Our oldest daughter turned four just three months after we officially moved to Costa Rica. Now she is turning eight. Her life is split equally between two totally different worlds. While some of the memories of life in the United States have faded away, others are still quite vivid. She remembers fun times with her cousins, weekly trips to the library, fantastic playgrounds, and of course, snow. Our youngest, born in Costa Rica, knows only this world that seems caught back in time a couple of decades. To her, the world naturally consists of two languages, weekly visits with her buddies, big pastures with cows, folks riding around on horses, 4x4 terrain and, of course, rain.
My life as a mother is very different in Costa Rica than it was in the United States. In the US, I was often on the go seeking out stimulation for our growing baby girl. Every day, it seemed, we were up to something; play groups, trips to the library, museums, the aquarium, community pools, hikes in the mountains and strolls through downtown. At two she was even enrolled in a weekly dance class. Living in the rural country side of Costa Rica, life has slowed down. We still have activities that the girls are involved in, but the urgency to leave home and do something is gone. The girls are happy to simply play in their free time.
Raising a family in a different country is a broadening experience. Apart from the differences in how we fill our days, there are also differences in how we live our lives and what we want, utimately, for our kids. Most locals view our choice to homeschool as bizarre, approaching risky. Their kids come over and marvel at the crates and shelves of children's books in our home. There are some customs here that I am happy to have the girls adopt, and others that I quietly explain to them not to pick up. Ultimately, I have found that as long as we may live in Costa Rica, we will never become Costa Ricans. However, we have become more able to adapt to the differences of cultures, a tool our girls will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
4 comments:
Great post, and very helpful to me.
Do you think it is possible for your children, especially the one who was born in Costa Rica, to eventually come to feel that they are Costa Rican? Or will your presence in their life somehow prevent them from totally getting to that point?
Also, I'm curious how much (if any) time you have spent going back to your home country.
And finally, has your older one had any trouble adjusting to life in Costa Rica? I keep worrying my oldest will miss those playgrounds and library visits.
Thanks Trish. I am happy that you liked the post.
Who knows if the girls will grow up to feel Costa Rican. Our oldest is very attatched to this place, but has the ambition to live in many places. Our little one has no idea of the big world up North.
We don't really visit the US.
Our oldest has had no problem in adjusting. The playgrounds are replaced with favorite trees, and the library...you will never get over missing libraries.
One mistake I made was bringing almost every toy she had. I read that their stuff makes the transition easier. Turns out, we missed a great opportunity to weed out. Their security is with their family.
Well put.
Great post!!
We miss the playgrounds and libraries too. I wish there was an ebooks type site for children.
I love your artwork. Thanks for posting it. :)
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