Growing up, we didn’t have a whole lot of money, so vacations to the beach didn’t happen each year. Instead, we visited family in a few states over and rented a cabin to stay an extra week or so. It truly was a great replacement, but for that reason, I never saw the United States. Just a few states here and there that we passed through. The first opportunity I had to truly travel was my sophomore year to Costa Rica. I jumped at it. I mentally prepared months before, but I never knew what to expect.
Whenever you enter a new city, town, or country, you are entering a new culture different from your own. Sometimes there is nothing similar, but you must accept that with an open mind.
When I first arrived in Costa Rica, the atmosphere was a lot more freeing and open. It was absolutely beautiful. The homes were nothing like I had ever seen in my Midwestern part of the America. It’s hard to get a grasp for a culture by simply driving through it; you need to live life how they do to understand the culture.
I remember the first time I craved Coke when I was there, and I received it in a plastic baggie. Coke in a baggie. It was the most unique experience, because not only do we have fast food on nearly every corner where I live, but we also have Coke vending machines for anyone who would like to settle with that. There was another time whenever I was so excited because we were going to have ice cream. I thought it would be so cool because I didn’t know if there’d be any different flavors, but when I got it, it was also in a baggy. These are pretty basic but taking a step back, most Americans would be disgusted at that and pass on it. In this case, it was a treat to some of the people. I’m sure there are some places to have ice cream and Coke in a different way, more practical, I suppose, but for the most part, this is how it was.
In each and every culture you visit, no matter where it is at, there is always something to soak up and learn. Experiences form who we are as people, and in my simple example, I gained gratefulness, as well as losing a sense of pride. How often does someone give us a drink at a restaurant and we give it back and say,”this tastes funny,” or we only take a sip. There is always something to gain and lose in a new culture.
A year or so later, I went to Medellin, Colombia, a city I encourage anyone to visit if you get the chance. Most people are aware of Colombia’s reputation, but put that aside; this country has my heart. As soon as we left the airport, there seemed to always be a song that was playing in the air. It normally had a similar beat, but it was unique and peaceful-simple yet fun. Everyone came to life at night, and that can be dangerous, but it also showed a lot about the culture and people. You saw them raw as they were, which was perfect.
Driving into that culture, you are forced to be more open, and it’s a contagious characteristic that sticks with you. Everyone is so different, but that’s okay. It made me think "why don’t you give it a try?" There was one night in particular where I had dinner with a local family. They were so welcoming in their home, and after dinner, we played with the kids and learned some Colombian dance.
Afterward, we went on a walk in the city to a park and local gas station sort of place. We didn’t really know each other before that night, but we were family. Whenever you enter a new culture, yours doesn’t matter anymore. For the time you’re there, you lose it. Yes, it sticks with you, but rather than holding onto your old one, why not forget it all and completely embrace your new one?
In every situation that impacts your life, you gain the new characteristic and lose what it replaced. If you truly embrace a new culture, months and months after you return to yours, the one you visited will truly stick with you because you lost a part of yourself in the process. When you allow a culture to truly impact you, what you gain should have so much of an impact that you lose some of yourself, making parts of the new culture never leave you.
