Never have two small words encapsulated the feeling of a culture as concisely and accurately as Pura Vida does Costa Rica and the super friendly Costa Ricans (Ticos).

"Pura vida" translates to "pure life." It is used as "hello", "goodbye", "thank you", "how are you?", "I'm great", or "no worries." The magic of Pura Vida isn't just how the phrase is used though, it's the relaxed way of life that it captures. It's a philosophy for approaching life with simplicity, gratitude, and positivity. I love it!

I spent a little over three weeks in Costa Rica traveling to four distinct towns and soaking up all the Pura Vida vibes. I was fascinated by how Ticos truly embody Pura Vida and started asking people I met what Pura Vida meant to them.

My first stop was Montezuma based on the recommendation of good friends who had loved it there so much they kept extending their stay. Montezuma is a tiny beach town on the Gulf of Nicoya on the Pacific side of the country. It's full of hippies of all ages, expats of all countries, surfers, honeymooners, and locals. It's wonderfully weird.

My surf teacher, Manuel, explained that conservation and sustainability are also an aspect of Pura Vida because of the symbiotic connection of people to the Earth. I saw this not only in environmental and wildlife protection activities but in the knowledge people had about the water, jungle, birds, and animals.

Next, I went further south along the Pacific coast to Manuel Antonio. The draw to this little hillside town is Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio which contains miles of trails full of flora and fauna with the bonus of pristine, white-sand beaches. Curious white face monkeys and massive iguanas came right up to me on the beach -- much to my surprise!

I went to a yoga class one morning and witnessed the easy-going, laid-back Pura Vida attitude in action. The teacher was there, but the person with the keys to open the studio was fifteen minutes late. There were about ten people standing outside chatting, completely unfazed by the delay. Those yogis would have been rioting and demanding refunds if class started fifteen minutes late in San Francisco!

After being a beach bum for two weeks, I headed to La Fortuna/Arenal to hike around the active Arenal Volcano, swim in the pool of the 75 meter tall La Fortuna Waterfall, cross the hanging bridges suspended nearly 100 meters over the jungle, and marvel at the Tiffany-blue water of the Rio (River) Celeste.

I was talking to my twenty-something tour guide about Pura Vida over lunch after stalking a sloth in a nearby tree (she appreciated my enthusiasm for sloths, took pictures through her binoculars for me, and answered about a hundred of my questions.) I asked her if people of all ages said Pura Vida to each other. Did her parents and grandparents say Pura Vida? She nodded yes and said that everyone says Pura Vida.

I finished my Costa Rica adventures in Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean side of the country with a couple more surf sessions, "the best rice and beans in the Caribbean", and more uniquely chill Pura Vida vibes.

My surf teacher and buddy, Beto, taught me that another manifestation of Pura Vida is being happy with where you are and appreciating the present moment. This came in the form of a quickly executed turn off the road to check out the surf at a break that he didn't expect to look so good. He said that you never pass perfect waves thinking that the next break could be better. Boom -- mic drop.

The Pura Vida mentality surely contributes to high levels of happiness and well-being. Costa Rica ranks 13th in this year’s World Happiness Report, released annually by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The report ranks 156 countries across six factors including GDP, life expectancy, social support, generosity, freedom, and corruption. That's really high for a relatively poor country. The US ranked 18th by comparison.

As my tan and plantain consumption fade, I'm trying to carry Pura Vida with me and enjoy the simple beauty of life.