4 weeks left, people, but who's counting??
We started this post in October and meant to send it out then! Sorry it didn't happen!
As we getting ready to leave and reflect on our time here, we thought it'd be fun to think about the top 10 things we WILL miss about Nicaragua and the 10 things we WON'T miss at all! We hope you enjoy :)
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Things we WILL miss:
1. The people. We've made good relationships here. Above all, we'll miss Yosi and Martha more than anything or anyone. We're so thankful that everything is falling into place for them when we leave and that makes everything a little easier. Enough said.
2. The food. Do you think we'll be able to find plantains, dry cheese, ice cream or soda in a baggie, calala and pitaya fruit drink, gallo pinto by the side of the road, or authentic pico de gallo in the US of A to name a few?? WE HOPE SO!
3. The beautiful landscape. Nicaragua is known as "The Land of Lakes and Volcanos." It's a beautiful country with great places to explore! There's a lot we were able to do in 3 year's time but so much we didn't! It's been a blast to get to know another country so well.
4. The generosity of people's time and things. So many people here don't have much when it comes to objects and possessions. But they're willing to give you the shirt off their back if you need it. Time is something that we, in the States, can never get enough of. "I have this many hours in my day and I need to be efficient!", we think. Here, anyone will drop anything they're doing to help you and spend hours of their time doing just that. I love that.
5. The way everyone wants to give you an answer to something even if they have no idea what they're talking about. This one could go either way, really. I could take it or leave it. It's a cool quality in the people here, but can also be frustrating. You could ask a simple question like, for example, "Where is the grocery store La Colonia?" They will give you an exact answer even if they have no idea where it is! Then you go right to where they said and you'll find a cow in a field.
6. The relaxed feeling of everyone here. At first little things like the way people walk SO SLOW really got to me. Over the past few years I've learned to live with it and even appreciate it and I'm trying to join that mentality, although it's difficult, especially getting stuck behind a slow walker.
7. Recognizing how much we depend on God. Things here have not been easy, and we have clearly seen God's hand working. We will still recognize it once we are back in Virginia, but it has been more obvious here, far away from our comfortable home and loved ones.
8. Time focused on our family. We have spent the last three years heavily focused on our family and what we need in order to have a solid marriage and household. It's easy to get sucked into lots of activities, and this has been a good way to get some space from constantly being busy. Our busy-ness has been in a different arena, and we have grown a lot through it.
9. The perspective. Living here has widened our worldview considerably. We've realized what's really important to us and what we value. Living here has changed us and we're better for it.
10. The heat. I'm kidding. Keep reading.
Things we will NOT miss:
1. You guessed it. THE HEAT! Oh my word. The answer is no, you do not get used to it. You just sweat from the time you get out of the shower in the morning to right before you take your shower at night before bed. Oh, the heat!
2. Crazy drivers! DAH! If you've visited you know exactly what we're talking about here. It's truly a sight to behold. Looking out for cycles, bikers, semis, walkers, horses, cows. That's not even to mention how people have a whole different system for following the rules of the road. It's organized chaos that I will NOT miss.
3. The way NOTHING seems to be easy here. Nothing is done according to our efficient timing. It all takes a billion years. Something that should take only 30 minutes seems to take days here, or even months!
4. The way you lose electricity for hours, and even water, often. This is harder for me, Lauren, than for Mitch. He understands more that these things are privileges while I feel more like I should always have them. It's been a difficult adjustment.
5. The litter. Oh! I remember coming here to visit the spring before we moved here and what stuck out most to me was all of the trash everywhere. People just through their trash out their car windows. The gutters are full of trash and in the rainy season, when the rains come, all of that trash goes directly into Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua. It's sad.
6. Lack of attention to detail. Things, whether in physical structure or in things such as lesson plans - discipline and routines - are lacking. That makes it tough to figure out how to fit in and add suggestions here when it doesn't seem too valued by most.
7. Schools. Speaking in terms of a school system, we are so fortunate for what we have learned here at NCA Nejapa and in the public schools. But wow, we am ready to be in the HCPS system again!
8. Lack of seasons, as we know it from back home in MI, PA, and VA. Where's spring? Where's fall? And WHERE'S WINTER???
9. "Hi, are on your way yet?" "Si, estoy en camino." It literally means that you are on your way, but it usually means that, although the person might be thinking about going, they are still sitting at home. That makes it SO hard when you're waiting for someone to come to your house or when you have a meeting. You could be waiting anywhere from 10 minutes to a few hours. Being on time isn't really a thing here. It's HARD when it is VERY valued back home in the States.
10. Being far from our family and friends. Oh, this one is the hardest. You know what we mean.
