These are a few of my favorite (and least favorite) things: Week 1 in Nicaragua ~by Tara, Friday December 28

This is one of those times when you look back on a span of time and think, “Could it really have been ONLY a week??”  It feels like we’ve been here so much longer already, partly because there is often SOOOO much activity packed into a single day that it feels more like 3 days all in one.  So the crossing of the one-week point seems like a good time to take stock of some of the highlights so far, and with that some of the less enjoyable aspects as well. 

MY FAVORITE THINGS:

Outdoor classrooms.  I mean, the fact that it is the end of December and I can be sitting here typing this in a hammock chair on a balcony surrounded by night insect sounds, wearing pajama pants, flip flops and a light jacket…La Mariposa is a beautiful place, and the spaces set up around the school grounds for Spanish classes are perfect for enjoying all of that natural beauty and the life happening around you while working hard at a new language.  I love having reason to spend so much time outside, at a time when normally back home so much time would be spent indoors! 

Flowers in bloom.  Always one of the most joyfully startling things for me when coming from a season of brown, gray, and white in Ohio, is to arrive in a place where there is so much COLOR bursting everywhere!  Oh to have flowering trees that are in bloom all year round!  I love trying to capture the exotic colors and interesting shapes in photography as best I can.

New friends.  One of the most fun parts of La Mariposa has been all the different people we are able to meet, from all different places and backgrounds, different ages and motivations to come study language.  So far we have had fellow students from the UK, California, New York, Michigan…University students and teachers and retirees and Non-profit volunteers.  Unfortunately our children are the only kids here right now, but they jump right in chatting away with the other adults here, and everyone is so graciously tolerant and friendly with them!  Also very unfortunately, the number of students is very low overall after the political crisis of the summer, so there are not as many new friends to make as there would have been a year ago (so hey, come study Spanish!).

Puppy snuggles.  Few things could make a new place more quickly feel like home than being greeted by a pack of happy dogs.  The very recently rescued puppy “Pecas” (Freckles in Spanish) has certainly contributed to our children feeling welcomed and excited to be here, and Denver shared in a previous post the pictures of Cheyenne being entertained by the job of tossing handfuls of food to all the 12 dogs who live on the school grounds.  The school’s founder, Paulette, had a hobby of taking in and rehabilitating neglected dogs (and cats) from the street, which has grown into a big part of the character of the school, what makes it really unique.

The best weekend views.  Which would be lush green mountainsides seen from the back of a horse! There is a time slot reserved for me to sign up to go horseback riding up the mountain ONCE A WEEK.  The horses are also those that have been rescued from abuse and neglect by Paulette, and now in addition to once a week rides up the mountain road by students, they are also used for Equine Therapy for children with disabilities in one of La Mariposa’s community programs.  Which was my DREAM as a teenager (and yeah, probably still is…).    

Stunning landscapes.  I love trying to take photographs that capture the vast sweeping beauty of the new parts of creation we’ve been awed to experience so far (and the smallness of us in comparison), from volcanic crater-formed lakes under blue and white-clouded skies, to the depths of the heart of a volcano both mesmerizing and terrifying at the same time.

Children’s enthusiasm for new experiences.  Like needing to hand-wash clothes.  The day I told the kids to each pick out a dirty outfit to bring down for a clothes-washing lesson, I couldn’t believe how excited they each were to try it out and how proud they were to have completed to process independently.  I’m sure that will wear off, but for now… And also of course the more exciting but potentially scary or stretching experiences, like walking through creepy underground tunnels of a fort that once held prisoners, and staring into the abyss of an active volcano. Their natural curiosity and love of learning usual wins out over fear!

AND FEW NOT-SO-FAVORITE THINGS…

Children’s difficulties with new experiences.  Like a diet made up of mostly rice, beans, vegetables, and platanos in every form (similar to a banana but for cooking, served baked, fried, sweet, crunchy, with eggs, with salsa…)—the school’s menu is mostly vegetarian, to be more sustainable.  We’ve had better luck the past few days with some pasta and egg dishes that they’ve really liked, but for a few days earlier in the week the amount of whining and refusing to try things at meals was rough. The availability of a big bowl of the freshest fruit with granola and cornflakes at breakfast every morning is a big help!  And then Cheyenne’s adjustment to the 4 hours of the morning spent with her one-on-one teachers and having difficultly communicating (loud yells of “No, Daddy help!” from across the campus while we are in classes…).  But the past two mornings her later morning teacher has been able to rock her to sleep for a morning nap that she very much needed!

Bringing Ohio cold and flu bugs along for the ride.   I mean, we were supposed to be skipping that whole season by coming to a warmer climate for the winter, but when two kids wake up the morning of the flight already coughing…In just one week here we have had Quinten throwing up through a night with what seemed to be the 24-hour stomach flu that all of the girls had already back home, and Cheyenne’s cough virus progressed to a pretty awful croup-like level that kept waking her up for multiple nights.  Being away from home and the normal remedies and comforts one would usually use to help your sick child feel better faster was stressful, but also humbling to think about all the parents in parts of the world who helplessly watch their children suffering and dying from much worse conditions. Perspective.

Living in Close Quarters.  I love our kids, and this trip is a lot about experiencing new things WITH them and making memories TOGETHER, but man, SOMETIMES…Sometimes, on days when there isn’t a trip and we are all inside the school for the whole day, and it is hard to ever be alone or get a break from keeping Cheyenne from getting into everything she shouldn’t, and Quinn and Thea are bickering or extra whiny, and we all share ONE ROOM with a bamboo screen dividing the middle and nowhere to escape to alone to recharge…I start to feel a bit claustrophobic, surrounded on all sides by my children, like I don’t have enough room to breathe. Today (Friday) was one of those I-can’t-handle-being-around-you-anymore, anxiety-inducing kind of afternoons. Of course, if we were at home with the kids out of school for Christmas break right now I’d probably be feeling about the same way by this point in the week…but at least I could send them to their rooms!

Hand-washing clothes WHILE potty training.  *Sigh* I don’t think that needs further explanation…

So that is a peek at life, one week into our adventure.  A lot more to look forward to, and many more challenges to overcome. We are excited to be able to share them with all of you following our journey!

~Tara