Since the beginning of this trip, one phrase I learned very quickly was “Pura Vida” which directly translates to “pure life” in Spanish. My original understanding of this phrase symbolizes enjoying the beauty and life around you. But in the Costa Rican culture, Pura Vida means so much more than pure life. Natives will use this phrase after anything even if you say hello, good morning, how are you, and you’re welcome! It embodies the positivity and happiness they get from the world around them. Pura vida captures the greatest aspects of life from the natural environment around us to the pure blessing of existing in this beautiful country that I am so grateful to have had an opportunity to explore. Over the course of the last three weeks, we have spent extensive amounts of time in several regions of Costa Rica as we stayed at La Selva Biological Fieldstation, Evergreen Lodge, Lomas del Volcan, and Valle Escondido. We also attended several aspects of ecotourism such as hanging bridges and organic local farms. Each new location varied significantly from one another but they held the same values and respect for the nature around them. This was easy to identify as they try to conserve resources, respect creatures’ habitats, and most importantly want to educate us on the importance of their land.
On June 19th, we attended a coffee tour and our guide correlated this term with the idea of opportunities. Their land was generationally passed down to them and it gave them access to income and new innovations. They transformed their business to focus on education and the importance of their crop. Their family made all decisions based on the heart and mind of the environment. As we left this farm, the kind gentleman said pura vida with the largest smile and I felt the true meaning of this phrase.
Being away in Costa Rica has allowed me to reflect on things in life. I feel like I have learned to appreciate the world around us. Life of all kinds and forms matter and are essential for a balanced ecosystem. I will go through life with a Pura Vida, life is good, attitude and continue to be attentive and appreciative of all life forms around me and continue to explore new possibilities. Understanding the depth behind Pura Vida has allowed me to look at life through a new positive lens and made me realize what I need to change in my day-to-day life in order to preserve and protect the planet.
Waste & Recycling: At La Selva Biological Fieldstation, they stressed the importance of recycling, composting, and watching our waste products. They had several locations throughout their land that had multiple different binds to more specifically separate aluminum, plastic, paper, and other waste. After meals, they had 3 bins: a napkin bin, a compost bin for scraps left over, and a general waste basket. It was not til this moment that I realized how much food goes to waste. It made me wonder how much my family at home wastes and what can I do to help combat this issue. They used composting and I feel like it’s a great, sustainable way to help combat the waste problem as it returns to decompose and will eventually return nutrients back into the soil. This is something that I would like to use in my daily life! Another thing that La Selva wanted us to be mindful of was electricity. In every room and every light switch, there was a sign to turn off lights when not using them. At my own house, I love my lights on and I did not realize how much of an impact our light usage had. I got into a good habit of turning off my lights after me and will try to continue to watch my family’s light usage and overall carbon footprint. Lastly, the concept of toilet paper and watching how much I used really caught me off guard at first. At La Selva, they preportioned your toilet paper for about 2 squares for you. On our way to Torteguro, we had to pay $1 for toilet paper. At a little café, it was hanging on the wall outside of the bathroom stall. Time and time again I was stumped by why each place did this. I came to the realization that they want us to actively think about how much of each resource we use. They want us to be smart and preserve resources if we can to overall help the environment.
Water Consumption: Each location was conscious of the amount of water they used but Palo Verde was the most eye-opening experience. Palo Verde was experiencing a water shortage due to climate change. They did not have the resources for us to do laundry, we tried to limit shower times, and they had to be super aware of how they used the water to prioritize what needs it the most. All sinks were designed to shut off pretty quickly to help preserve water. This hit me super hard as I felt awful they were experiencing this. I didn’t realize how much water I personally used until it was limited and I had to actively think about it. I realized that I should turn off the water when brushing my teeth or washing my face until I really need it. I do not need to take extremely long showers in order to get a nice shower in. I did not realize how many and how many resources I have poorly utilized until moments like this.
As our journey in Costa Rica has come to an end, I want to do better for this world. I want to preserve the valuable resources around us to ensure future generations have access to them and continue to live comfortably. I need to implant these little things into my life and help educate and influence others around me to follow in better footprints. I have begun to see why Costa Ricans love what they do in terms of education and preservation even if it is not the most ideal and takes a lot of change and action. Pura Vida has opened my eyes to see all life and resources as valuable and essential. It is up to us, the future generation, to make a change bigger than ourselves to preserve and cherish natural beauty and resources.
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