Instead of Shopping...

In the past, when preparing for holiday or extended trip, I have found myself involved in pre-departure shopping.

You probably know what I mean...new clothes, topping up supplies of such things as toothpaste, deodorant, sun block and so on.

Not being an avid shopper, this round of buying has always been a downside of travel for me.

This time round, I am consciously resisting the urge to buy that new underwear or those extra socks that some little voice is telling me that I might need.

I offer three reasons for this change in approach.

One of these reasons is related to me and what I like...and the other two relate to my destination.

Good For The Soul

As a child, I wanted to be a garbageman.

Looking back, I now realize that what appealed to me about being a garbageman was getting rid of things.

In all honesty, I enjoy getting rid of stuff as much as many people enjoy shopping and acquiring new stuff.

So that is one way in which I have been preparing for the trip: packing up tired old winter wear for delivery to Value Village...purging business and personal files...it's all good.

Letting go of stuff is so good for the soul.

Once I get to Costa Rica, whatever I need, I can buy there...without hauling it through a couple of airports.

And besides, with the cost of living estimated to be 80% lower in Costa Rica than in the US, it's likely that the prices in San Jose are much lower than they are here in increasingly expensive Toronto.

Pura Vida

The reasons that relate to my destination are more interesting.

First, the New York Times has recently identified Costa Ricans as the world’s happiest people.

In his blog post about the New York Times report, the Costa Rica Guys says:

“I can attribute this elevated experience of happiness to one cause in particular, a decreased sense of materialism.”

I am comfortable with that explanation: I see a decreased sense of materialism as a good thing.

So good in fact that I recognize that I really do not need that new underwear or those extra socks.

The second reason relates to what many people consider the national motto of Costa Rica: Pura Vida.

Once again according to the Costa Rica Guy,

“Literally translated it [Pura Vida] means:

'Pure Life.' Contextually, it means 'Full of Life,' 'Purified life,' 'This is living!,' or 'Going great!'

In his post...#88..he goes on to explain:

“...By 1970 everyone used the expression on a daily basis because the words conveyed the state of happiness, peace, and tranquility that political stability and freedom bring to Costa Ricans...”

Try as I may, I simply cannot understand how that new underwear or those extra socks can add anything to the sense of happiness, peace, and tranquility that I look forward to experiencing in Costa Rica.

Instead of shopping for more stuff, I gotta get me some of that Pura Vida.