The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

- Robert Frost

the 1 less traveled by

A move to Nicaragua

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putting-in-boundary-marker

Buying Real Estate in Nicaragua – Part 1

After living in San Juan del Sur for a year and a half and spending about 3 months looking at land, we’ve finally found our piece of Nicaragua.

We are unlike the clients I experienced during my brief stent as a Real Estate Agent in Nicaragua. We were interested in a much larger lot than most, what is called a “manzana” which equals 1.74 acres. We are also forgoing the pricier option with ocean views, and instead want to create our own oasis with lush green valley views off the road to the Southern beaches, called Las Delicias.

We transferred our 401ks and IRAs into what is called a Self Directed IRA or Solo 401k . Our budget is not huge, so we had to spend extra time looking for property and utilizing all our Nicaraguan connections in order to find the best price we could in the area we wanted to buy. The less we spent on the land, the more money we will have to build our vacation rental.

We met with the seller thinking he was just going to meet to talk about what piece and shape of his large 320 manzana plot we wanted and to measuring-our-landfinalize pricing. Instead we walked through the boundaries of our potential parcel with a team of 2 men leading the way, cutting through the tall grass & bush with machetes. We worked as a nester-cutting-the-wayteam with a surveyors tape measure, marking off where our boundary posts will go and hammering temporary markers made out of freshly cut trees. Once back at our car, the seller asked if we could pay half of the total sales price that day. Taken by surprise, we told him we were unable to pull that amount of money out of an ATM in one day. nester-hammering-post

We headed back to our office to discuss further the next step towards ownership of the land. The seller was very persistent about moving forward without an attorney, plot map, etc. Luckily, in the midst of all of this, we spoke to our friend Gaspar at Century21 and he coached us that it was in our best interest to sign a “promesa de venta” (a contract where the seller agrees to sell and the buyer agrees to buy) with an attorney later that week.

The next morning, possibly with our heads a little more refreshed and feeling less rushed, we realized that we had measured our plot incorrectly. A manzana is 6988.96 square meters, and we had measured 35 x 140 meters which equals only 4,900 square meters! What is amazing is how huge it had already seemed and we were still getting 2,088 more square meters! With this new piece of knowledge we called the seller and discussed meeting his workers again and marking the property correctly, then meeting him at an attorney to sign a promesa de venta. He agreed and we were quickly able to get that done. We paid $200 for the attorney to write up the promesa de venta and 10% of the sales price as a deposit to the seller, receiving a receipt for each. This gave us 30 days for the seller to obtain some needed paper work, find out if any taxes were over due, and have a surveyor come out to do a plot map.

Moneytree

How to Buy Real Estate With Your 401k or IRA

Living in Nicaragua inspires you to invest in this developing country. There seems to be an abundance of opportunities to fill the gaps of what doesn’t already exist. Even living mostly paycheck to paycheck, we still have dreams of owning something in Nicaragua. We want to build a home that we can come visit and rent out when we are not here. 

After working in the real estate business briefly, I heard there was a loophole that allowed you to “self invest” your 401k or IRA. This intrigued both Kharron & I since we had some money in our retirement funds that didn’t seem to be invested well. Using the money in our IRAs to invest in Nicaraguan real estate sounded too good to be true!

Let me explain: We quickly learned that using a 401k verses an IRA is much more flexible when buying real estate. First off, with a 401k Plan, when you make a real estate investment it does not trigger the Unrelated Debt Financed Income Rules and the Unrelated Business Taxable Income (UBTI or UBIT) tax (IRC 514).  However, this exception does not apply to IRAs. In other words, using a “Self-Directed IRA” to make a real estate investment would trigger the UBTI tax. Secondly, traditional IRA’s only allows an individual to contribute $5,500 annually ($6,500 if the person is over 50 years old). A Solo 401k plan allows for contributions up to $59,000 per year. Since we’re planning on building a vacation rental, being able to reinvest the profits back into our retirement fund was important to us. 

