Pura Vida: How Costa Rica Changed My Life
Aug 18, 2025
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Three years ago, my sister and I decided to take a trip to Costa Rica. We knew it would be amazing—a chance to explore, relax, and check another destination off our bucket list. We researched for months and did all the things you’d expect: saw sloths, hiked to waterfalls, explored the hanging bridges, and sat on beaches that looked like they were pulled straight from a postcard. (Scroll down for photos!)
But what I didn’t expect was how much this trip would change my life.
From the moment we landed, I noticed something different about the people. There was this ease about them, a happiness that didn’t seem forced or fake. Everywhere we went, people greeted us with a smile and those two magical words: Pura Vida. At first, I thought it was just a catchy phrase. But the more I heard it, the more I realized what it truly meant.
Life in Costa Rica moves at a slower pace. People aren’t rushing from one errand to the next, buried under to-do lists or juggling shopping bags from the latest sale. Instead, they greet you with a smile, ask how your day is going, and genuinely seem to care about your answer. Pura Vida doesn’t just mean “pure life.” It’s a mindset. A reminder that joy can be found in the simplest of things.
Traveling with my sister made the whole experience even more meaningful. We loved walking to town visiting the family-owned shops, bakeries, and restaurants. We took a coffee tour and chocolate tour that blew our minds. We ate simple, traditional meals of rice, beans, and fresh fruit—and yet, it was some of the best food I’d ever had. It reminded us of our grandma's Cuban dishes, and memories flooded our hearts. We'd watch families gather outside their homes in the evenings, laughing and talking with neighbors, kids running around barefoot, everyone just… present.
In Costa Rica, couldn’t help but think: This is happiness. This is enough.
It hit me how different it felt back home, in the U.S. where it often feels like happiness is something we try to buy. A bigger house, a nicer car, the latest phone, or just “more stuff” in general. Closets full of clothes, garages packed with stuff, yet somehow, it never feels like enough. But in Costa Rica, we met people who had so much joy with very little possessions. They didn’t seem to need all the extras. Their contentment didn’t seem tied to material possessions at all. Their happiness came from connection, community, and simply living in the moment.
By the end of the trip, I was ready to get home and purge all our "stuff". 😂 I knew I didn’t want to go back and live the exact same way as before—it was time to reprioritize my time and energy to focus more on my family and less on material things. I needed to carry the Pura Vida mindset with me, share it with my husband, and teach it to our kids. It was time for us to slow down. To be more intentional. To appreciate what we already have instead of always chasing after more.
I've since returned to Costa Rica in 2024 with my husband and friends, and I can't wait to take our kids there in the near future. Heck, we may even retire there! But for now, whenever I start to get caught up in the clutter and rush of daily life, I think back to that very first trip. I think back to those evenings sitting with my sister, soaking in the simple beauty around us, and I remind myself:
Happiness doesn’t come from things. Happiness is right here. We just need to slow down enough to see it.
