Pura Vida

Row 7, window seat on the 8:00 am flight out of Rogue Valley “International” Airport. Excited for another adventure together, my wife and I settle in for a long day of travel, expecting to arrive at our destination in about 15 hours. We absolutely love traveling together. Discovering new beautiful places, learning about culture and history, and don’t even get me started on the food! Oh, the food. Fish tacos and paella, fresh sashimi straight from the ocean, a warm croissant and espresso, pan dulce, champagne, cheese, and pan chocolat. Oh my goodness, it’s a good thing we walk so much when we travel or we would have some serious problems! But with all the beauty and culture, food, experiences, and photo ops, our hearts are searching for something more. We are intentional and focused on connecting with the people we meet along the way. We want to make a human connection with someone, to hear their story and truly see them as beautiful and unique humans. To me, to us, this is how we start to embrace the joie de vivre (joy of living) in France, the Pura Vida (Pure life) in Costa Rica, or the Vida buena (Good life). These phrases definitely embody a broader perspective of how you live day to day, slowing down, enjoying what you have and where you are, and I think this all starts with human connection. We are made to be in community.

What do we do then, when the vacation is over and we return to the daily routine of work and kids and bills and life? I’ve struggled with this for years, to the extent that my wife nearly refused to go on another vacation with me because I would return home feeling depressed and anxious about falling back into the same ruts of life I was so desperate to escape. We experience something new and different and then drop right back into the same old. I’m learning (slowly, but surely) that the lessons of life that we get to discover when we travel aren’t meant to stay abroad, but they come home with us. The art of hospitality that we experience in a small, Provence village shapes our home and helps us love our neighbors at home better. The relaxed pace of sitting to enjoy conversation over a fine glass of Bordeaux reminds me to slow down the frantic pace of American living and breathe in the joy of life with family and friends. I want to do better. I want my wife to always feel like she is more important than my career, my hobbies, or my phone. I want my kids to know they are adored and valued for who they are. I want my grandkids to know that Mimi and Papa cherish our time with them and feel so blessed to be able to love them like we do. I want friends to feel cared for, neighbors to feel appreciated, and strangers to feel welcomed. Again, I’m learning and definitely have not achieved any of this like I want to, but that’s all part of our human experience. We learn, we grow, we un-learn, we fall, we ask forgiveness and get back up, and we keep going.

I hope today in your life, you know you are loved. I hope you have people in your life that encourage you to grab the joie de vivre. I hope you are experiencing Pura vida as you find your way through this complex and sometimes messy life. The good news is that even if we don’t feel like anyone is giving that to us, we can give it to others. We can love our neighbor. We can encourage the checker at the grocery store. We can tip the barista generously and tell them how much they are appreciated. Smile more, enjoy the day, embrace life, and let’s learn the art of Pura vida in our daily lives.