Have you been living in Costa Rica for only a short time and suddenly find yourself not feeling quite right? You can’t put your finger on exactly what’s wrong. On the surface, everything seems perfect. The sun is shining. Flowers are blooming in vivid tropical colors. You love your new little house with its open windows and tiled floors. You just returned from a relaxing day at the beach and enjoyed fresh tuna for lunch.
You tell yourself, “I could never have all this back in Atlanta—the beautiful weather, the ocean, this slower, more relaxed lifestyle.” And yet, you wake up some mornings feeling disoriented, almost unsure of where you are. You feel unsettled, emotional, maybe even a little sad or anxious for no obvious reason.
Welcome to culture shock.
What Exactly Is Culture Shock?
Culture shock is not an illness, and it does not mean you made a mistake by coming to Costa Rica. It is a natural psychological and emotional response to living in a culture that is different from the one you grew up in. In simple terms, it is a disturbance of the mind and emotions caused by unfamiliar surroundings, customs, language, and expectations.
You have come to a tiny country in Central America with its own distinct culture, history, and way of seeing the world—and now you are living inside it.
You hear a language that feels foreign, even though you studied Spanish in high school. Knowing vocabulary words from a textbook is very different from hearing rapid-fire Costa Rican Spanish spoken with slang, humor, and emotion. The buildings look different. Streets don’t follow a logical grid. You wonder why street names are missing or painted faintly on old buildings.
You start asking yourself questions like:
- Why don’t they paint that century-old house on the corner?
- Why do parents let their children throw candy wrappers in the street?
- Why hasn’t anyone fixed that massive pothole on Second Avenue?
- How does anyone find anything without street signs?
And then a thought sneaks in: “This would never happen back home.”
A Different Way of Seeing the World
But here’s the thing: Costa Rica is not Atlanta, Chicago, or London—and it’s not trying to be.
Maybe the streets don’t need names because people have lived here their entire lives. They know their neighbors. They know where everything is. Directions are given by landmarks instead of addresses: “Turn left at the red house,” or “Two blocks past the old mango tree.”
You sit in the central park and watch people coming and going. They are laughing, talking, smiling. Children run freely, playing games while mothers sit on park benches chatting with friends. Teenagers flirt. Old men debate soccer scores. No one seems to be in a hurry.
You notice something strange: there is no urgency.
No one is rushing. No one is glued to their watch. No one seems stressed about time. In fact, you begin to realize that the park functions almost like a living newspaper. People stroll through, catch up on local news, exchange gossip, and connect face-to-face.
This is profoundly different from the fast-paced, deadline-driven life you left behind. And that difference, even when beautiful, can feel deeply unsettling at first.
When “Pura Vida” Feels Confusing
You came to Costa Rica on a job assignment at Intel. You’re a computer engineer, part of a global operation manufacturing chips shipped all over the world. Your Costa Rican coworkers are friendly, helpful, and genuinely warm.
They talk about their families, their children, soccer games on the weekends. They invite you into their lives instead of keeping work and personal worlds separate. Soon, you’re invited to a gathering at one of their homes.
The invitation says the party starts at 7:00 p.m.
You show up at exactly 7:00—because that’s what you’ve always done.
The house is empty.
This is when you learn about “Tico time.”
In Costa Rica, 7:00 p.m. often means 8:30—or even 9:00. Time here is flexible, relational, and secondary to human connection. Schedules adjust to people, not the other way around.
At first, this can be frustrating. You might think:
- Why didn’t they just say 9:00?
- Why is punctuality not important?
- Why doesn’t anyone seem concerned?
But eventually, you realize something important: people matter more than clocks.
The Emotional Roller Coaster
Culture shock often follows stages. At first, everything feels exciting—the beaches, the food, the adventure. This is the honeymoon phase. Then, slowly, frustration creeps in. Small inconveniences feel enormous. You miss efficiency. You miss familiarity. You miss knowing how things work without having to ask.
You might feel:
- Irritable or impatient
- Lonely even when surrounded by people
- Homesick for things you never thought you’d miss
- Guilty for not feeling happy when “everything is perfect”
This phase can last weeks or months. For many people, it hits hardest around the six-month mark, when the novelty has worn off but full adaptation hasn’t happened yet.
And that’s exactly where you find yourself.
So… What’s the Cure?
The cure for culture shock is not a pill, a plane ticket home, or trying to change Costa Rica to fit your expectations.
The cure is time, patience, and mindset.
1. Give Yourself Time
Adjustment doesn’t happen overnight. Living abroad is one of the most profound learning experiences a person can have, but it unfolds slowly. Each day, you understand a little more. Each week, you feel a little steadier.
2. Let Go of Comparisons
Constantly comparing Costa Rica to your home country will keep you stuck. Instead of asking, “Why don’t they do it like we do?” try asking, “Why do they do it this way?”
Curiosity heals frustration.
3. Accept That You Are a Guest
This is crucial. You are a guest in Costa Rica. The culture does not exist to accommodate you. When you stop trying to change how things are done and instead learn how to live within the system, stress decreases dramatically.
4. Build Community
Friendships take time, but they are the bridge between feeling like an outsider and feeling at home. Accept invitations. Learn names. Show up—even if you’re late by local standards.
5. Learn the Language (Imperfectly)
You don’t need perfect Spanish. What matters is effort. Even broken Spanish opens doors and hearts. People appreciate the attempt.
The Quiet Transformation
One day, without realizing it, something shifts.
You no longer panic when plans change.
You laugh when the bus is late.
You stop checking the clock.
You give directions using landmarks.
You show up to parties an hour late—and feel comfortable doing so.
You realize you know the best route to the beach. You have favorite restaurants. You recognize faces at the grocery store. Costa Rica no longer feels foreign—it feels familiar.
And that strange feeling you couldn’t name in the beginning? It fades.
Embracing “Pura Vida”
Culture shock is not a failure. It is a sign of growth. It means you are stretching beyond what is familiar and learning to see the world through a different lens.
The true cure is learning to embrace the Costa Rican philosophy of “Pura Vida”—pure life. Not as a slogan, but as a way of being. Slower. More present. More human.
So take a deep breath. Be kind to yourself. And remember: adjustment is not about losing who you are—it’s about expanding who you can become.
Welcome to Costa Rica. 🌴