The Other Side

Before leaving Nicaragua I talked about returning to the U.S. with other volunteers and referred to it as “the other side”.  Although I had returned home twice during my 2 years of service, my return trip back was completely different.  In the last year of my service I think I finally grasped just how special Nicaragua is and how much I loved my life lifestyle during service.

Reverse culture shock is something Peace Corps tries to prepare you for as you close your service, but honestly it hasn’t been an issue.  Of course I’ve done silly things like address people in Spanish when they clearly don’t speak the language.  I’ve gone through a drive through and passed the order window with out even realizing it and wound up at the pay window with nothing ordered in my name.  Little American conveniences that are new or I haven’t used in quite some time tend to surprise me. 

The transition from Nica to AZ and then on to South Carolina for grad school was quick, but honestly I don’t know if I would have had it any other way, now that I’m here.  I like having a new focus and meeting new people immediately. I’ve never been good at sitting in limbo and twiddling my thumbs for very long.  I arrived in SC a week ago now with hopes of moving in to a place right away, but with nothing available, my roommate Chalin and I are renting a house from some undergrads who are gone for the summer.  Low and behold our third night in the house we didn’t have electricity because they forgot to pay the electric bill.  Another week went by and the water went out.  I swear it was like Nica all over again, but honestly I didn’t mind it.  I found it quite comical actually that here I am in the U.S. and this doesn’t even phase me anymore.

What I don’t find comical is how much everything costs!  I can’t even remember what things cost before I left for Nica for a comparison, but I sure as heck don’t remember toothpaste costing $5 or a dinner out being so darn expensive.  Granted everything was so cheap in Nica and I was used to dealing in cordobas that I’m flabbergasted every time I take dollar bills out to pay for something.  Spending $20 in Nica was a huge purchase.  I find myself comparing prices of things on craigslist as I buy things for my new life in Columbia, SC to have a better understanding of what things cost. 

Now that I’ve crossed over to the other side I am starting to realize the impact that living two years abroad had on me.  The number one thing that drives me crazy in the U.S. is the amount of time people spend on their smart phones instead of interacting with the people around them.  I look around me at a bar and realize that there is more virtual communication going on than face-to-face.  A new application I just learned about called Tendr lets people search for a girl/guy by distance from them, their picture on their profile, and friends in common.  It’s basically replacing organic chemistry that exists between two people.  I am clearly not a supporter and grossed out by the amount of young men and women utilizing the app.  I am clearly behind on several trends including Dub Step and smashbox burgers.

What I do find comfort in is my spanish class.  My Peace Corps friend and fellow classmate, Chalin, and I have a high-level Spanish class all to ourselves.  The first day of class we just had an hour and a half conversation about our Peace Corps experience, which felt awesome!  I hadn’t spoken more than a few words since landing from Nica and it was such a release!  It was also very comforting that I could understand absolutely everything my teacher was saying in perfect Spanish because I had a hard time understanding many Nicaraguans at some points.  I also had lunch with a graduate of my program from Chile and we spoke the entire time in Spanish with complete understanding of each others' idioms!  What a great feeling to know my Spanish training will translate across countries even though I spoke quite a bit of slang over the last 2 years.

Our first night out in Columbia with the gang!

It’s also amazing to have my buddy Chalin as we go through this transition together.  We speak in Spanish and understand what’s going through the other one’s mind.  We both get overly excited about silly first world conveniences and the variety of food available.  We can even share the cost of books!

Besides my stomach being upset from all the rich foods and feeling freezing wherever I go due to my lack of exposure to AC, I’m doing pretty well.  I really enjoy the people in my program so far and we have bonded already.  It’s the end of week one and I can’t even count on my hands the number of times we’ve all hung out.  I was stoaked when a few class mates, Will and Kristen, wanted to go trail running with me through a state park this past weekend. It also sounds like there are a few surfers in the group so I won’t be alone in hunting down waves.  This weekend a large group of us are heading to Adam's lake house for  three nights for some water skiing, booze cruisin and bonding time!  Almost feels like Peace Corps group all over again!

Mermaid

"I must be a mermaid.  I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living."- Anais Nin

This quote is at the top of mind as I transition back in to living in the U.S.  I have to say my greatest fear in life is to live with out depth, intention and awareness.  This is quite possibly the worst thing that could happen - to lead a shallow life.