There is one catch, the typical 401k plan does not usually allow for investing in real estate, so most people form a “Solo 401k Plan”. This is a traditional plan, but covers only one employee (and spouse), and allows you to bypass some regulations. If you have or create a Sole Proprietorship, your business can obtain a Solo 401k Plan. Since a 401k Plan is a trust, the trustee on behalf of the trust can take title to a real estate asset.

Don’t let all this mumbo jumbo fool you, after a lot of research we were still thoroughly confused on how to proceed. Luckily we found the company IRA Financial Group. For a small fee of $1,500, they did all the work for us. They set up the Sole Proprietorship, created The Reid Dynasty 401k Trust, and helped us figure out how to roll our existing retirement funds into a the new Solo 401k Plan. We decided to use Fidelity Financial for our Solo 401k since they have a product called a “Non-Prototype Retirement Account” for Solo 401k’s & I already had my IRA with them so in theory the rollover would be easier. 

Everything was set up after a couple months and we started looking at land we wanted to buy.

 

Daily Work Life

How To Make a Living Abroad

After about 30 minutes of talking to someone new, usually the question that gets asked is, “So what do you do?” Those of us who have lived here long enough know that the real question being asked is, “How are you able to support yourself while living abroad?” Somewhat annoying, the answers often given are vague. “A lot of good luck.” I have heard. “I have a business.” I was told. I don’t know if this is because money is a taboo topic in North America or if people are worried the inquisitor is going to steal their job. Someone told me that those working in Nicaragua are sometimes vague because they never obtained their residency and therefore it is illegal to be making Nicaraguan income.

I feel like we are very forward with what we do for work and how we are able to afford to live abroad. In case you haven’t read through my other posts, here’s a run down: My husband worked remotely as a software/website developer for a marketing company out of San Francisco when we lived in San Diego. When we decided we wanted to make a move abroad for a couple years, he asked his company if that would be okay with them. They said yes, and for the first year we lived here he would fly back to California every 6-8 weeks for about a week. During his off time, he recruited a team of Nicaraguan website developers and once ready, he quit his job and launched a US company, SeñorCoders.

Never a person who liked to sit still, I dabbled in real estate for a little bit. I did not give it all the attention it needed, so I was unsuccessful at making enough to pay for the childcare and contribute to the cost of living. I now work for my husband’s company as a Project Manager. Although I don’t get paid, it saves us the money of paying someone else to do the job.

We are able to rent our house out in California for enough money to cover the mortgage and a large storage unit. We have amazing renters who have given us very little trouble in the year and a half we’ve been gone. We changed our mailing address to my mother’s house and Kharron’s father now drives and takes care of our truck we were unable to sell before we moved.

Well, enough about me, below are some of the jobs I’m aware of people doing that make enough money to support themselves while living here:

Real Estate Agent: If you are a top producer, this is the job that makes the most Nicaraguan money. If you are not, then you might work hard for only a few hundred dollars a month.
Owner of Construction Company: Once established and building North American style homes, a person can make a career out of owning a construction company. You do need to know a fair amount of Spanish for this to work.
Developer: There are many developers here in San Juan del Sur and most do quite well. Obviously you need to know what you’re doing and the lots need to sell once developed.
Business Owner in Nicaragua: The successful upscale restaurants that cater towards Gringos seem to make enough money to live on. From what I have seen, the owners of the smaller shops like bakeries, clothing stores, or less popular restaurants usually have another form of income. Whether its odd jobs, retirement income, investments, other businesses here, or a business in their home country.
Business Owner in Country of Origin: Online businesses are what most people manage from an off-shore location, but one family we met had a pool cleaning business and hired a manager to do what was needed on the ground. Since the cost of living is less here, skimming a little off the top can sometimes be enough to sustain a family here.
Rental Income: Earning rental income from properties here or in their country of origin can be fairly lucritive and allow for a comfortable living here in Nicaragua.
Work in Technology: Graphic Designer, Video Editor, SEO Expert & Software Developer are some of the professions my fellow Expats hold steady jobs in.
Hotel/Hostel Owner: Most of the hotel & hostel owners that I meet are living a lavish life. In fact most of them seem to have another form of income that keeps them afloat. Of course there are the exceptions, so I’m putting this on the list of jobs that can fully support living here.
Retired: I mostly meet retired military, fire fighters, and police in my age group, but there are all sorts of retired people who live very comfortable & happy lives here.
Sold Assets: I hear of people who sold their house in their home country and the profit was enough survive on a modest amount of monthly funds. Some have cashed in investments and are able to do the same. If it isn’t quite enough to survive on, then they do small jobs like Property Management or book keeping to supplement.
Teacher: Teachers don’t get paid very much here, but it is enough for a single person to sustain a life here. Maybe not with the luxuries of air conditionig and hot water though.

