The Story Behind "Pura Vida"

Sometimes, the right trip comes at the exact right moment — even if you don’t realize it until you’re on the plane.

At the end of 2019, I found myself burnt out, exhausted, and questioning everything. I was navigating life as a single mother, running a business, working multiple jobs, and still picking up the pieces of my heart after a difficult divorce. I was stretched thin and trying to hold it all together.

One night over dinner, one of my best friends gave me the nudge (well, push) I desperately needed. She convinced me — almost forced me — to book a yoga retreat in Costa Rica, something I'd never dreamed of doing for myself at that time. I wasn’t going to have my daughter with me over the New Year's break that year, and for once, there was nothing standing in the way of saying yes. So, I booked the trip.

A few weeks later, I found myself on a mountaintop overlooking San José, surrounded by fresh sights, new people, and open-hearted energy. It was exactly what my soul needed.

I spent that week immersed in yoga, reflection, healing, and friendship. The group I shared this journey with became my anchors. We welcomed the New Year together, sitting atop that mountain, watching the fireworks bloom across the city below. We didn’t know what 2020 would bring, but in many ways, that week prepared me mentally and emotionally for everything that came next.

Pura Vida — the phrase I heard everywhere in Costa Rica — means "pure life." But it's so much more than just a phrase. It’s a way of living: embracing life’s simple joys, friendships, adventures, lush green landscapes, and ocean breezes. It’s about living with an open heart, gratitude, and a spirit of adventure.

My Pura Vida candle is my way of bottling up that feeling. It represents life in all its beauty: friendships that lift you, adventures that heal you, and the refreshing energy of new beginnings.

Every time I light it, I’m transported back to that mountaintop — breathing in peace, hope, and the freedom of Pura Vida.

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