Costa Rican Hospitality (Kayla)

Julia, Pancho, Kayla, and Aubry

Meet our friend, Julia. Before our family came to Costa Rica, we were strangers to her, but that changed very quickly. Julia is the step-mom to one of my family's good friends, so he set it up for us to stay with her for our first two weeks here in Costa Rica. Julia lives in San Jose with her father, who is 94 years old, and has two sisters that live close by. Julia has gone above and beyond to make our experience wonderful. She cooks us breakfast, lunch, and dinner, provides us with rooms in her home, and looks after us like we're her own children. She has a heart of gold, and only ever wants the best for us.

Another important thing to know about Julia is that she only speaks Spanish. This was challenging and a bit awkward at first, as we didn't know quite what to say other than "gracias." However, we took this as an opportunity to challenge ourselves in learning more Spanish as we wait for my new sisters come to stay with us. There are times when it would be easier to talk to Julia only about the necessities, but as our family pools together different Spanish words to make a complete conversation, we have gotten to know her very well and have even shared a few laughs. I count it as a huge blessing to know Julia and Pancho. 

Breakfast: Pancakes, sausage, and peaches.

Lunch: Beef steak, beans, rice, and salad.

Dinner: Alfredo pasta and biscuits.