TICO TALES

A Conversation with a Venezuelan Migrant

Struggles of Desperate Venezuelan Migrants in Costa Rica

Adelia Ritchie, PhD
Iberospherical
Published in
5 min readSep 3, 2024

--

This is a watercolor sketch of a border wall running from horizon to horizon across a cactus- and tumbleweed-filled sandy desert.
Welcome to the United States! Watercolor sketch by Author.

I’ve written stories about my encounters with Ticos, who are always uplifting, and full of smiles and good humor. If I ever feel down or need a lift, I go to town and buy something, walk the streets, hit an ATM, or stop at a soda (a small, family-owned place offering the real taste of the country’s food) for a quick and inexpensive meal… and gather a few of those fabulous Tico grins.

Today, walking from the parking lot to the grocery store entrance, I was greeted by a smiling man leaning against the building near the shopping carts. As I passed by, he shot me a big, handsome smile for no particular reason. I usually find folks here to be ready to give smiles and pleasant greetings at all times.

Today was a little different.

I needed a few things inside, and on my way back to the car with a small sack of food, I found the man was still there. He laughed when I tried to shake the wind-blown hair out of my eyes, with both hands burdened with grocery bags, keys, and a purse. I rolled my eyes and smiled back, still walking.

But when I started to pass him by, his face changed. His eyes were sad and he seemed embarrassed to…

--

--

Adelia Ritchie, PhD
Iberospherical

Author of "The Accidental Expat: A Costa Rican Adventure", science lover, contributing editor at SalishMagazine.org, expat, seeking the interesting and unusual