Many people might think we are living a glamorous and exotic life in Nicaragua. Many people might think we are crazy for deciding to stay here. The reality is that we are staying at home like most everyone else that we know. The only time Michael or I leave the place we are staying is to get groceries. The kids have not left the development since we moved in two weeks ago.
We do have a nice view of the ocean from our balcony, but we do not go down to the beach and enjoy it. We see the town from our balcony, but we no longer go out to restaurants and explore the town. Most of the restaurants are closed or are only making deliveries or allowing for pick up. We do not have a car. We are doing fine, but it is not what we had imagined we would be doing when we set off on our journey. Is anyone doing what they imagined they would be doing right now?
We are extremely fortunate to be in the place we are now. It is spacious, so we do not feel like we are stepping on each other’s toes. We have a full-sized refrigerator and freezer (a first since we started traveling). We have a small dipping pool, so we can cool off in the afternoon when it is 90 degrees since our main level does not have airconditioning. We swim every day. We play a lot of cards because card games are the only games we brought with us.
Every day basically looks like the day before.
Judy wakes up most mornings around 5:30 am and walks around our little neighborhood while she listens to an audiobook. She feels like she spends most of her day in the kitchen either making a meal or cleaning up from one. Luckily, she has help from Lucas who has taken an interest in cooking. Henry is starting to take on dish duty. Both boys and Michael help with sweeping and cleaning. There are four people in this family, so we are working on sharing responsibilities more evenly and not basing tasks on normative gender roles.
The kids are up by 7 am. Most days they work on writing and math in the morning. They each have books they spend time reading each day. We spend time together learning about history and science. We are currently learning about early United States history and outer space. Minecraft is a new obsession for the boys.
Michael has been learning how to edit videos and has started a YouTube channel to document our adventures. You can check it out at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkZR1_PxGz0-z8nRSLD4mWA
There are things we miss about our old house and there are conveniences we wish we were able to have that we do not have here in Nicaragua. We do not own our house, so we cannot dive into house projects or yard projects. We have two suitcases worth of stuff, so we do not have board games and puzzles. The boys only have a limited about of toys. Grocery options are not like they are in the United States. The stores we shop in do not have pre-made meals. The fresh produce is limited.
We all spend a little too much time on technology, but we get a pass right now given the current situation. From about 1 pm to 5 pm each day it is too hot to do much of anything except swim or lay around.
We are here for at least another 4 weeks. The reality is we will probably be here longer, and we will probably be isolated the entire time. Each day will look like the day before just like it does for so many other people in the world.
