Happy Anniversary to Us!

Its our year anniversary today! We’ve officially been living in Nicaragua for 1 year. Some of the time has rushed by, and some of the time was like hiking through a mound molasses. We are learning something every day. I am challenged by simple tasks and easily navigate through things that used to be hard.

I was recently asked if I want to come home sooner. The answer is yes & no. We love & miss San Diego and our life “State-Side” tremendously, but I am thankful almost every day that we took this plunge. A year ago we closed our eyes and dropped into the rabbit hole, holding onto our kids tightly as we fell into the unknown.  Nicaragua caught us with open arms. The people here are amazingly kind and helpful. It is a culture where the importance of family is number one and long, hard days of work is for the uneducated. This country has already taught me so much about myself & what my priorities are or should be.

I’m not going to lie, some days are overwhelmingly hard. Some nights I go to sleep wishing to wake up in my big comfortable bed, in my own home, in San Diego. Where I can knock on the door next to mine and be welcomed in with a full glass of wine, and supportive, understanding ear. Where I can buy everything I need at one store, or even on the internet without ever having to leave the house. I miss English as a first language, especially when its a drastic situation like my mom in the hospital here or our car broken down. Most of all I miss our friends. I miss the endless events with a growing number of kids parading through. I miss when I’m having an exceptionally bad day, that I have willing girlfriends (my “cats”) ready to go out to take my mind off things. I can’t stand that I have to miss major life events and birthdays of the people I care for the most in this world.

Yesterday I learned a new Spanish saying, and it is appropriate for this day as I look back on the last year and what is to come in the future. “Vale la pena” – It is worth it. Through good times & bad, we took this blind leap as a family and it will forever change us for the better.