Pura Vida!

We were greeted in the tropical paradise of the Guanacaste province warmly, by the people and the weather. We arrived at the tail end of the rainy season. Which, worked out perfectly. The temperature is lower and the midday rain makes it even more comfortable. Not to mention the view of the storms coming over the mountains. It is quite a bit more humid in the rainy season, but if you’re in the shade or at the beach, it’s quite tolerable. And it’s quite a bit better than the cold rain and bare trees we came home to.

Immediately we noticed the spirit of the place. It’s not called the happiest place on earth for no reason. While there may be poor areas, the people have a good quality of life and are just as happy and friendly as anyone else. It’s very relaxing to be surrounded by an attitude of appreciating all the good around you, and making the best of everything else. For all the transplants, ex-pats and snowbirds, they all love it there because it’s a life you don’t need a vacation from. You have all the modern conveniences that you’re used to, but not a lot of the stress you’re used to. Everything is just a little bit slower there. When you take a golf cart to the grocery store, and the traffic piled up behind just goes around smiling and waving, you realize you’re not dealing with American road rage. The people from San Jose park their Range Rover next to the old Hyundai Galloper at the local soda (cafe) and have lunch. The philosophy there runs a lot deeper than just having a relaxed attitude. There seems to be an absence of pretension, and an abundance of “Pura Vida”, pure life.

Our friends Tim and Randall of Tourist Information Flamingo and Keller Williams Costa Rica Beach Properties, both love Costa Rica for the pura vida lifestyle. They both worked for years in the corporate rat race. They had a great life-nice houses, nice cars, etc. However, burnout from their jobs, and a vacation to Costa Rica made them realize what they were missing and what they really wanted out of life. A simpler life, somewhere beautiful, where they can really live, rather than maintain their living. That’s not to say that it’s been a complete walk in the park, but they’re happy. The slower paced life there makes you take the time to enjoy a day. There’s something about the place that actually helps you sleep better. You get up early and enjoy a slow morning with your coffee (which is awesome), and by the time you get a shower and get ready for your day it’s barely 8:00 am. From there you take a few minutes walk or golf cart ride to work or the store or The Shack for breakfast. After that, take a stroll down to a flawless beautiful white sand beach for an afternoon’s body surfing. It’s really hard to explain the feeling there (as if the great night’s sleep, coffee and beach weren’t enough). There’s just a different feeling there than what we’re used to in the states. Life is just different. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily easier, but it’s nicer somehow. Even for these guys, who are still working, building businesses, they’re not just on permanent vacation. They miss their friends, but they don’t miss the life and the stress and the jobs and the bills and the cold weather etc etc.

What we got out of being there is an affirmation of our beliefs in living life. I think everyone should do what’s right for them, but getting caught up in the fast paced world, just working to pay the bills and exist isn’t for us. Living simply and having the freedom to really have a full experience in life is real living. I want to experience life as completely as I possibly can, and I’m thankful to have someone who wants to do it with me. The people of Costa Rica and the ones who have moved there, seem to have their own version living a full life. For them it seems to be living within their means, working hard for their families and truly enjoying each day with the people around them. For us, we want a life of location independence. Traveling, living part time in Costa Rica, whatever we end up doing, we want to soak up as much of life as we can.

PURA VIDA!!