I harbored a love of food long before I experienced Costa Rican dining, but the flavors and combinations of food typical to this country are unlike anything I have experienced before. And I am in love all over again! Each morning I wake up to a beautiful bowl of fresh papaya, mango, cantaloupe and banana. Then my mama tica cooks me guillo pinto (a typical Costa Rican dish of rice and beans) with an egg and steaming café con leche (coffee with milk, pleasantly sweet). My mornings always start out perfect. Each evening my mama tica presents us with a whole meal of soup, salad, carne (usually chicken or pork chops), plantains (friend sweet or salty), potatoes and fresh fruit juice! After eating all of these foods for two weeks straight, I think I could eat them every day for the rest of my life and never be left wanting anything else. I am very excited to learn to cook some of my favorite dishes, so that I can bring them back home to share!