Costa Rica is drenched in nature’s most alluring treasures.  Sweeping mountains collide with tropical rainforests, and the ocean embraces the cliffs where I spent most of my time while visiting.  Although I did travel throughout several areas of this beautiful country, it was a little town in the northwest specifically, called Tamarindo, that captivated me.

A tiny, cream-colored villa was my home away from home during my time spent here.  The ocean’s waves knocked on the door to my room at high tide, and we never had to be reminded to watch the sunset, as her fiery reds, oranges, and pinks could capture the attention of even the sharpest and most focused from anything they were doing.  The honeycombed walls allowed the crisp and salty ocean air to sweep through and fill my lungs with every breath.  If there was a heaven, I was certain this was it.

There’s a saying in Costa Rica, “Pura Vida,” meaning pure life.  So, naturally, during my time spent traveling through Costa, I decided to focus on finding it.

When I first arrived, I traveled for about a month to four different areas: La Fortuna, Jaco, Playa Hermosa, and Tamarindo.  Experiencing an intense attachment while visiting Tamarindo, I extended my stay and spent the remainder of my trip there.

Every morning we awoke when the golden sun rose from over the mountains.  The howler monkeys that controlled the towering trees provided an unnerving alarm clock for all inhabitants of Tamarindo if you were not already awake.  We made coffee that was harvested two villages away.  Our traditional breakfast of eggs, beans, and rice came from a local farmer.  By 6:30 in the morning, we all went surfing right in front of the house if the waves were decent.  It was in the rhythms of the water where personalities really came out.  The ocean seemed to strip the insecurities and falsities from everyone.  It was our return to innocence.

Lunch was delicious, crispy, flavorful fish caught that morning.  We picked mangos from the trees in the yard and the local kids would break open the coconuts they brought from their end of the village.  We readily drank the refreshing, rich coconut milk as it dripped from our lips.  Meal preparation was all about teamwork. One of us would clean the sand from the house, two of us would handle the actual cooking, and then all of us would discuss music, love, nature, and, more importantly, our life experiences and how we ended up here together.  Occasionally, we would spend the afternoon mountain biking or hiking.  I had my own adventures every day — adventures that would open my mind, my soul, my senses, and my heart.

Apparently, what I thought was so important back in the States really has no bearing on the pure happiness of one’s self.  I wasn’t worrying about which outfit to wear, what time I had to be here or there, who I needed to call or text back, or what was going on all over social media.  Here, there was no television, no phones, no internet, and no one cared what you were wearing (it was almost always a bikini anyway). You walked, biked, swam (paddled), or took a bus to get to where you wanted to go.

Shut-eye would come with the delicate melody of the waves and the warm breeze filtering through my room.  I would thank God for the opportunity to experience such unspoiled beauty day in and day out.  I encountered animals and plants I never knew existed, crossed language and cultural boundaries, and was thriving in every way.  At times, I would have to remind myself that I wasn’t dreaming, that this was all real, very real.

So, finally, I know what pura vida means to me.  It is feeling like your soul just took a shower for the first time.  It’s every unnatural need or want cleansed from your body.  I still felt all emotions, but now, with a renewed sense of life.  I felt humbled and enriched at the same time and smiled to myself, wondering if the people nearby could feel the warmth I felt throughout my body.  I was more aware of myself than ever before in my 20 something years.  My vision of pure life was just that, pure and untainted beauty provided by the hands of time and Mother Nature.  Instead of finding joy in something material, I found peace in the natural, peace with myself.  It doesn’t get much purer than that.