I reflect on all the memories and experiences that awakened much of the inner mermaid in me during my time in Nicaragua.  Not only the connection with the ocean, but the interaction with raw nature, living simply and with out excess, my personal growth and reflection, as well as all the deep interactions with many people.  I was literally a fish out of water when I arrived and some how I've linked the two worlds to feel more like I belong on land and in water.  The challenges I faced forced me to grow and dig a bit deeper.  There is a sense of accomplishment in realizing that I was the happiest(and still am) living in Nicaragua with out all the amenities that I once thought were necessary.  The daily adventures and challenges kept me engaged, alive, and aware.   Even after two years in Nica, life was unpredictable.   Every day held something new and I realize that is how I want to live from here on out.

I will not let myself be complacent.  Impermanence is a word that has also come up lately.  My time in Nica had an expiration date, but then again doesn't everything?  Not all relationships, jobs, life challenges are meant to last and isn't that what makes life so interesting?  and unpredictable? and impermanent?  the one thing that we can rely on is change.  But we owe it to impermanence for helping us grow because each time we make an adjustment we are thrust in to that space of the unknown where we must dig inside to get ourselves through. And although it sometimes is scary or painful, doesn't it always reward us with enlightenment and a lesson learned when we come out on top?  It's powerful stuff. (one of my Peace Crops theme songs)

Although I was not 100% ready to leave Nicaragua I know that I was getting really comfortable in my lifestyle and work.  Not that I would have ever felt complacent, but I am inviting the next step and challenge to make sure that I keep growing as I go forward.  I also know now that the lifestyle I had in Nica is something I want to mesh in to my future.  Grad School will challenge me in different ways and one of them will be to not loose sight of all that I have grasped during my time abroad.  My feelings about the ocean, the people I met, and the Nica culture will never change and I intend to push to keep those feelings strong and cherish their impact.

My journey ahead may have a more practical set up in comparison to the Peace Corps, but I will push myself out of my comfort zone every chance I get.  I will also make it back to the all so familiar Latin American scene come my study abroad in Guadalajara, Mexico and internship in South America to challenge myself in completely different ways.

As I transition I see many differences in values between Nicaragua and the U.S. , which makes me appreciate and also frustrated with our country.  This is where I want to be aware.  To not fall in to the typical work, eat, work out and sleep routine that we all have seen too often.  I will not become a part of the rat race and can say after my experience in Nica that this goal is very doable.  In fact you just have to manifest it for yourself.  I met individuals who made their dreams of starting an eco-lodge and NGO to rebuild an impoverished community a reality.  They have been truly inspiring along with many others.

I see how quickly we race around in the U.S. and judge ourselves if not every second is productive.  I do the same, but have gotten better at just soaking up the present, whatever it may hold.  When I head out to surf, I say," that every day on the water is a good day", waves or no waves.  Obviously I'd like to catch a wave, but what about just sitting on my board past the break soaking in the scenery?  Maybe in my previous life I wouldn't have thought that as productive.

I look at my calendar and realize the only thing I have noted is the first day of classes for my International MBA Program on June 3rd and a wedding for my friend Julia in Philly on July 19th.  This freaks me out, but also gives me a wealth of excitement as this new journey unravels.  And no I probably won't be surfing or hiking volcanos with as much frequency, but the beauty of not knowing what will fill my calendar is exciting.

On Chinandega's oceans is where I met a wealth of amazing individuals who will forever be with me.  I gained myself the nick name of weekend mermaid as I would show up each weekend to surf with out fail.  I promise to make it back to this place that literally stole my heart.  I also promise to return to the ocean as much as possible to re-wet my scales and remember what makes me tick and keeps me alive.  I promise to stay aware, alive and to challenge myself do live deeper and to never approach shallow waters.

Shout out to my friend Chris for capturing my last great surf in Nica!  Chris is also the gal that did all the work to produce the Artesenia del Mar jewelry catalogue and is now continuing to work with the ladies.  Check out her work at http://designbodyandsol.wordpress.com/

**My friend Ryan gifted me this song and told me it reminded him of me a few days before I left country and I've been listening to it non-stop since. Vampire Weekend- Unbelievers reminds me of my move back the states and what the future may hold.

