VUE

Captivated in Costa Rica VUE explores the Central American gem with Marriott's Pacific Coast portfolio. BY MICHAEL SCIVOLI A few years ago, during a day trip to the Delaware Water Gap, I noticed a burden being lifted off my back. It wasn't the Osprey that I undoubtedly overpacked, it was all the burdens I'd been carrying with me that year. A man noticed my jovial grin and nodded with a smile of his own. "It feels so good," I told him. "Green space and good people," he replied. When considering places I might go for more of this life elixir I asked myself, "Where's the happiest, greenest place I can find?" (One that's free of egregious overplaying of Black Eyed Peas songs and tiki torches.) And so, I set my sights on one of the most biologically dense places in the Western Hemisphere—Costa Rica, which also happens to be one of the most stress-free places on the planet, mostly because its residents don't fret over things the way we do. If you've been to Costa Rica, you're probably familiar with the term, "¡Pura Vida!" meaning: Pure Life. Locals use this phrase to say everything from hello to goodbye and for them, it means being grateful—not focusing on negative circumstances life throws at you. At first it may seem like a clichéd, tropical greeting but soon you'll find—and only after you've spent some time there—that it's more than just a catchphrase. It's an attitude. It's a mood. It's philosophy for living one's life. VUE ON TRAVEL V U E N J . C O M 111

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