After landing in the airport in Costa Rica, I was immediately bombarded with souvenir shirts and trinkets with the phrase, “Pura Vida.” I thought this was going to be another cliché phrase that tourist traps use to push sales. After learning its translation, “Pure Life,” and spending two weeks connecting with locals, I concluded that Pura Vida truly captures the heart of Costa Rican culture: connectivity and a grounded way of living.
One prime example of Costa Rica’s value of connectivity was the weekly soccer tournaments in Gandoca. Every Sunday, people from Gandoca and nearby towns gather to play, cheer, share food, play music, and catch up with neighbors. People from all age ranges compete – from elementary school age students up to their parents. The locals embraced us on their teams, even those of us with no soccer experience, offering tips so we could contribute to our teams. This tradition portrays Gandoca’s emphasis on building a strong family and neighborly culture. Throughout the trip, I noticed this theme of social connectivity prevails as I didn’t see people spending a lot of time on their phones or TV, but rather talking outside their houses and waving as we passed by.
The Pura Vida values of connectivity and groundedness often fly under the radar in the United States, and I hope to carry them with me and apply them in my everyday life.
Costa Ricans also value connection with their environment and culture, which we saw firsthand during our service at the sustainable cacao farm run by La Casa Toucan in Gandoca. On the surface, our volunteering saved the local families about a day’s worth of manual labor. But on a deeper level, our work represents Gandoca’s commitment to sustainability, as the cacao industry provides an alternative to the banana plantations that heavily rely on preservatives. It also keeps their cultural heritage alive, as cocoa was once so central to Gandoca’s history that it was used as currency. Working alongside community members through each step of the chocolate-making process taught me the deeper meaning behind what might otherwise seem like simple manual work.
In addition to community and cultural connection, the “Pura Vida” mindset represents the positive, easygoing outlook Costa Ricans have on life. Whenever we faced an inconvenience, somebody would say “Pura Vida” reminding me how fortunate I am and how small my problems really are. Whenever we worked with the children at the local schools, we ran on “Pura Vida Time,” starting and ending when the time felt right. This attitude of staying positive and living with less urgency made my time in Costa Rica feel more relaxing than back home in the United States, even though we stayed very busy. The Pura Vida values of connectivity and groundedness often fly under the radar in the United States, and I hope to carry them with me and apply them in my everyday life.