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4.16.2013
Live an Adventurous Life...Costa Rican-Style
Pura Vida. Talk about words to live by... now THAT is some life motto goodness I can get behind!
I just got back from Costa Rica and feelin' good! After a long period of nonstop work-yourself-to-exhaustion, I decided to take my own advice and book a last minute trip for some sweet yoga and healing, Costa Rican-style. An extravagant gift to myself? Heck yea!
Ah Costa Rica... land of coffee, cacao, banana, rainforest & biodiversity, Gallo Pinto and of course, the widely used colloquialism pura vida.
I just got back from Costa Rica and feelin' good! After a long period of nonstop work-yourself-to-exhaustion, I decided to take my own advice and book a last minute trip for some sweet yoga and healing, Costa Rican-style. An extravagant gift to myself? Heck yea!
Ah Costa Rica... land of coffee, cacao, banana, rainforest & biodiversity, Gallo Pinto and of course, the widely used colloquialism pura vida.
The literal translation of pura vida is "pure life", but it really means so much more. Pura Vida can express sentiments like
"going great", "full of life", or "this is living!" People use it as a
greeting, farewell, an answer to how things are going, and giving
thanks. What I loved most about all of this was that people not only used it... THEY MEANT IT!
Ok, perhaps it was my skeptical city girl mentality that had me suspicious of all things in the "too good to be true" category (I'm working on this...), but it was so darn refreshing to be immersed in a culture that puts LIVING LIFE at the top of the list. I don't know about you, but when I typically hear someone talking about "life" back at home it usually sounds more like "life sux", "life is hard", or "Life..." followed by a long depressing sigh.
Ok, perhaps it was my skeptical city girl mentality that had me suspicious of all things in the "too good to be true" category (I'm working on this...), but it was so darn refreshing to be immersed in a culture that puts LIVING LIFE at the top of the list. I don't know about you, but when I typically hear someone talking about "life" back at home it usually sounds more like "life sux", "life is hard", or "Life..." followed by a long depressing sigh.
Enough I say!
Life is for... living, and living well. Life's about celebrating our blessings, enjoying the experience, riding the waves and setting out on our unique adventures. And remembering to be grateful, too. I went to Costa Rica for some good 'ole sun worshiping and R&R - what I didn't expect was to get schooled on how to really live. Here are some lessons learned:
1. Nature is our greatest guru.
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| Sloths at the fantastic Jaguar Animal Rescue Center - they love to cuddle! |
I know I don't need to convince you on how insanely awesome and beautiful nature is, and how important it is to respect and replenish what we source from her. But exploring the jungle and visiting animal sanctuaries (like the one in the pic above) really reminded me that we are nature. It's easy to feel out of touch, especially if you live in a "concrete" jungle. But I'm telling you - there is some serious healing juju when you immerse yourself in nature and recognize your part in it.
I'm absolutely convinced that all the answers to any biological & environmental problem or disease can be found in nature. There is so much that is still undiscovered or unstudied, from medicinal herbs (my guide pointed out at least 10 plants for various ailments) to systems that can be biomimicked (like the structure of the awesome jungle tree house I climbed, modeled after the hanging bird nests found in Montezuma - look out for more on that in my next email!). In summary - nature is one of our greatest teachers and we should be doing everything in our power to make sure she is honored and respected!
2. Everyone has a story, and they ALL matter.
You have more in common with complete strangers than you may think. Don't believe me? Strike up a conversation with someone you don't know. 9 times out of 10, you'll not only find that you have the same fears and variations of the same problems, but you'll learn something of value.
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| Hangin' with my new friend Sara from France. We had some great adventures! |
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| Felipe, my jungle guide - he walked it..BAREFOOT :-o |
From a practical standpoint, I found that people were so incredibly genuine and willing to help me when I engaged them in an authentic and positive way. Guaranteed, I would have missed out on some of the best experiences in my trip if I had not been that way at the onset. So next time you find yourself closing off to the world, hit the reset button and start a convo with a stranger.
3. Having no plan is sometimes the best plan
In my book, rigidity = disappointment. Someone told me that Costa Rica is the land of Murphy's Law - if something can go wrong, it will. This includes getting your bus stopped by police for an hour to then be caught in the rain in the pitch dark night, with a phone that doesn't work and lost directions... shit happens. But really rad things happen too! It's KEY to stay fluid, flexible, accepting of changes and fluctuations. Don't be a fuddy-duddy and pout when things don't go as planned. Instead, use that as an opportunity to create an unexpected adventure. Did I let my above experience ruin my night (after an entire day of traveling) - hell nah! I was in Costa Rica!! Everything worked out and it added color to my experience :)
I also made sure not to have any set-in-stone plans because I wanted to be open to new things and ride that wave. Life's more fun with a lil' bit of mystery, no? ;)
In my book, rigidity = disappointment. Someone told me that Costa Rica is the land of Murphy's Law - if something can go wrong, it will. This includes getting your bus stopped by police for an hour to then be caught in the rain in the pitch dark night, with a phone that doesn't work and lost directions... shit happens. But really rad things happen too! It's KEY to stay fluid, flexible, accepting of changes and fluctuations. Don't be a fuddy-duddy and pout when things don't go as planned. Instead, use that as an opportunity to create an unexpected adventure. Did I let my above experience ruin my night (after an entire day of traveling) - hell nah! I was in Costa Rica!! Everything worked out and it added color to my experience :)
I also made sure not to have any set-in-stone plans because I wanted to be open to new things and ride that wave. Life's more fun with a lil' bit of mystery, no? ;)
There are too many more lessons I learned to list here ('cause I know you didn't sign up to read a novel), so I'll save those for another time. But I'd love to hear some lessons you've learned from past trips, adventures, experiences - please share them in the comments below!
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