Gratitude

This is what I feel as I come to the end of my service-Pure gratitude for my placement in this beautiful country in the city of Chinandega.  I am grateful for the people that have crossed my path and become key components to my experience here.

I have met amazing individuals that have helped me to re-define the meaning of living fully and whole-heartedly.  I have learned to love more freely, judge my self a little less, and define a good day as having a personal connection whether it be with myself or someone else.  This place and the people I have become close with(Nicas, Volunteers, and ex-pats) have forever changed me, and I am grateful for that.  I still love the great outdoors and the ocean, but with a greater intensity and appreciation than ever.  I feel I have become a more pure, uncluttered, down to earth version of the gal that left the states two years ago. 

I have immense gratitude for the counterparts and organizations that helped me to make my dream of improving the lives of Latin American women a reality. I have worked with women entrepreneurs in meeting their personal and professional goals.  I have influenced business owners, youth and educators.  I have loved many Nicaraguan people and they have changed me eternally.  I have surfed and salsa danced my heart out.  I have challenged myself in so many ways- emotionally, physically and intellectually.  I came in to this experience with an open mind and heart, to fill it up with much more than I thought I ever could.  I am so very grateful for this.

I am grateful that the people I have worked with have chosen to express their gratitude for me in various ways.  The ladies of Pro Mujer put on a house party with loud salsa music, friend chicken, soda and a gift of a turtle statue: I only like the first of those four things, but I’m so grateful!  I love that this is how they show me how grateful they were for my two years of working closely with them. 

Regret is not a word I like to use, mainly because I don’t believe it exists; it’s simply an unhealthy form of dwelling in the past.  Everything happens for a reason and you learn from it.  As I reflect back on my service and begin to put on paper what these 2 years meant, I contemplate if there is anything that I have left undone, but there isn’t.  I am grateful for every ounce of sadness, discomfort, rejection, joy, accomplishment and triumph I experienced.  Because the harder times help me to grow and realize just how grateful I am for all the wonderful things in my life.

I am grateful to have experienced living in a developing country and realize just how great we have it in the U.S. and where our values could be considered out of whack. I can say I truly have loved living here and I’m hesitant to re-immerse myself in the first world, but I’m grateful that I have that opportunity to do so if I chose.  I can’t tell you how many Nicaraguans have asked me to take them with me to the U.S., jokingly, but with all seriousness.

I am grateful that the stars aligned and I will be studying at the University of South Carolina in an internationally focused MBA program that fits me perfectly.  I’m grateful that I will be traveling back to Latin America with in nine months as I continue to study and feed my craving to travel.  I’m grateful that my position with Peace Corps and my past experiences has helped me to obtain a scholarship in the process.

I am grateful for all the friends and family back home who have supported me and even made their way down to see my life in Nicaragua.  I am grateful that you all have taken an interest in what I chose to do with my life for two years here in Nicaragua.  Thank you.

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Love is in the Air

The final weekend of Semana Santa I made my way back home to Chinandega for Holly’s wedding on Saturday the 31^st.   This wedding, unlike any other I have been to,  triggered something with in me and for the first time I saw for my own eyes what I would like to have one day.

As I pass Kim, Holly and her sisters on the way to prep for the wedding my heart skips a beat and I start getting excited for the festivities.  When I pull on to the Coco Loco property a wave of comfort and belonging engulfs me.  I was not sure if I was going to make the wedding on time with Semana Santa traffic and the stress falls from my shoulders.  Holly’s surfer friends greet me with white pore cleansing face masks as they play the guitar in hammocks on the front porch of their cabana.  Instantly loving Holly and Kim’s families and friends we head to where the wedding will take place at La Bahia owned by our friends Jimmy and Lisa just down the beach.  We walk in greeted by a beautiful ocean view and familiar faces.  Holly and Kim brew their own beer and made an amazingly hoppy beer for the occasion to accompany Lisa’s signature cocktail-passionfruit and rum.  Non-traditionally we all mingle over drinks with the bride and the groom before the ceremony.   Holly is wearing a simple white Marilyn Monroe style dress to her knees.  My jewelry ladies made a beautiful necklace of shells that covered Holly’s chest.  Her matching earrings and bracelet also have the same sea-foam beads that match Kim’s linen shirt.

