every single day because it’s so hot and humid where we are, but they cry and scream through their showers.
Perhaps my most uncomfortable moment was when we decided to stop and look at some crocodiles last night. They live in their natural habitat in a river we had to cross to get back to San Jose. So we decided to walk out on the bridge and look over into the river.
But the bridge was narrow with just a tiny landing on the side where people can stand and not be standing in the road. As huge, 18-wheeler barreled by and shook the bridge in their wake, I grasped hard to the bridge’s railing with one hand and squeezed my little girl’s arm tightly with the other. I told Becca I thought I was going to have a panic attack and that we needed to get off that bridge as soon as possible!
All of this has helped build in us more empathy and understanding for missionary families (it was so different when we were both single here!), and it’s also helped us to understand a bit more how immigrant families feel in the U.S. Just as we feel uncomfortable here, it takes time for them to adjust to our country, language, and culture as well.
I don’t write these things to complain, but to give you a little bigger glimpse into reality. It’s easy to sit on the other side of the computer screen and lament that someone else is getting to enjoy a “lavish vacation,” when, really, there are many discomforts that come with this trip. But we chose them, and part of the point of bringing our family here was that we wanted to get out of our comfort zones.
Now…enough about our trip! Here are the reads I loved + more from this past week:
Reads I Loved This Week
The Economics of Tidying Up @ The Atlantic
That Thing Others Are Shaming You For? Do It Anyway. @ Money Saving Mom
The Day That Love Won @ Scissortail Silk
Why My Kids Don’t Drink Juice Every Day {and What They Drink Instead} @ Keeper of the Home
Enjoying Each Season of Motherhood @ Intentionally Simple
Put Yourself on the Clock @ Modern Mrs. Darcy
What’s on my Nightstand
Nothing! Since we are currently in Spanish class, the only thing “on my nightstand” is my Spanish workbook!
What I’m Cooking
My 7-year-old, the teenager girl who is with us for a few weeks, and I took a Costa Rican cooking class this week! We learned how to make empanadas, and they were oh.so.yummy!
Posts This Week
5 Lessons I Learned at an Operation Christmas Child Distribution
How to Set Screen Time Boundaries With Your Children
Should You Make Your Children Wear Deodorant?
Three Things That Prevent People from Traveling {and how to overcome them}
Most Popular Pins this Week
Favorite Instagram Post this Week
I have more than one this week! You can see them throughout this post! Below is a collage my husband made of the first day of class and the first day of VBS at the church.
Reminder
We still have a giveaway live for a $500 gift card or supply of probiotics! See details at the end of this post.
If you want to keep up with the reads that give me pause all week long, follow my Reads and Recipes board on Pinterest. If you want to follow along with my personal life, you can follow me on Instagram. Subscribe to our newsletter to not miss a post!
Lisa @ This Pilgrim Life
I will be praying for you and your family more this week Erin as you continue to adjust. I know it must be hard seeing your girls struggle and uncomfortable with the bugs. I admit I got nervous reading about your crocodile experience. So glad no one fell in!
Our summer is going well…I just can’t believe it’s almost half over!
Erin
Thank you so much, Lisa! I can’t believe the summer is over halfway over either! It goes so fast!!
Nicole @ YesterdaysValuesToday
I never knew that about mosquitos but it makes sooo much sense! Those suckers (literally) always manage to attack even through long sleeves and pant-covered legs. Although the species down there seem to be doing a real number on you…eeks…sending you vibes of relief! “I’m not going to scratch, I’m not going to scratch!” Looking forward to reading about your natural repellents and more details of your trip! Hopefully the adjustment phase is near for you all 🙂
Blessings Erin (& family + friend),
Nicole