Back in Time

             Nostalgia is the first word that comes to me when I think about Sunday Mornings in Costa Rica. Every Sunday morning, I used have the tradition to go to market with my mother and buy fresh fruits and vegetables. I lived in Costa Rica for fourteen years, and having that tradition while I was living there, made me a happy person. Even thought I am not a morning person, very early on Sunday morning around 6:00 am is when I used to wake up and get ready to go. Living in the U.S and not having the market tradition with my mother makes me want to go back in time.
            Most of my life I have been attached to my mother; therefore, we used to have a great time while we were shopping in the market. It was a unique experience that always will be with me no matter where I go. I remember how my mother taught me how to choose the perfect vegetable or fruit. It needs to be a touched properly and smell fresh. When it comes to choosing the right potatoes, it is about deep color, and scraping the skin to see the juiciness of the product. While we were walking and buying in the big market, we used to talk about our life, sing random songs, and laugh. I would never thought the importance of going to the market with my mother would be such a deep feeling that I would want to catch it back. All my nostalgic feelings come to me when I think about the time with my mother, which is the most beautiful time that I remember with her.

            In addition to spending time with my mother , the atmosphere combined with the workers made the market more enjoyable. The Mercado or in English term “Fresh Market”, is a big path with the best quality of vegetables and fruits that people cannot find in a regular market. It’s all about freshness and family time. In Chicago, for example going to pick some fresh vegetables or fruits is like a whole fancy farm trip far way from where I live. In Costa Rica, it is in every neighborhood and the price is much cheaper than Chicago. People are very kind and warm here but, the farms is too big that you don't have the experience to interact with anyone . Therefore, it is impossible to feel the warm and family atmosphere is the big farms in the U.S. It is like buying an expensive product without feeling and not having any good time with the workers. The workers are the sparks in the place. They know how to talk to the customer, how to give a good deal, and make people feel good while the customer is buying their products.
             The last feeling that I miss is the delicious lunch at home after tiring hours of shopping at market. The long lunch, always reminds me of my childhood. While I was washing the fresh vegetables and cutting them, my mother called my little brother to helps us out with the lunch. Simultaneously, my dad is setting the table with some fresh fruit and putting on loud Latin music. The taste of cooked vegetables, with our favorite spicy meat is indescribable taste for my little brother and me. My family and I always ended up having a long lunch between and hour and an hour and a half that in the U. S it’s kind of impossible to do. In Chicago, the time factor is really important. My family has something to do. For example, my dad has more work at home and my mother is studying double with my brother because of the language barrier. Therefore, the eating time is shortened not only on Sundays but also during the whole week. In addition, the quality of food is definitely not the same, and the feeling of cooking food together has changed since we arrived the Chicago.
            My family and I are trying to keep with our custom of eating lunch together, but it’s hard to maintain all the traditions. I wish that I could have that market morning’s time with my mother, a good atmosphere combined with warm talk with the workers, and finally eat an amazing long lunch with my family. This December is going to be three years that I have been living in the U.S, and I am still having some problems adapting. I love this city, but I do miss Costa Rica and the tradition that I used to have. There will always be the emotional part of me that will belong only to Costa Rica.