Pura Vida

I went on a news fast in Costa Rica. My brother-in-law and his wife get the San Jose paper, the Tico Times, electronically, so there was no paper copy lying around at breakfast. My phone didn't get the news and I refrained from picking up TIME or The Week when sunbathing on the beach. Abstinence suited me well - so well that I approached Rob about retiring in Costa Rica.

A small country the size of West Virginia, Costa Rica has many things going for it. They gave up their army after a painful civil war and spent the money on universal education. They also have universal healthcare and a thriving middle class, as well as consistently good weather and a positive attitude summed up in two words, "pura vida."

The main drawback to daily life in Costa Rica appeared to be the lack of infrastructure. The roads are narrow, not well maintained, lacking in signals and relevant guidelines, clogged with every fenderbender (which are required to wait for police), and laced with bicycles and motor bikes. Every American we encountered complained about the roads and broached theories about why the Costa Rican people and government failed to build a highway system. "But they could attract so many more people! Companies would flock here! A superhighway would cut hours off the trip to the beach!"

Hmmm. Unlimited progress has decided drawbacks, which the Costa Rican people seem to recognize. In a land where energy comes from 90% renewables and the flora and fauna are protected, the population grasps that a superhighway to the coast would come at a cost. That reduced air quality and big hotels and deforestation would follow. Bigger isn't always better, more is sometimes less.

Less news, fewer people, more limonadas for me, thank you. Now that I'm back home, I appreciate the roads but I'm struggling to open that newspaper every day, struggling to see the horizon for office parks and big box stores, and reminded again why vacation felt so good.