Pura Vida
Every Country has a slogan or catch phrase. New Zealand uses “100% pure”, Belize uses “mother natures best kept secret”, Aruba uses “one happy Island”: Costa Rica’s slogan is “Pura Vida” which translates to pure life. Im unsure how the slogan came about.What I do know is since I have been living here I have heard the term Pura Vida used interchangeably.
There are times I find myself asking a question and someones response will be Pura vida and I think to myself “what the heck does that mean” I often find myself decoding the meaning of Pura vida. So in this blog entry I am going to try to show you the many uses of pura vida to help eliminate any confusion you may have upon your visit to Costa Rica
Pura Vida used by the tourism board of Costa Rica
The Costa Rica board of tourism uses Pura Vida to describe the untouched wildlife,pristine beaches and beautiful landscapes that is found throughout Costa Rica.Once you have visited Costa Rica the slogan makes perfect sense. You will see the slogan plastered on billboards, t-shirts,bumper stickers,shots glasses and key chains throughout the country. You to will be tempted to by some souvenirs once you experience the pura vida vibe.
Pura Vida as a response to hello how are you.
In Costa Rica when you interact with others you will often say hello,how are you. The common response that you will get from a Costa Rican is Pura Vida. It doesn’t really explain how the person is doing or feels but I guess its a form of “hello” and “it’s all good” in one catch phrases.
Pura vida when things just don’t work out:
When you drop a wine glass, break a plate,miss an appointment or forgot something the common response is “Pura vida” In this context it means oh well, things happen, its all good.
Pura vida when you get an injury:
In the evening over dinner you will often hear surfers reminiscing about the waves they got that day and their experience in the water. If a surfer had a epic wipe out,snapped their board or or got smacked in the face by their board, after they tell their story you will hear them say “ pura vida bro”. Meaning its all good,its happens but its not going to stop them from surfing
Pura vida as a lifestyle:
Pura vida isn’t just a slogan its a lifestyle. You hear a lot of people say enjoy the pura vida vibe. I have even mentioned it before in an old blog post. But what the heck is the pura vida vibe? In a nutshell its a carefree laid back attitude and the desire to enjoy lifes small precious moments such as gazing at the sunset, watching the stars on clear night or enjoying lunch for endless hours with a neighbor for no apparent reason. Many Costa Ricans have mastered patience and often try not to stress about things out of our control.It’s a beautiful thing. Its very hard to explain, one must visit Costa Rica to truly embrace and experience it.
