¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

This New Year’s Eve I realized just how much happened in 2011 and how drastically different it was from the previous year. December 31, 2010 was an odd night to say the least. Seven days previously I received my invitation to come to Nicaragua. I panicked as I slowly began to realize that while the idea of joining to Peace Corps seemed sweet, the reality was that I hadn’t really processed (at all) what I was getting myself into. The following months were spent packing my allowed 80 lb. bag and imagining what Nicaraguan life would bring.

This year during the holidays I was fortunate to have my family (minus Lima Bean) visit, and I was able to see them for the first time in almost eight months. It means a lot that they took the time to come to Nicaragua and more than anything try to understand what Nica life is like. It is quite a bit different here- in good ways and sometimes bad. But, it was comforting to be around any sort of familiarity for the holidays.

What didn’t we see and where didn’t we go during their trip? My parents and Jamie were able to visit the island and meet the host family and community. Christmas day was spent sipping coffee and looking at the volcanoes followed by bull fighting, a lovely fish dinner and perhaps a little too much rum mixed with a long game of UNO under the stars. We packed up and headed down to Costa Rica visiting the Guanacaste coast complete with scuba diving and then we were able to witness my mother’s amazing form while zip lining through Monteverde. New Year’s eve was filled with homemade entertainment and the celebrations went well into the early morning complements of the hotel casino. And then the dream was over. They had to go home and I had to start readjusting back to real life.

Oh 2011. I learned a whole bunch last year. Much of which I am sure I have yet to process. I do know that I am pretty damn flexible and can adapt to almost anything. I’ve witnessed some very sad and scary situations as well as over joyous moments in Nicaragua. In the past year, I have become fluent in Spanish, am now called “professora” around town, and moved to a tropical island. I am now accustomed to showering with a five gallon bucket of water and when I can’t get water I ride a bike to the lake to “bathe”. I now love to sleep under my mosquito net and realize how many of life’s little luxuries I can do without. I’ve killed my first tarantulas of many to come, had to adapt personally and professionally to a machismo (male dominated) culture, and battled my first case of Giardia. I have slowly started believing Nicaraguan myths and like a true Nica don’t even walk around the house without shoes on. My usually casually late timing has gotten even worse, and I sometimes now show up after the Nicaraguans. I have learned the importance of community and hate the town gossip. And yeah, it is really “real” here.

This year brought me more challenges that I could have imagined. I left friends, family and a significant other to embark on the unknown. And as tough as it has been at times, I know poco a poco (slowly but surely) I am becoming the person that I hope to be because of taking this leap.

I hope 2012 will bring more blogs and skype dates (sorry Mom), exciting and meaningful work, new friendships, time to reflect, and of course adventures. Happy New Year todos y todas. I wish for only the best to come.

A new update- I am moving into my own house complete with my very own latrine and an outdoor shower..just like the beach, right? I even have my own creative room that can easily host my next visitor ;)

Pictures from the past few months are on their way soon.