Pura Vida!

Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica - 2019

Pura Vida. It means “pure life”. It is the common phrase here in Costa Rica. “Thanks for the coffee” - “Pura Vida”.... “Como esta?” - “Pura Vida”, “hasta luego!”... “Pura vida!”. I love that. What a beautiful saying to live by. It is stated with a genuine feel and honest expression each time I hear it. Yes, its a pure life. 

The respect and kindness the people have towards each other, nature and life in general, give life and meaning to the words. In the Cloud Forest Lodge, they asked us to not kill the scorpions if we find them in our room but to put a glass over them and call the front desk. On the beach of Manuel Antonio, a hole was cut in a wall so the palm tree could grow the way it needed to. The roads are not the best but the drivers are polite and not in a rush to get everywhere and if you ever want to see happiness in its purest form go find any dog on the side of the road between Monteverde and Jaco. There is a sensibility to the people (and dogs) here where the “finer things keep shining through” to borrow from Steve Winwood. 

Karahe Beach Hotel in Manuel Antonio, Cotsa Rica

It got me thinking. What does it look like to live a pure life? To start, I want to look for what is pure. Maybe it is the energy and approach to the world I see in my girls take and locking on to that. Perhaps it's the freshly cut grass I smell in the park and taking the time to appreciate the sense. Or maybe it's the support I offer someone in need simply because. Moments of love, joy, peace, kindness and goodness are what I want to fill my soul and mind with. The purple bougainvillea sitting outside my window hanging over the edge of the cloud forest as I gaze out past the Monteverde Forest to the pacific ocean delicately hangs with exactly that.

When I look back on my life I want to be able to say, “that was a life worth reliving”. I may have a few regrets here and there but overall. I would not want the life of anyone else. I would want the exact same friends, the same family, the same experiences, the same moments that made it a truly wonderful life.

One of my favorite Christmas movies is It’s a Wonderful Life. I grew up watching it and gained an appreciation for it more over time. What I liked about the movie has changed each year. When I was a kid, I loved the scene with Zuzu’s petals and the famous quote, “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings”.. When I was a teenager I loved the scene between George and Mary as they listened together on the phone and fell in love. As an adult I like the overall message that Frank Capra was trying to express… that life is worth living. Pura Vida. 

If you aren’t familiar with the film, Jimmy Stewart's character actually gets that chance when he encounters the angel Clarence. George Bailey gets to see what life would be like if he didn’t exist. He is disappointed with how life hasn’t gone the way he wanted that he begs the universe to have never been born. His wish is granted and in a Dickensian way his actions summon a spirit to reveal a world where the lack of kindness and love leave suffering and pain. 

This Christmas I want to take the time to see through the veil of the world that I think grinds me down and leave that world behind. I want to see the life I live for all of its beauty. As a father, being the best version of me will allow me to be the best role model for my daughters. I want them to hold on to the childlike wonder and use it to enhance their lives and the lives of others. 

Rules of Pura Vida

Pura vida does not mean a perfect life. It does not mean a life without pain or challenge. It doesn’t mean that I won’t make mistakes and screw up as a friend, parent or partner. I want to get ahead in life and level up but I’m less interested in solely trying to make as much money as possible or be the top in a profession or skill. I don’t want to be famous or powerful but influence and encourage others through positive interactions. I want nice things but I want to limit the actual things that I have. I want to seek out a life that is clean, vibrant, energizing and full of beauty. 

I’ve spent a good deal of time throughout the world and traveled to quite a few countries (seven in the past 13 months). I haven't seen it all but I have also never been inspired the way I have on this Costa Rican Christmas road trip. It has encouraged me to think about how I can live in a way now that I wouldn’t change a thing the second time around. Like the freshest water I want to find the purest drop of life from each moment. 

Pura Vida! 

The road from Monteverde to Jaco