The List

I know it has been over a month since I last posted anything on this blog. I blame my absence on the fact that I am leaving my site in just 9 days and have been slightly preoccupied. One of the things that Peace Corps recommends we do before leaving is make a list of all the things we are going to miss about our lifestyle in Nicaragua. Perhaps this list will give you all an inside view of what I love about my life here. This is what I have come up with so far:


1. My view and two hammocks
2. The boat ride to my site
3. The pace of life
4. Arctic Victoria beer
5. “Buenas!”
6. The solidarity of the Juan
7. The collective yell heard around town when “¡ya vino la luz!”
8. Jeiner’s bar
9. The flock of white birds flying by my porch each night at sunset
10. Being a member of both the Parrales and the Pilarte families
11. 4th grade
12. Being famous
13. My Nica friends (especially Jaira, Karla, Darling, Johanna, Ruth, and Cecilia)
14. Chocobananos
15. The hotel on Sunday afternoons
16. Being swarmed by children
17. Evening chats with Jhassuha
18. Nica 37
19. Rain on the roof
20. Saying “adios” to everyone I pass
21. Feeling like an integral part of a community
22. Peace Corps medical services and general support
23. Chavalo errand runners
24. Being my own boss and making my own schedule
25. “Ideay?”
26. Buying everything in individual units (just one egg, one beer, one stick of butter)
27. The absence of the concept of awkward
28. The ability to buy something for six cents (meneitos, pan simple)
29. People singing at full volume with no shame
30. How emphatic Spanish is
31. Knowing everyone
32. The sense of joy I get when my clothes dry in one day
33. Walking into anyone’s house at anytime with no previous notification
34. Quesillo, cacao con leche, maracuya
35. Not caring what I look like
36. Pirated DVDs
37. Trips to Managua
38. Granada and the Laguna de Apoyo
39. Calling all small children “pipito”
40. The affability and generosity of Nicaraguans