Here’s a list of other professions I have heard other people doing: Online Sales Agent, College Sport Recruiter, Non Profit Aid Organizer, Photographer, Gold Miner, Screen Writer, Branding Consultant, Wellness & Yoga Retreat Coordinator, & Tour Manager.

It is very hard to make enough money here to support a lifestyle you are probably used to in your home country. If you plan to move to Nicaragua, the best advice is its best to have a healthy amount of savings or better yet, income coming from outside Nicaragua. Or as I’ve heard it put, “The best way to make a million dollars in Nicaragua is to bring a million dollars to Nicaragua.”

 

map-of-san-juan-del-sur

Living in San Juan del Sur

Why we live in San Juan del Sur

We have been contemplating buying property and building a rental home here, so this topic has been on my mind quite a lot lately. With a large impending decision like this, I have been weighing the pros & cons of choosing San Juan del Sur as a permanent tie… So, I thought I’d write about it.

When we moved abroad, our plan was to live in San Juan del Sur for the first 6 months and after learning some Spanish and understanding the country a bit more, we’d relocate to the more northern and less tourist town of Miramar. We were told by a friend who had been living in Nicaragua, that because of the large Expat population in San Juan del Sur and Granada, those cities would make for an easier transition. We wanted to live by the ocean, so San Juan del Sur it was! After the 6 months went by in a blurry flash and still flailing at Spanish, we found we had already started making friends and and a life in San Juan del Sur. We made the decision to stay.

We have a friend who runs a surf camp called Casa Sirena Surf Lodge in Miramar, so we visit often. Every time we go an air of tranquility rushes over me. I have a great fondness for that tiny fishing village that is probably today a lot like San Juan del Sur once was. I had to think long and hard about whether purchasing up there would be a better investment and location for our family’s second home. In the end we have decided San Juan del Sur is the most logical spot for us and with Miramar’s consistent surf and a major paved road connecting it to the university city of León and capital Managua, its only a matter of time before its gentle pace will too speed up.

Here are some of the reasons we choose to live in San Juan del Sur:

Beaches are Everywhere

San Juan del Sur is full of uncrowded beaches. In the year and a half of having lived here, we still have not been on every beach. In fact, we went to a private bay for the first time last Sunday for a BBQ with friends. Playa Hermosa

International School

This was a big one for us, as our children grow older the need for education will become even more important. We are confident that not only will San Juan del Sur Day School be around for many years to come, we also love the education Azalea receives there. Because of the large Expat population here, there are even more schools popping up. Titus will be starting at Escuela Adelante next week and I believe it will continue to grow and prove to be a wonderful bilingual school.

