Erin's Whimsy: Pura Vida

Well I am honing in on the end of week 2 here in Costa Rica. Some things about life here I have become very comfortable with. For example, always being outside is a blast for me. Myself and a few other students have started running, working out generally, playing soccer (that's mostly them though), and slack lining.

I love slack lining a ton. This is me in the backyard of school walking across the rope.

This is another picture, Grant is the other student who loves slack lining with me.

Another outdoor activity that we are currently doing is a beach trip. Costa Rica has some amazing beaches, here are some pictures from this weekend. Also, be warned that I have no idea what beach or what coast I am at.

The water is warm and the waves are big and the life is good over at the beach. Our biggest concern was where to eat lunch and it turned out to be a pretty easy and fun problem to solve.

Costa Ricans say something a lot, "Pura Vida." It's kinda like the slogan of their country. It translates to something similar to, "pure life." It's an interesting phrase because it really means more than that. I think it is a mentality. The kind that makes me go slack lining before and after breakfast and wakes me up to read and teaches me to be in the here and now. To always love recklessly and with out inhibition. Pura Vida-- go to the beach and get pummeled by waves and eat nachos at a restaurant with no walls and smile for the thousands of pictures. Pura Vida-- make choices that are healthy for you and praise God for that health and smile a lot.

I am finding I like living Pura Vida. It's freeing. It's not perfect and I'm not perfect and it is most defenity not a do whatever you want pass. But, it is the way of life in Costa Rica and I like it.

Bible classes start in two weeks once Spanish classes end. I am looking forward to that but will miss my Spanish teacher, Don Arturo. He is a sweet man and I am pretty sure is trying to set up us girls in his class with his three boys. It's fun and we laugh a lot. Once Bible classes start my experience may turn from Pura Vida to Puerta Estudia, but hopefully I will still be out kicking the guys butts at slack lining and beating everyone at ping pong. And if not, well, Pura Vida.