LCD Weekly Issue - 012- Pura Vida
🏔️ Words from the mountains
Hello! Marce here 👋 writing from the misty, rainy Pyrenees today! While thinking about tropical beaches and rainforests...
Have you ever heard of "Pura Vida"? If you answer yes, you have probably visited Costa Rica, haven't you?
Pura Vida is Costa Rica's unofficial slogan; the literal translation is pure life, but it goes beyond that. It represents a way of living that focuses on the positive aspects of life, taking things slow and cherishing the little things. It's deeply rooted in Costa Rican culture, and for me, it feels like a warm hug, Jaja! If you want to know the secret of living more than 100 years, the Pura Vida lifestyle and black beans = Blue Zone.
After ten years of living in Europe, I love bumping into Costa Ricans. The pura vida feeling makes me feel we are friends even though we have never met. We are easy to spot in the wild: loud, happy, our Spanish accent without "r's." The conversation usually goes like this (In Spanish, of course):
"Hey, are you from Costa Rica?"
"Yes! You?!"
"Yes!"
"¡QUE! ¿PURA VIDA?"
"¡Pura Vida!"
And then we hugged as if we were forever friends, Jajaja.
So, all of this chitchat was to explain why we should combine Life-Centered Design with a touch of pura vida. LCD makes us slow down, observe from different perspectives, and build connections with our communities and nature. I don't know about you, but it has many similarities with the definition of pura vida I wrote above.
Life-centered design is serious yet fun. It addresses the significant issues of our time to find a harmonious outcome. By sprinkling some pura vida, we can quickly get into the LCD mindset and bring fun and positivity, which is deeply needed.
Do you agree?
🐅 LCD in the Wild - Hacienda La Amistad
Keeping with the Costarican theme, we present Hacienda La Amistad, an organic coffee farm in one of Costa Rica's lushest rainforests.
"A significant portion, 95% of the land, is reserved for nature, while 5% is used for coffee and fruit production. The name "La Amistad," meaning "friendship" in Spanish, aptly reflects the harmonious relationship between humans and nature within the Reserve."
"For over 67 years, the La Amistad Eco-lodge, Rainforest Reserve and Coffee Estate have been showing the world how to practice sustainable development, long before the term even existed."
This quote is so special. Nowadays, everything has to have a name, while years before, it was just the only way to be done: in harmony with nature.
Check out their Instagram page and have your daily rainforest experience.
🪄 Inspiration- By Pampa
By Pampa is a Costa Rican brand that embraces the essence of the wild.
"We are a tribute to tropical nature, plants, animals and landscapes. We were born and raised surrounded by the jungle, and it inspires us to create.
We are passionate about designing attractive and functional products that can convey an air of simplicity, naturalness and aesthetics, to give a unique style to our look and our home."
PAMPA® honors the plains of Guanacaste, the northwest area of Costa Rica, a unique space with a lot of wildlife and culture, a dry but magical place."
Have a look here for more inspiration.
🔥 Hot in the School- Volunteer Program
We are excited to inform you that we are developing a volunteer program to enhance our school's activities. As a volunteer, you will have an opportunity to contribute your skills and time, while at the same time learning more about LCD.
Our team comprises five members, each with a specific area of expertise. Your skills and experience would be an excellent addition to our team, and we would love to have you join us. If you are interested, please respond to this email.
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So, that's all for this week,
🦋 ¡PURA VIDA! 🦋
Marce