Diverse Restaurants & Food

It might sound trivial, but I don’t think I can survive solely on local Nicaraguan food. Here in San Juan del Sur there are different flavors of restaurants opening weekly. Date Night at Jicaro GardenWe have a Peruvian, Indian, Thai, Falafel, Mexican, Canadian, Mediterranean, Spanish, German, and of course North American. We have a few shops that specialize in selling imported food products like alfredo sauce, Franks hot sauce, rice & balsamic vinegar, cheese, cereal, bagels, olives, spices, Doritos, alcohol, dijon mustard, quinoa…things you never even thought about not being available. Our food menu always consists of some Nicaraguan dishes and a healthy mix of flavors from around the world.

English Speaking Spanish Teachers

One of the major reasons we moved to a Latin American country was for our family to learn Spanish. There are not only a plethora of Spanish teachers here in San Juan del Sur, but because of the tourist influence, many have seen the value in learning English. This makes the answers to questions about the rules of the language clearer.

Our House Cleaner Juanita

It has become a priority for us to make sure that our house cleaner, Juanita, never has to worry about finding work again. She has been with us since our first day of living in San Juan del Sur and we care about her, and her family deeply. She treats our children as if they were her own and our children treat her like a member of our family. Juanita is very honest, always removing money out of Kharron’s dirty clothes pockets and placing whatever the denomination is on our counter. She knows where all our valuables are, maybe even better than we do. Whether we buy a property or not, we will somehow ensure Juanita’s future. If we do buy the property, then she will manage our vacation home and her husband will be our “cuiador”.

FriendsTwo Guys Adventures

We’ve met a lot of like-minded people in the one and a half years we’ve lived here. Although most of these people are Gringos, we have also made close friendships with Nicaraguans. When moving to a foreign land, I have found that friends you can trust are even more important than they are at home. When your car breaks down in the middle of the night on a quiet road, you need someone. When you go out of town, leaving your pets for a few days, you need someone. When you’re kids have taken every last bit of your patience, you need someone. Besides the friends we have here, in San Juan del Sur there is an amazing network of Facebook pages. You can ask any question and strangers will give you an answer.

We’ve been here awhile

Navigating a new city is hard anywhere, but doing it in a foreign country and in a foreign language is a daily struggle. We’ve finally started to figure some things out. I can now offer information when someone posts a question on Facebook. We have a mechanics (actually 2), a wood guy, and someone to help with bank runs and other odd, but complex errands. We’ve worked out a network here and starting over is a task to great for me.

 

There are many amazing cities in this beautiful country we live in, but San Juan del Sur has proven to be the best fit for our family. Part Gringo, but still mostly Nica, this town has so much to offer. San Juan del Sur will always and forever remain our second home.

Kharron in line at Costa Rica's customs

Renewing Our Nicaraguan Tourist VISA

Boarder Run

We realized last week that our 90 day tourist VISA’s had expired. The penalty is only $2 per day, but with a family of 4, that can start adding up quickly. We decided the best thing to do was to go early on Monday morning and get Azalea to school a little late. Sunday was Mother’s Day, so I didn’t want to go over the weekend.

We left the house around 6:20am on Monday. The kids usually wake up around 5:30am anyway, so it wasn’t like we were getting up early to go. We were ready to pay the penalty with extra cash and photo copies of passports and stamped slip.

We parked the car in a dirt lot close to the boarder where we weren’t harassed to pay for someone to “watch” our car. In the past I haven’t had much luck with these people.

Dirt parking lot we leave our car in.
Dirt parking lot we leave our car in.

I usually come back to find someone else is “watching” my car and that person wanting to get paid a disproportionate amount to their services. I also find parking closer to the boarder there are less people pestering you to hire them to fill out the paper work and walk you through the process.

Kharron getting the stroller out of the car, ready for the adventure.
Kharron getting the stroller out of the car, ready for the adventure.

These men also have been known to demand a $40 tip after services rendered. I did use them once when it was just me & the kids. I paid them the equivalent of $4 and was yelled at while shuffling my kids in my car.

 

 

Conveniently placed building for making copies
Conveniently placed building for making copies

Once at the counter we were quickly told that the copies we made were incorrect and were pointed to a building where we could pay to have correct copies made.

