The Pura Vida Experiment

Playa Jaco, Costa Rica

Pura Vida. That means pure life.  You can say it as a greeting, hello or goodbye.  It's printed on T-shirts and notebooks and coffee cups, carved into wood and formed out of clay.  Pura Vida.  This is the way, in Costa Rica. 

Time for a proper life update!  To (very quickly) sum up the six months, I got engaged to my best friend on New Year's Eve, and married him on June 5th, 2021.  I could write so much about that whole journey, and I probably will.  But I'm going to fast-track a little and talk about our honeymoon, which was three weeks in Costa Rica.  Speaking as someone who always hated going to new places, hated being out of my comfort zone, and had never been out of my home country, this was a wild experience.  

My husband, Jared, had been to Costa Rica four years before; he stayed for three months on a mission trip, and he has always longed to go back.  Again...I could write so much about that, and I probably will at some point. But for now, it will suffice to say that he felt at home there, that he belonged. He felt the call to go back at some point. So it had always been a dream, to go back there and see the place that changed his life.  A few months before we got married, Jared's sister and brother-in-law told us that they wanted to give us a certain amount of money so that we could go somewhere special for our honeymoon.  

Obviously, we chose Costa Rica, thinking that it might be our only opportunity to ever go. 

Jared's first trip to Costa Rica, 2017

I was so nervous for this big trip.  I had just gotten married, making a huge life change and moving out for the first time.  I didn't speak Spanish, I didn't know anything about where I was going, other than that it was a tourist spot. Excitement and fear mingled in anticipation. 

Here's what I wrote after our first week in Manuel Antonio: 

"This first week was definitely out of my comfort zone, as I learned to navigate through through the culture shock of a very different world.  Manuel Antonio is very much a tourist landmark, so most of the locals we encountered spoke at least some English.  However, learned to communicate through the language barrier has been an uphill climb, as well as understanding the Costa Rican currency. 

Despite the occasional personal discomfort, it's been an amazing adventure. Seeing all the animals and landmarks, meeting the people, and tasting the food has been so enjoyable.  More so, is watching Jared reunite with the beloved land of his heart.  He is so happy here.  This time of rest together has been sweeter than we imagined.  Personally, I've had several moments of quiet reflection, during which my spirit was strengthened and refreshed by the Holy Spirit.  We were praying for weeks for such opportunities, and I'm so thankful for that prayer to have been answered."

Manuel Antonio National Park

Over the next few weeks, I want to write more about this time in Costa Rica, especially about the discomfort that I experienced.  There was so much beauty, life, color, and joy there; I saw monkeys and sloths hanging in the trees like squirrels.  The ocean was more remarkable than anything I've seen in Florida, the sunsets were always vibrant, and the people were so warm and friendly.  Yet I struggled, and some days, I felt nothing like myself.  I learned a lot, even some things that I am just now realizing. 

I want to write these things down, as part of an experiment. The experiment is on living in the present as much as possible.  Living that Pura Vida life.  Join me; let's see where this goes!

-Tessa

    

El Miro, Jaco