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I was born in San Jose, to former President of Costa Rica, Daniel Oduber Quirós, which made my upbringing somewhat “special”. I grew up in an ample house in Bello Horizonte de Escazú, which used to be near coffee plantations, and is now prime real estate. I spent many hours climbing trees, picking fruit, and helping my mother prepare her projects. My mother was strict with me in all respects: getting good grades, setting the table and eating properly, learning how to play the piano, etc. I had an independent streak that would pop up at times, however, and I didn't always follow along with her plans. But my mom also participated in the fun parts of childhood. For Halloween, which was purely a North American custom, she would allow children into our front yard and hand out apples to them, which was a delicacy at the time.
My father travelled regularly and my brother and I always looked forward to his arrival to see what delights he would bring back. From Europe he would usually bring salmon, cheese, clothes and chocolate, which were some of our requests. Every Thursday he would drive out to his farm in Guanacaste, and when he came back on Sundays, he would take me for a long drive, often to friends' farms, greeting every single person he saw along the way. During the evening we would snuggle up and watch a movie, the news, or his favourite show at the time, Mc Gyver. This was extra special because his room was the only one in the house with cable t.v..
I decided to study international relations and then acquired a master's degree in Diplomacy from the University of Costa Rica at the Manuel María de Peralta Institute. Now I am a career diplomat. Some interesting experiences in my career have been: my participation in the climate change negotiations, the negotiation and signing of a memorandum of understanding in order to establish a sister parks program between national parks of Costa Rica and the United States, my participation in the Costa Rican Atomic Energy Commission, and in the Hague, being a Consul General, playing a part in bilateral relations between the Netherlands and Costa Rica and participating in international organizations.
My husband Roy has been a fundamental piece in my personal development, and ever since he sold his business, in addition to managing our family's real estate and two terrible lawsuits we have been confronted with, he has dedicated himself fully to our three wonderful children: Emma, Olivia and Daniel.
