I am proud to be a Tico. Proud to live in this beautiful country whose breathtaking natural beauty amazes me every day and after 25 years of living here, still inspires and mesmerizes me on every morning run, hike, or look out my window. Proud to live in a place where the rich and the poor treat each other with dignity and respect. Proud to be able to enjoy the arts, culture, music, and a rich cultural mix of residents and tourists from around the globe. Proud to be able to enjoy the simplicity and beauty of life in the rural areas of Costa Rica, still immune to the stresses, negativity, consumerism, and tension of the modern world. Proud to be able to pick fruit from the trees, purchase vegetables from the farmers who grow them, and seafood from the local fishermen who dedicate their lives to their trade. I am PROUD to live in a country that values its natural resources, wildlife, and rainforests and that has nearly 25% of its national land area in some form of park or protected area. Proud to live in a land where Pura Vida, “pure life,” isn’t just a slogan to sell a tour, but is a way of life for each and every Costa Rican.
I am proud in these times of crisis to live in a country that has established itself as a global leader in the prevention of this Pandemic. Proud to see a nation whose social security system is informing the populace and taking the steps to ensure the slowest and most confined contagion possible. Proud to live in a country that recognizes that the enormous short-term financial losses we must incur pale in comparison to the value of one life, regardless of age or economic status. Proud to live in a country where EVERY DAY for the past 3 weeks, since the Pandemic started, the Minister of Health, President, and other high-ranking government officials broadcast the status of the contagion in the country, the regulations and new steps are being taken, and eliminating rumors or misinformation the moment it surfaces. Proud to live in a country that believes that an informed populace can and will unite and care for itself and its neighbors. Proud to live in a country where local communities who live and die by the tourists who visit, asking... begging for people to stay home and to save that trip for a time when it can be done safely for us all.
Proud to watch the health care workers, police, and community collaborating for our safety. Proud to see food banks forming. Proud to see neighbors caring for neighbors. Proud to be raising my daughters in a place where the common good can and is taking priority over individualism, politics, and fear.
Proud to say THANK YOU, Costa Rica, for making me proud and for instilling hope and faith in a time when the world is desperately seeking both.