‘Pura Vida’: A Mindset, A Lifestyle

The most important thing I learned in Costa Rica was ‘Pura Vida’. It was more than just an expression or a friendly greeting, it was a mindset and a lifestyle. Every morning, my host family greeted me with a smile and a cheerful ‘Pura Vida’, no matter how hard it was raining and how gloomy it was outside.

  On the second day at my host families’ home, I lost the key to my room. I was absolutely horrified as I did not know any Spanish, and had no idea how to explain this to my host family. I went to the Señora and attempted to explain it to her using French words as I found they were pretty similar, and a whole lot of body language. I guess my message somehow got across to her, as she went to get the jar of spare keys, and together we tried every key until we found the right one. It took a while, and when we finally found the spare key to my room, we laughed together and she warned me not to lose it again, but with a smile on her face. I apologized for losing the key, and she simply said ‘Pura Vida’, and told me to come down for dinner soon. That seemed to be her answer to everything, in such a wonderful way. The constant smile on her face comforted me when I was feeling slightly homesick. However, it wasn’t just the Señora. 

 Señor Sosa, the owner of our host home and one of the Señora’s 8 children, was an incredibly friendly person, although he seemed quiet at first. After we attempted to communicate a couple of times, he sat with us and told us about his wife and his children. He even ate dinner with us on our last night at our host families’ home. I was touched by our host family, especially when they packed us little coconut sweet treats for our day trip to Cahuita National Park. Everything they did for us was thoughtful and gracious. They helped make my Costa Rican experience the amazing adventure that it was, and is. 

 Grace Lee, Group Leader, IPP