Category: Central America

Ready for a Costa Rican Adventure! “Dramatic Volcanos, misty cloud forest, and deep river valleys make Costa Rica an ideal destination for the adventure minded.” Travel and Leisure After 13 months of lockdown we were more than ready to get back to exploring this big and beautiful world of ours. In April my husband booked and planned a trip to Costa Rica as an anniversary surprise, knowing how much I love nature! My heart swells as I think back about breathing in the green; seeing the jewel toned Macaws just flying about, not in a zoo, but in their home; the awe of a looming volcano; the trickle of countless rivers and streams. It is truly a paradise. Traveling with Kids People often remark on how great it is that we bring the kids along on our travels, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Travel is so much more accessible now than when we were younger and it’s such an amazing way to learn, so we definitely want to take them everywhere! I also think it’s so important for us to escape our comfort zones and feel sticky and hot, feel bored, get scared, feel exhilarated, all of it! While they may not remember all the details of the many places we hope to take them, they will remember we had family adventures. And of course, another thing that has changed dramatically since I was young was the amount of photos and videos that will serve as aides to their childhood memories. PURA VIDA I have a theory that every country with a catch phrase has it as a tourism ploy. The term “Pura Vida” though has been present in Costa Rica’s vocabulary for over 50 years and I have a feeling it’s more than a marketing gimmick. It’s English translation means “pure life” or “simple life”, its more then just a phrase- it is a way of life. I’m not very superstitious, but as I’m writing this blog post, my Social Media ADD kicks in and first up on my Instagram feed is an article by the NewYorker: Costa Ricans Live Longer Than Us, What’s The Secret? It reminds me of an observation that we made while there, how strange it was that in the multi-cultural melting pot of Miami, we’d never met someone from Costa Rica. Surely it means that they’re so happy with life at home, that emigration to the US isn’t very high. Sure enough when I googled it on my return to the US, I found via Wikipedia that emigration from Costa Rica to the US has been declining since the 1960’s. Do a quick search for yourself, there’s lots to find about Americans and Europeans flocking to Costa Rica, but not as much vice versa…must be that Pura Vida lifestyle! Oh and the secret to their longevity per the New Yorker article? “But what set Costa Rica apart wasn’t simply the amount it spent on health care. It was how the money was spent: targeting the most readily preventable kinds of death and disability.” Not rocket science, but not something many countries focus on, that age old saying rings true: prevention is better than cure! Their focus is on living that pure, good life, through and through. Want all the deets, hotels, things to do, etc, I’ve broken it up by day (Check out all my blogs on Costa Rica here) Here are the details of day one of our trip, first stop – san jose!