¡Pura vida!

If you have ever looked up anything about Costa Rica or if you have visited Costa Rica before, then you understand the significance of these two little words.

Directly translated, 'pura vida' means 'pure life.' The quote from a blogger below explains it so well, in my opinion:

• “Pura Vida was first explained to me like this”, ‘Only here for a short time, so spread some cheer; and then your gone’.
• Contextually, it means “Full of Life,” “Purified life”, “This is living!”, “Going great!” It is used as a greeting, a farewell, and to express satisfaction.
• Some foreigners view the phrase as an expression of a leisurely lifestyle, of disregard for time and wanton friendliness. However, Costa Ricans use the phrase to express a philosophy of strong community, perseverance, good spirits, enjoying life slowly, celebrating good fortune, whether small or large.
• It embodies a philosophy in which communal ties are strong and close; difficulties are overcome with a resilient and happy spirit, where life is enjoyed leisurely and to the full, and where fortune of whatever size is heartily celebrated.

I think that these points really sum it up. I have only been here for a month, but I can't tell you HOW MANY TIMES I have heard this phrase! When ticos say it, their face and voice light up. And the same thing happens when a foreigner says it - I LOVE saying 'pura vida' because I think that it's a way to summarize everything that I person want to say about enjoying life and seizing the moment.

So maybe you don't understand the meaning of this, or why two little words are so important to the people who live here and visit here. Maybe this newspaper headline from an article can explain it better: "Costa Rica Tops List of 'Happiest' Nations." You can read the article here. Basically, a research group released a report on the world's happiest nations which examined how content people are in their countries, the ecological footprints of these countries, and the life expectancy in these countries. (Be sure to check out the article itself to see a stunning slideshow of photos from the top ten!) Listed below are the ten happiest nations in the world:

1. Costa Rica
2. Dominican Republic
3. Jamaica
4. Guatemala
5. Vietnam
6. Colombia
7. Cuba
8. El Salvador
9. Brazil
10. Honduras

The Latin American countries seem to dominate this list! (By the way, I made a short-term and long-term goals list last week, and I wrote down that I wanted to visit every country in Latin America by the time I was 30. A lofty goal, yes, but if not by the time I'm 30, then DEFINITELY by the time I'm 40!!) You may be interested to know that the US ranked 114th on this list. Hmm....

Reading this articles has really caused me to question what constitutes happiness and 'pura vida,' and I'm sure that this is something I will continue to think about as I stay here longer and see more and more of the culture. So far, what I can gather is that:

• People here are stress and worry-free. The story from my economics class the other day is a prime example (read the post here). Ticos don't need all the answers all the time. They don't have to have every detail figured out for everything. And from trying to live this way, in a way that is less stressful and worrisome, I have found that it really does allow for a more peaceful life!
• Ticos get in no hurry when they eat. A meal is not a time to eat, but to sit down with family or friends and to relax, enjoy each other's company, talk, and get to know each other. They eat slower, which means they probably eat less, and it gives food more time to digest, which is better for your health anyway!
• Ticos just in general are social people and like to have a good time. I strongly believe that relationships are at the heart of a person's happiness. So seeing how they interact with each other, how close groups of friends are, and how close families are show how much these people care for each other and want to enjoy each moment that they have iwth the people who are around them.
• Additionally, 96% of the population here is literate, meaning that 96% of people who live in Costa Rica who are over the age of 15 can read and write.
• Every site I looked at had a different life expectancy for people here, but average seems to be in the late 70s, close to that of the US.

I will be blogging more about pura vida throughout my time here, so check back to see what new things I have discovered!

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Costa_Rica

http://idreamnowtravelblog.com/2008/01/25/the-definition-and-meaning-of-pura-vida-the-beautiful-national-expression-of-costa-rica/

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/countries/country_costarica.html

http://news.aol.com/article/costa-rica-happiest-nation/556510