Gringos

Gringos. I have heard a dozen explainations of the term, often not at all flattering. In Costa Rica, the land where everyone gets a title, anyone from up north is a Gringo. It is not at all a slam, but rather a term of endearment, so much so that once here a while we foreigners refer to ourselves and eachother as such.

When we first moved here, I wanted to avoid the Gringo crowd. I wanted to abandon my own Gringa identity, and blend with the"Ticos". Afterall, Gringos are often regarded as loud, culturally overbearing warriors, and moving to the land of "Pura Vida", I was eager to shake this stigma. It was not long, however, before I started meeting this crowd of Gringos. Of course there are the few, the ones who are big and loud and self absorbed. The ones who exploit their adopted community and fellow expatriots. Sadly, there are also those who only come for sex with women just barely old enough to work legally, and worse. However, aside from these weeds, I have found a flowering group of friends who are mostly, Gringos.

I have been inspired by this crowd. Many are here to live with the land, to get back to the farm, and all of the chores that come with it. Others are here to enjoy the climate and views, and to live without worry of running out of money in their golden years. These people enjoy their new communities and give a great effort to learn the language and adjust to the differences which can be quite challenging, and in turn they are welcomed with open arms by their neighbors.

As for myself, I have reconnected with my identity from The United States. I realize that there are some really amazing things about the people and place that I am from. I am also having an exceptional time experiencing a new culture and learning a new language. I am happy that my girls are growing up knowing something different, but I now realize the beauty of where I am from that I hope they have a chance to learn and live it as well. I guess that is the world over, unique differences. The more we can appreciate the better, including what seems totally ordinary.