Casually around sunset we all walk barefoot down to the edge of the property covered in birch trees looking  out over the bay where we surf.  Under a simple halapa Holly and Kim share their vows with each other, just them, no on else was involved in the ceremony.  Holly’s sister and Kim’s brother each share a special story about when they met their siblings’ spouse-to-be.  Their puppy Lobo was waits patiently in the half circle of folks that gathered around to witness the event.  At the couples signal he runs up with the rings tied to his collar.  Instead of “I-dos” Holly and Kim had made a wedding wine of calala, honey and gang to toast with.  We raise or hand carved glasses of jicaro seeds to toast to the couple's future together.

As the sun sets photos were taken, we smoked cigars and sipped our wine with the newly wed couple.  After the sun sets we make our way back to the pool for a candle lit dinner made by the amazing staff of Coco Loco.  They served fish tropical from the fisherman, nacatamales made by Victor’s mother, local leafy greens and much more.  Coco Loco's famous carrot-almond-cacao cake is served for desert just before the dance party. 

Jackie, Nikki and I make moves to get people going and before ya knew the entire wedding party is on the dance floor and the host Jimmy is pouring rum in to everyone’s mouth as he makes is way around the dance floor.  At one point the groom stops him abruptly and makes him par-take in his own activity.  One of Holly’s friends performs a break dance and every one has their chance to show-off inside the dance circle. 

Finally we make our way back to Coco Loco along the moonlit beach only to find ourselves back at the beach for skinny dipping.  The bioluminescence I had experienced on the Atlantic coast earlier in the week were even more intensified.  As we swim out to sea a continuous glow follows our bodies.

It was a beautiful wedding. It was small, simple, intimate, and real.  No unnecessary people were there or extra words said that didn’t need to be said.  Everyone felt the same about the bride and groom and the amount of love that they bring to the community.  Everything was connected, from the waves behind the couple as they married, to the brew served, to the jewelry made by local shells that Holly wore.  It was personal beyond words for everyone who came and shared the joy.

Semana Santa East Coast Style

This year Semana Santa feel on the last week in March which Noelle, Chalin, Ryan and I decided to treat ourselves to one last big trip.  We took off on Friday to Little Corn Island.  I had been twice before to spend a few days with my mom and Kevin when he visisted, but was never able to finish my Scuba Diving certification.  This time, I was determined and so glad I made the investment.  The four of us hippies had a sweet group dynamic and an amazing time together on this island of no shirts or shoes. The four of us snuggled up in a cabin at Casa Iguana enjoying basil mojitos and our own little private stretch of beach.  Granted this time around I didn’t linger on the beach as much I spent underwater exploring. 

When I tried scuba diving the last time I was on Little Corn I immediately feel in love with the underwater world.  There is an immense difference form snorkeling and free diving versus floating at the ocean bottom amongst sea creatures and their habitat.  Since I’m typically in to more “high impact” sports I wasn’t sure if I was going to get hooked or not, but my obsession with the sea took over.  The mermaid in me found complete serenity floating over the coral reefs and ducking under shelves and arches searching for sea life. Some of the highlights where encountering a ancient female sea turtle with the enormous amount of barnacles on her back revealing her age.  On that same dive we saw Dolphins before diving down and could hear their clicking noises underwater and enormous puffer fish with one eye When I was finally certified I went on a night dive which proved to be magical as  we turned off our flood lights to see the bioluminescence which were activated with each kick of my fin.  I swam amongst various sea turtles that decided to leave the comfort of the caves in the coral as I passed over them.  My last dive Chalin and I went with a dive master who was hunting Lionfish with a spear gun since they are not native to these islands.  As he killed and collected more fish the blood started to attract other creatures, two of them being Nurse Sharks.  As they tracked the sent you could see their bodies twitcing back and forth.  It was a feeding frenzy as the dive master fed them the fish one by one of the end of his spear.  Even though he was handing over their prey dead, the sharks still acted like they were on the hunt which was amazing to see as we floated only feet above them.