This is the layout they want the copy to be for overdue VISAs.
This is the layout they want the copy to be for overdue VISAs. 

 

 

 

 

 

This was surprisingly easy and we were soon able to reenter.

I'm Hidden

After the long walk in between the two countries or what most call “no man’s land” we finally reached Costa Rica’s customs.

I'm Hidden

A quick walk back to our car and then to drop Azalea off at school at 10:00am!

I'm Hidden

SJDS Logo Square

San Juan del Sur Directory

When you come for a visit make sure you check out sjdsdirectory.com

My husband & I built this website out of necessity. When we moved here we could not find the stores we were looking for and had no idea the variety of products that could be found in San Juan del Sur.

SJDS Directory includes not only a description of the store, but also hours, products, Facebook & website links, as well as photos and menus.

Kids by the school sign

Preschool In San Juan del Sur

They say it takes a village and San Juan del Sur Day School is part of ours. This week Titus started going to the same amazing school as his sister, for two days a week. I love how Nicaraguan families live and raise their kids together, its a practice that disperses the responsibility of a family outside of the North American norm of just mom & dad. This allows their children to be cared for by the family members who are not working. Younger siblings help cook and clean, and grandparents grow old and are cared for in the same home they were born in. Even with my envy of these strong family values, I am thankful that my family can afford to send our preschoolers to a formal school where the goals of education, growth, and independence can be nurtured.

On the first day of school for Titus we took the bus from our normal spot by the park. It was fun riding the bus with all the crazy kids and singing “The Wheels on the Bus” as we made our way up the hill to school.

Titus & Azalea were excited about going to the same school together and we made sure Azalea knew that as a big sister she needed to be a good role model and show Titus how to be a good student.

It was hard to leave him the first day, when I said goodbye and walked away I could hear him crying and pleading, “Mama…” I know that this is what is best for him and his growth to independence. I ran the 6km back to my car by the park, which I think I’ll make my weekly routine.

Titus’ wonderful teacher sent me pictures of him throughout the morning enjoying his first day at school.

The second day of his first week I parked at the bottom of the organic farm where the school is located and we road up to school on the bus from there. He was a little more hesitant when we got to school and didn’t want me to put him down. I finally coerced him to the floor by playing with an animal puzzle. As soon as he seemed more comfortable I said goodbye and gave him a kiss. Again, I walked away to the heartbreaking sounds of his cries. Again I had to tell myself that this was what was best for him and reminded myself that on the first day he only cried for a few minutes after I left. I had a nice leisurely walk down to my car and then enjoyed a delicious breakfast at Barrio Cafe with some friends!

Titus had a blast at school the first week. He arrived off the bus very sleepy. I am so glad that San Juan del Sur Day School is part of our tribe. I look forward to watching him grow and now get to participate in all the fun school events.

Titus usually naps at 10:30, so a 12:45 bus drop-off is late for this little guy.
Titus usually naps at 10:30, so a 12:45 bus drop-off is late for this little guy.
Nicaragua Airport

