I recently watched an interesting documentary on economics, globalization and our happiness levels, and it made me proud of what we’re creating here in Costa Rica.
One of the big things I took away from the film was that all of our economies around the world, the environment and our sense of community, worth and happiness are strengthened when we all support the communities where we live: through supporting local companies, buying and eating food from our own areas and keeping more of that income inside the community.
That’s not to say that we isolate ourselves, but strong economics works better, and less is wasted, when we all focus more on what we can accomplish within our own communities. An example they pointed out; why send an apple grown in the U.K. to South Africa to be waxed, then sent back to the U.K. to be sold and eaten?
This really made me proud of what we’re doing here with Pura Vida House in the Tamarindo area of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. We wanted to create an eco-friendly tourism option that supports our local community, as well as producing much of our own organic food.
With too few job opportunities for our neighbors here in this rural setting, we’re starting to create opportunities. This process will be a slow build to create full time work for many, but the more visitors and guests we have, the more sustainable income opportunities we can create for our neighbors.
Do date we’ve planted grapefruit, mango, papaya, red beans, corn, cashew, coconut, pitaya, lemon and lime, as well as shade trees and other native trees and flowers. With this, our goal is to partially feed ourselves, our guests and our neighbors with food that doesn’t get any more local or organic than in front of our terrace!
We’ve also started to create income opportunities through horse and guide rental, chefs and food procurement, childcare, property and field management, cooking lessons, local artisan crafts and lessons and more. As well as providing supplemental land for growing family crops and firewood for our neighbors.
So come and stay at Pura Vida House in the Tamarindo area of Guanacaste, Costa Rica; I truly believe you’ll have the time of your life, become part of an authentic Costa Rican village, and help support a great group of people from the “happiest country on earth.”
– Stephanie Morera