The diving was truly amazing, but Noelle and I got a sweet snorkel sesh in as well where we saw an enormous Eagle Ray. When I wasn’t pruning in the salt water or on the boat I was playing volleyball, chillen, or stuffing my face with amazingly fresh seafood. 

The four of us conveniently were in the same place as far as pursuing grad school after Peace Corps and agreed that this would be our last shebang before hunkering down to save for school.  In fact the night we decided to go all out with a big group and eat at the nicest place for dinner was the evening I checked my email on Ryan’s phone to find out that I had been awarded a merit scholarship to USC cutting my tuition in half!  The trip was an awesome chance to process all of these changes and opportunities before me.  We drank well ate like Kings for no more than $8 a night.  We indulged in margaritas, crack Pina coladas, run down seafood soup, lobster, coconut bread French toast, pork ribs and so much more.

I left Little Corn with a clearer view of what my next few years were going to look like and finalized that I could live with my buddy Chalin at USC after 5 nights of living on top of each other in our little cabin.

ChatSalud

Since January I have been working on a social impact project called ChatSalud, which was started by a group of Peace Corps Health Volunteers.  I can't take credit for the innovative idea as that was all health volunteers, but I was asked to get involved in ChatSalud to leverage my finance background and sort out the project's finances.  

 ChatSalud is a free and anonymous text messaging service to educate rural and urban Nicaraguans on safe sex practices, HIV AIDS prevention, and reproductive health in rural areas via text messages.  One thing that was surprising to me when arriving to Nica is that everyone has a cell phone, whether they have electricity or not.  It’s pretty common to bum electricity off a neighbor or business to charge your cell phone and everyone has one.  There fore about 90% of Nicaragua can be reached via their cell phone and have service to access ChatSalud.  Users text a message to the mainframe and then receive a menu with a list of topics they can read about via text. The user and system keep going back and forth in a "pin-pong" like fashion until the user is satisfied with the information.  Of course these text messages and mainframes cost money so we have been working on getting investors to buy in.   We believe this system will be extrememly successful given that one of the largest barriers to sexual health education is “pena”.  This Spanish world does not directly translate well to English, but basically means embarrassment.  Nicaraguans don’t like to talk about subjects such as sex, sexually-transmitted diseases, or contraceptives.  Also most rural Nicaragua communities are so small that every one knows everyone’s business.  If a young girl were to walk to the health clinic, every one in her town would know and possibly start roomers.  We hope ChatSalud’s anonymous system, to the point that we can’t even see the number texting in to the system, will help break down this barrier known as pena.

We have already had buy-in from a company called CRONOs who has sponsored servers for the mainframe.  Also one of the largest cellphone service providers Claro has agreed to sponsor all incoming and outgoing text messages, which alleviates a huge expense.  Several Nicaragua universities have provided student programs to help set-up the system and keep it running in a sustainable manner. The next step was to meet with NGOs in Nicaragua that work in the health, women's rights advocation, HIV AIDS and technology sectors.  To name a few that were present: Red Cross Nicaragua, Pro Mujer, ASONVISIDA, Teran Foundation.  We met a the Word Bank where Nishant(ring leader) presented ChatSalud and how we hope to launch a three month pilot to start.  Everyone was extremely receptive and thought it was a great idea!  We formed committees to share responsibilities such as management, content development and advertising as we want this project to eventually be owned by Nicaraguans, not us volunteers.  It was amazing to see about 30 of Nica's most influential business men, NGOs, and academics gathered around an oval table at the World Bank! It's been amazing to be a part of something so entrepreneurial and innovative in the social sector.  Sadly I won't see the project all the way through since I will be leaving soon for grad school, but I hope that I find myself looking at a similar opportunity to get involved in the future in the social impact space.

Taking it Rural

My readers I’m sure have picked up by now that the city of Chinandega where I live is a large city.  It doesn’t mean that it is on par with even a small city in the U.S. by any means, but it has grown a ton since I arrive almost 2 years ago.  We now have a mall with a food court, movie theatre, casino and restaurants.  Two Nicaraguan “5 star” hotels have been built for businessmen and tourists to stay in luxury.  We now have a few cafes and nice restaurants with air conditioning, one of them being a sushi joint.  This may not sound like a big deal to you, but it is for Nica!

