Turns out I'm not the worst person in the world

Karen is my savior. My guilt was clouding my judgment and I didn't realize that maybe other ticos hate the same things about their culture as I do (and they do) and I am perfectly capable of both loving and hating my culture. Of course I've probably known that deep-down all along, but my feelings get clouded when I'm being consistently harassed and it's always nice to get confirmation from someone else who has different opinions and experiences. People sucking the life out of me aren't targeting me as a female non-tica, but rather are indiscriminate of whom they choose to latch on to, since it is a common occurrence here...but I'm not so sure that's a good thing.

The boy who told me my experiences here were out of the ordinary was either absolutely wrong or has been blessed with a very different life than most people in the city. Either way, I feel much more positive (I've been a super sneak around the house and have avoided negative interactions)and less guilty. Long live the 'good' parts of any culture around the world, I hope those parts that promote humanity and healthy lifestyles are able to spread and grow :)