Embracing Pura Vida (Jenny)

Buenos Tardes from San Jose, Costa Rica! We’ve had a remarkable time exploring the capital city, with the help of our guide, Alejandro. Taking walking tours has become our favorite way to get to know a new place, and today was no exception! Alejandro is a 24 year-old artist, pastry chef, and all-around great person. It was wonderful getting to know him (he spent 3 months interning in London, and loved exploring London so much that when he returned home, he wanted to explore his own city with the same enthusiasm) and learning about Costa Rican culture, architecture, and cuisine. By the end of the tour, I felt like we had made a life-long friend, and I had a deeper appreciation for this vibrant city and its friendly people. More importantly, I experienced firsthand “Pura Vida”, which is the Costa Rican attitude of taking time to enjoy life and its experiences. For example, we spent a long time (I don’t know how long, because I never looked at a clock), learning about one cup of coffee. But there was such an artistic process to how it was made, and we thoroughly enjoyed talking with the barista about coffee in Costa Rica. And it was the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had! It was so good that I drank it black! Another example of Pura vida, is that our tour was only supposed to last 2 hours, but we were having so much fun with Alejandro (and I’d like to think that he had fun with us), that we spent 3 hours together! There was just such a pure joy in our whole experience with everyone we met. I think it’s because we were focused on the moment, not worried about time, or how much else there was to do, or what needed to be done. We were experiencing the present. I wish life could always be paced like this; I think everyone would be happier and healthier, too! Pictures below are of the art and architecture of the city, the parks, and the Central Market. As a funny bonus to the day, we were interviewed for a commercial for the Central Market. I guess we were exuding that Pura Vida!