Chinandega’s growth is exciting, but it has also voluntarily pushed me to take my work more rural.  I was already traveling frequently to rural beaches to work with the women of Artesenia del Mar and Waves of Hope, but I’ve stepped up my traveling in the new year.  I have been working with Pro Mujer Micro Finance Institution to take my trainings up north to train rural women entrepreneurs in business management skills.  In addition I am also working with the NGO CSMMO, which is basically Chinandega Services for the Movement of Women in Business(translated).  I blogged about them back in the beginning of the year when we elected several women’s cooperatives to receive foreign funds based on their goals to reinvest in their coop. 

Now I am traveling with a Nicaraguan counterpart Candelaria to visit these cooperatives in different parts of rural Chinandega and Leon to offer 2-day workshops.  The women self-organize in their community to host the training and offer lunch to the 20 women invited.  We performed our first training in Jicaral, Leon inviting women from two small communities focusing on self-esteem, the meaning of being a women in society, goal-setting, client service, marketing, accounting, budgeting and saving over the span of two days.  As many of you know, this was my passion before ever coming to Nica, to empower women to take control of their lives and create a future for themselves and their children.  I have become even more passionate about this type of aid after arriving in country and witnessing just how negative the effect of machismo can have on Nicaraguan women.

I loved getting to know these women over the two days, personally getting to know them, their lives, their goals, and being serenaded by an 80 year with a heck of a voice.   At one point we played a version of musical chairs to keep the women from falling asleep in the heat.  Picture women ranging from age 18 to 80 running around to grab the last seat and at one point breaking a plastic chair because they jumped in to it with such force.  It was one of those moments down here where everything almost freezes and I take a step back to look around at my setting of lively Nica women, the wilderness around us, the smell of baho cooking for lunch and the sound of bachata playing in the background.  My mind flicks back in time to what I thought Peace Corps would be before accepting this position and I smile, knowing that the decisions I have made have helped me to create this reality.

I won’t know how many of the women will actually implement what I taught them or if their financial situations will improve, but that’s the nature of the work.  I think after two years I’ve finally become OK with that and realized it’s the experience for not only myself, but for them that matters most.  I know that I loved sitting around over lunch and talking and listening to music.  I know that at the very least they walked away with a better idea of how to track their expenses, a design they created for branding their business, and a goal to work towards.  I had to travel 2 hours each way on a sweaty school bus to get to them each day, but it was so worth it.  The cooking was awesome and I am always well taken care of when around Nica women.  At the end of the training the woman who hosted sent us out in to her yard with a long stick to knock fresh cohote fruit out of her trees to take home.  It reminded me of when a piñata finally breaks and candy goes spewing everywhere as we scrambled to not let the fruit linger on the ground for too long. Cohote is a small green fruit that can be sweat/sour depending on its ripeness, but always better when rolled in salt.

Before I knew it I was back in Chinandega in time to make dinner and then head to the city of Leon in a microbus for salsa dancing with the Chinandega Salsa group.  It was almost culture shock to go from a rural community to turn around and be at a salsa dance club in the city of Leon just hours later surrounded by foreigners and Nicaraguan University students.  That has been the nature of my service here.  I have been lucky to have opportunities and experiences to appreciate everything this country has to offer.  I am really going to miss working with the women, natural beauty, waves, salsa, traveling, friends I've made, food and so much more.  It finally set in that I have created my reality here.  I have created a new life that will be hard to uproot once again.

Kev and Kaz Go South

I’ve been meaning to write this post after my buddy Kevin left in the beginning of February, but there was so much to cover that it was almost a daunting task because I wanted to do his trip justice.  Kevin, long-time friend from my internship at Vanguard and U of A, came down to Nica mid January to pay me a visit.  Kevin served as a Youth Development Volunteer in Ukraine, which is partly why we hadn’t seen each other in 2 years!  It sounds like forever, but our lives have paralleled so much that we jumped right back in where we left off.  In fact we even found some interesting parallels between Nica and Ukraine while he was here:men flipping up their shirts to reveal their bellies when they are hot, tons of stray dogs, machismo, etc.

