At the end of the day all you have is who you are. Do what you love and love what you do.

I find it kind of strange that when people introduce themselves to someone else, usually the first thing that's said or asked after your name is your job. "Hi, Mariel, nice to meet you... So What do you do?" When did we start identifying ourselves with our jobs? If you genuinely love your job I think it's ok to be excited to tell people about it as long as you can still discern your qualities from your job title. When describing someone I really like I begin with their redeeming characteristics, such as funny or kind hearted.. Of course the inevitable question always makes an appearance in these conversations... "And what does he/she do?!" And not saying this isn't important, I just don't really think it should be the way we describe ourselves or others especially when most 20-30 something's work in an environment where they dislike a vast majority of their coworkers and count down the minutes each and everyday until they are "free." Its sad that we live in a society where you have to decide if it's worth it to hate your life 75% of the time just to have enough money to do whatever you want with the remaining 25%. We absolutely live in a culture where we live to work.. The fact that so many people identify themselves with their profession is so disheartening when so many of these people also hate these jobs that they have lost themselves in somewhere between that Christmas bonus and second raise...

In Costa Rica I experienced a culture that worked to live. You work hard and do what you need to in order to get by, but when you leave work, you really leave it. You go home and enjoy life with the people whom contribute most to your precious life, your close friends and your family. That's pura vida :) 

When I lived in CR there was a bakery across the street from my house called "Musmani" and around Christmas time they put a note on the door one morning that basically said they had partied too hard the night before and would not be open that day. That would never happen in our culture. Everyone is so anxious and uptight about deadlines, unwritten rules and etiquette, and appearances that we forget to live our lives for the person who matters most, ourselves. Of course there are certain professions where closing down your business for the day is unacceptable, but we need to take something away from the country voted happiest in the world. Enjoy your life, enjoy every single second because it's yours, it's the only one you've got, and one day you will look back and realize you wasted far too many days worrying about what other people thought of you or cultivating anxiety and fear over something that hasn't even happened yet, when you could have been taking advantage of the many beautiful opportunities life is continually throwing your way. Keep an eye out for them :)