7 Things to Expect when you Land in Nicaragua

  1. Download WhatsApp on your smart phone. – This is the way that a lot of people communicate here. Most restaurants and bars have WiFi and have no issue giving you the password. WhatsAppThis way it is easy to let your taxi driver know you’re ready to be picked up, or set up a time to meet with that cool person you just met.
  2. Download Waze on your smart phone. – This application is the best for navigating Nicaragua. Google’s navigation will take you on the shortest road, but since it isn’t used as often, it can’t wazecalculate that the road is dirt, through a neighborhood, and will take 5 times as long. Since Nica’s use Waze it always knows the best routes, it will steer you around a traffic jam, and there are lots of fun voices you can download to make your drive more fun.
  3. One of the few things that Nicaragua cares about is the importation of cell phones. It is best to keep your cell phone in your pocket so it is seen as personal use and not to be sold. If they don’t like something in your bag it’ll get pulled to a side table.  From what I’m told if you only speak English to these guys they get frustrated and let you go.  It worked for us (by default) when we first got here with two packaged iPhones in our suitcase.  Which is really all they’re looking for, iPhones.  They didn’t bother us about the other 3 phones in our pockets, 2 tablets, 2 laptops, car stereo, etc.
  4. There will be young men in white shirts lined up asking if you need help with your luggage (in Spanish). Use these guys! Pay them about a dollar per bag. Which means have some small bills on Helpers at Aeropuerto Internacional Augusto C Sandinoyou when you land. You need about 1 guy for every 4 bags. Save each bag sticker you get when you check your luggage in your departure city and have them ready to give to the guys with your bags after they’ve collected them.  There will be a man who checks your sticker to make sure it matches to your bag.  The young men will carry all of your luggage to a conveyor, place it on there, then they will take it off and load it up into your mode of transportation.
  5. After you get your bags you are ready to exit the customs area into the swarms of people pressed up against the glass windows peering at you like your are their next meal, tumblr_lbn3p8wSF61qa2nz2o1_500like a scene from The Walking Dead. As frightening as this may look, its only people looking for their loved ones to chauffeur them home.
  6. There are very few street lights outside of Managua. – You most likely will land at night, that seems to be when a majority of the flights aboard come in. If that is the case, then expect chaos in Managua and darkness anything outside of that. There are not many street lights on the freeways in Nicaragua and people, cows, horses, and bicyclers seem to have to no qualms meandering in the middle of the dark road. Which leaves me to my last point…
  7. Hire a driver and have transportation set up. – We still do not feel comfortable driving outside of San Juan del Sur at night, and even here can be sketchy. There are many shuttle companies in place to make this drive for you. Then all you have to do is close your eyes and hold on tight until you get to your destination.
What not to do

7 Things not to do in Nicaragua

7 Stupid Things Tourists Do

1. Feel sorry for the people.

Often I hear tourists talk about how sad it is for the people of Nicaragua. That they are so poor and must be miserable. If they took off their North American lenses, they’d see the genuine smiles I admire daily on local Nicaraguans. Tourists see laundry drying on a line, a small home, and people sitting out in front of their house at night in plastic chairs and assume that they are unhappy. Don’t mistake cultural differences with happiness.

2. Want to bring one of the poor animals home.

Tourists have an urge to adopt. They want to give that poor dog they see on the street a better life. I can tell you, my dog has never been happier than living here in Nicaragua. In the United States, all she did all day was sleep on her pillow-top bed under an attached blanket. The highlight of her day was one trip to the park (if I had time) and dinner. Here, she spends her whole day hunting inside bushes, chasing birds, watching geckos crawl across walls, and following our gardener around the large yard. She gets to go to any beach off leash and most restaurants find no problem with a dog coming inside. Most of the dogs here roam free. They are allowed to dig in trash cans, urinate & dedicate where ever they want, chase people, make doggy-friends, and fornicate when nature calls.

I think as Americans we believe that dogs are happiest on top of a nice, overly-stuffed bed with an owner who treats them like a human. I have to disagree. Looking back, I think my dog was bored. She didn’t have anything else to do but sleep and eat. I took her to the park for maybe 30 minutes a day. She was overweight and possibly depressed.

3. Rush around.

Every visitor we’ve had greets us with an air of expedition. This is supposed to be a relaxing vacation and they are in a hurry to go someplace to relax. They want to plan multiple things to see and are nervous that it might not get all done. How can they see fit in relaxing at the beach on the same day as seeing a volcano? They need to swim in the lake at Laguna de Apoyo, but might as well quickly check out Granada while so close. Even my retired parents found themselves frustrated by the pace of Nicaragua. Why does the food take so long at a restaurant? Can’t they open another line at the grocery store? Why are there so many bikers in the way on the road? I find myself relating less and unable to process the nervous energy of my guests. Its like the Tanzanian Devil walking beside you on the beach. A cloud of dust swirling around, unable to land and truly enjoy anything.