Kevin and his Dad Kaz started their trip in Mexico City for NYE and worked their way down to the Yucatan where they caught a flight to Managua.  We went straight to Little Corn Island to relax and catch up as we soaked up the scenery from Casa Iguana’s deck.  It was a real treat to travel with Kevin’s father.  At 69 he went barefoot running with us, took a discover scuba course and even did a little yoga.  I was thoroughly impressed, as I can’t say I don’t know many 69 year olds who can keep up with us 20 somethings like he did.  He said he came only for the lobster dinner, but participated and contributed so much more to the experience as a wise Japanese man who moved to the States at age 27.  It was an amazing 5 days on the island scuba diving, yogaing, playing photography, and just plain chillen.  Kevin engaged in some competitive volleyball with the local boys and we met some Canadian girls who became our dinner dates as we bounced between restaurants comparing the quality of lobster and island fare.  In the end Rosa’s had the best Run Down soup and Bridget’s had the best lobster.  The last evening we made the god awful trek across sea to Big Corn Island where Kev and I almost threw up from sea sickness.  After a few hours in a hammock we were able to enjoy the beautiful Italian owned hotel and restaurant we were staying at.  On the shore of Big Corn we had a three course amazing Italian dinner cooked by the owners who were from Rome.

Kevin is a professional photographer so I took advantage and picked his brain while he was here.  We spent several hours just playing photography with different subjects and I learned quite a bit.  Hopefully Kevin will bless this post with some of his awesome photos.

After leaving Corn Island I was expected in Managua for training so Kevin and his Dad made their way to Leon for a few days until Kaz flew out and Kev and I continued our travels.  The next stop was the island of Ometepe.  Are you seeing the island theme here?  As we could not make it all the way to the island from Managua that day, we made a stop off in San Juan with my friend Noelle to eat some delicious Mediterranean food.  The vegetable curry and shish kabobs were a nice break for all of us as traveling tends to take a toll on your diet, especially in Mexico.  We stayed in a quaint little hostel perched up in the hills over looking the town of San Juan.  The next day we headed out towards Ometepe and realized once we got there that we wouldn’t be making it to the other side of the island as planned.  So on a whim we decided to stay in Noelle’s town and hike the La Concepcion volcano the next day.  That whim turned out to be a very good decision.  We woke up at 5:30 to start our climb up the second largest volcano in Nicaragua.  I had been planning on running the Fuego y Agua marathon up this volcano, which I wrote a post about, so it was a great chance to test her out before race day.  As we started the climb a local was kind enough to cut down some branches and shave them down in to a walking stick, at the time little did we know how much we would need them on the way down.  So I would consider myself athletic or at least in shape and Kevin is an expert hiker having spent 3 months on the Pacific Crest Trail.  I’ve hiked other volcanoes, but this was by far the hardest climb I’ve ever done.  We were pretty determined to get to the top quickly and pushed ourselves with out much rest at all.  As we climbed we started to hit different patches of climate.  The cloud cover started to play a roll in cooling us down all while the wind started to pick up.  We encountered enormous Venus fly trap looking plants and other exotic leafy vegetation.  The moisture in the air became so thick that drops of water were falling from the tip of my nose and whisked from my eyelids.  It was hard to keep our balance, as the wind was incredibly strong.  I couldn’t even hear what Kevin was yelling to me as the terrain changed to volcanic rock approaching the crater. Kevin has a video on his iPhone and it looks like we are in the middle of a hurricane climbing to shelter.  At one point our guide just stopped and sat down on the rocks that were emanating heat and explained he would go no further because it was dangerous and one could actually be blown over the edge in to the crater.  That was it for me.

About a third of the way down the volcano, the clouds began to disperse a bit and the breathtaking view submerged.  By now you may know that Ometepe is an island formed by 2 volcanoes in the middle of Lake Nicaragua.  As we looked out we could see volcano Maderas looming next us, and the enormous ocean like lake that surrounded the island.  It was an amazing site to see.  I can only imagine what the view would have looked like from the top had the weather been better.  As we worked our way down the energy we had exerted on the speedy ascend caught up to our muscles.  My legs were starting to give up as well climbed down the rock faces.  My walking stick helped to catch me when my knees buckled, but it felt like the descent would never end.  Kev and I started laughing hysterically from exhaustion, as our arms would fling up over our heads when our knees buckled in effort to regain our balance.  When we finally reached flat land I couldn’t bend my knees in fear that my quads wouldn’t hold my body weight.  Back at the hostel we drank some well-deserved litros and peanut butter sandwiches, our staple for the trip.  We still had to make it to Finca Mystica that afternoon which is where we were staying for the next few nights.  It was a much longer trek than I expected and when the bus dropped us off about 40 min walk short of our destination I wanted to cry.  Luckily alternate transport showed up and we enjoyed the sunset from the bar/restaurant.  The next few days were spent chillen, eating amazing food, story telling about our volcano hike, playing photography and hunting for monkeys. 

