In 2021 my best friend called me and said, “Hey, I had a trip planned to Costa Rica with some friends, but they all flaked. Will you go with me?”
A month later I was on a plane. We took different flights which actually worked out. I sat next to two guys who happened to know the person who basically hard carried me through chemistry in college. During the flight we exchanged stories and decided we would get together if we ended up in the same place at the same time. We parted ways at the airport and my friend and I headed into the city. Fortunately, it wasn’t my first rodeo so we were able to avoid the tourist tax inherent within the transportation systems of many countries.
Once at our hotel, we went and stretched our legs, grabbed a meal, and picked up a six pack for the night. We settled in early and got some sleep for what ended up being an unforgettable week. First, we did museum tours. Many people don’t know this, but Costa Rica got its name from the belief that their would be lots of gold to be found there. Turns out, it was all mostly jade. I learned this in the jade museum in San Jose! You can tour it from your own home using this link (no affiliation):
After a tour of the museum and a quick stroll around the university campus, where I had spent most of my time previously, we headed out to another city closer to the coffee plantations. The next day, we walked the coffee plantations and had the whole process from seed to roast explained to us. They had tasting spots for every type of roast and, at the end, they gave free lessons for how to properly taste coffee. Sommelier but for coffee beans? Sign me up!
While I was taking time off for this trip, my buddy was working “from home”, so I had some time to myself. One of these days I went to the park and read. After some time, a beggar came by and tried to get some money out of me. I guess I still looked like an easy target, but fortunately a local chased him off. Then, he spent the next three hours talking to me about his home and his family (this happens to me a lot, I do not think it is a common experience, though) and he invited my friend and I over for dinner, but we couldn’t make it.
These experiences were amazing, but then something extraordinary happened. We stumbled into a bar own by someone who previously played for the Costa Rica national soccer team. That became our home base for the last few days we were in the country. The dude is amazing, his story is incredible, and we had a lot in common. Unfortunately, this was during COVID so every establishment was required to close by 9:30pm. Pretty early night, right? Unless…
Just before we are going to leave, we are closing down his bar. Then, he introduces us to some of his friends and we spend a few hours drinking and laughing with them. All too quickly, 9:30 rolls around and we are slowly making our way toward the door when they stop us.
Want to come to an after party with us? they ask.
Why yes, strangers who I met today, friends of the man who I met a couple days ago, we would love to do that! And we did.
Now, I can’t tell you who these friends ended up being, the political consequences they would face aren’t worth it. However, what I will tell you, is this was a beautiful home and we sat around the table for 4 more hours, laughing and drinking and, fortunately, I have pictures to remember it all. Here’s the catch, though…
None of these people, except those on the plane and my friend, spoke a word of English. Every single conversation, every single tour, every single person we spent an extended period of time with was a monolingual native Spanish speaker. That is to say, if I were to speak English only, this entire trip would have been completely different. Yes, I could escape and speak to my friend when necessary, but he was more relying on me to translate, at least at first.
Spanish has provided me with experiences like this more than once and, again, that is why I am so passionate about pushing bilingualism to the masses. An abstract advantage is abstract until it’s not. However, in order to experience those advantages, it is crucial that you be prepared. An old sales adage I’ve always loved goes, luck is preparation + opportunity. If you are not prepared for the opportunities when they come, they may pass you by. Bilingualism is just one way to be hyper prepared for any eventuality. Start now.
-BtO