4. Assume that everyone speaks English or wants to learn.

We made the same mistake when we moved to Nicaragua and were slapped in the face by the fact that many people here neither speak English nor desire to learn it. We have struggled to learn to communicate with the locals. We try daily through much frustration to master Spanish. It is painful to hear tourists passively say that Nicaraguans need to learn English. That is a ludicrous statement and equal to a Mexican in California saying that California’s need to learn Spanish. Would both parties benefit from the ability to speak the other language? Yes. But that does not mean that the person will never be able to meet their full potential if it is not learned. The native language here is Spanish, so do your best to try to communicate in that language. There are many phone applications now that can help you do this with ease. Nicaraguans are very accepting people and with a little bit of effort you will find they have great patience and enjoy the chance to help you learn their native tongue.

5. Get robbed.

Charlie on Travel wrote a great article about how not to get robbed in Central America. Let me sum it up for you: don’t wear your most expensive jewelry or go parading around in name brand attire & accessories, don’t keep your whole wad of cash in your wallet for everyone to see when you’re making purchases, don’t get so intoxicated that you loose your wits about you, don’t leave your valuables on the beach/table/bar/community dorm room.

If you must carry a phone- especially an iPhone- always be conscious of where you leave it and where you’re using it. If its only to take pictures, then consider using an actual camera. If you wouldn’t do it in Los Angeles, then what makes you think it would be safe to do it in the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere (*Forbes)?

6. Expect Nicaragua to be just like its neighboring countries.

Is the United States just like Mexico? Then why would you think Nicaragua is? I often hear tourists surprised that Nicaragua is so different than their trips to other Central American countries. This is not to say that some days I don’t long for the civil engineering of Anywhere, Mexico, but I did not land here expecting it. Every country has it own attributes. That’s why we travel to different countries, not to see how they are all the same, but to experience something different.

7. Give money to beggars.

Our little town, San Juan del Sur has a drinking and drug problem. The sweet little kids who sell hammocks are high on glue, the man mumbling to himself and asking for money is drunk and will be passed out in the street in a few hours. These people don’t need your money. If you are in the donating mood, there is an abundance of non profits you could give to and insure your money is going to the right cause.

Haven't needed this wind-fighting garment

4 Things I Didn’t Need to Pack For Our Move to Nicaragua

There’s not many on my list, but here are a few things that took up precious space in our suitcases and we haven’t needed.

4. Spanish-English Dictionary

My husband and I both downloaded Google’s Translator and off-lined the Spanish Dictionary so we can access it even when there is no cell signal or WiFi. My little book is collecting dust and taking up space on a shelf…I should probably donate it to something.

3. Extra Toothbrushes

I don’t know know what I was thinking or where I thought we were moving, but toothbrushes are very easy to find and affordable here.

2. Long Sleeve Shirts, Pants & Jackets

Although I have worn my jeans a few times, I definitely haven’t needed 2 pairs of jeans, cargo pants, and leggings. Not once have I put on the variety of long sleeve shirts I packed. I brought a windbreaker-style jacket because I heard it could get cold in the mountains. We haven’t yet made a trip to see the coffee farms so the only mountains we’ve seen is through the window of the car on our trips to Managua. I’m hoping these items will come in handy on our first trip home to the States in October.

1. Socks

I brought socks for running, socks to wear with rain boots, black socks, white socks, thin socks, thick socks. So far I haven’t worn a pair. I run barefoot on the beach, went sock-less the one time I wore my rain boots, and besides that I only wear flip flops and the occasional wedge for date night.

What other moms say:

I asked other moms living in Nicaragua what they brought with them here and haven’t needed, here are their answers that weren’t already on my list: sweatpants, dress up clothes & heels, rain jackets, pharmaceuticals (Advil etc), double stroller, and plates.