Next stop was Granada as we were determined to visit a cigar factory.  We made some Canadian friends along the way, a really cool couple from Whitehorse.  We got to see first hand how they roll cigars and press them.  We made our own and smoked a bit.  I ended up buying a few aromatic cigars as I can only handle so much of the extremely bold flavor of tobacco.  After our purchase we made our way to the Calzada for Sangria and dinner.  The rest of the night was spent playing cards, smoking cigars and watching my own team the Tigres from Chinandega win the Baseball Championship!

Last but not least we made our way up to Chinandega.  We stayed a night at Coco Loco and then at my host family’s house on the beach where we played with my puppy, surfed, and tried to skin board.  One morning we rented a boat with my friends Jackie, Jamie, Victor, Daniel and Nikki to go fishing.  Our fishing with rods made from branches and using our empty tona bottles as weights didn’t prove to be very functional so we resorted to wakeboarding in the estuary.  Apparently there had been reports of small crocodiles in the estuary, which was incentive to stand the hell up on the wakeboard, but I never did. Wah wah.

The last night of the trip my host parents Martha and Julio came back from their grandson’s birthday party in the city around 7 pm.  Julio was full on drunk off Vodka and proclaimed that he was going to speak in English with us tonight.  Kev doesn’t speak much Spanish and Julio is usually too embarrassed to break out his English so this was a real treat.   It was hilarious the stories we got out of him!  We were all drinking vodka for a good few hours until Julio declared bedtime and proceeded to give Kevin a big hug and tell him that he was always welcome here and to let him know if he could find him land here in Nica.  Julio’s hug literally engulfed Kev.  It was the perfect way to end a great trip.

It was awesome having Kevin come see my life down here and I realize that the best of friends never change over time.  I wish you luck Kev as you move back to the Ukraine and start a new chapter with Natalia.  You are truly an amazing friend.  Thank you for visiting!

Fuego y Agua Ultramarathon

This past weekend runners from all over the world and Peace Corps Volunteers from Nicaragua traveled to the island of Ometepe for the Fuego y Agua Ultramarathon.  The event consisted of a 25km run up volcan La Concepcion at 1600 meters, 50km up volcan Maderes at 1300 meters, 100km up both volcanos and a survival obstacle course based run.

The 25 km trail was an unforgettable experience and it reminded me just how much I love the challenge of running.  It's an incredible feeling to push yourself and realize just what your body and mind is capable of accomplishing when put to the test.  Truly amazing.  I'm not going to lie, I was nervous going in to the race, under-trained and sporting a healing broken toe.  In the end it was the shuffle down a steep incline that made my IT Band flair up and ache the last 5 miles of the race, but nothing ice and tiger balm couldn't fix.

We started the run at 7 am, too late in my opinion as the sun was already blazin.  We took off through a dirt ravine lined with trash and cow dung heading toward La Concepcion Volcano.  We ran past fields of crops and dodged cattle as they blocked our path.  As we gradually climbed I took the first aid station, and last chance to refuel before the steep climb, way too loosely.  As my run gradually slowed to a straight up hike the lack of fluids really hit me.  Fortunately a friendly Costa Rican gal that I started the climb with offered me water as we continued together.  People started to drop like flies and I found myself asking several people if they were ok and wondering how fast my dehydration could debilitate me.  Fortunately after grabbing a few dead tree branches which led to face planting in dirt, I made it to the top where it felt like the wind might blow me off the mountain.  I had to sit down to slurp down my GU gel and pound water.  After contemplating how much further I had to go I talked the guy at the aid station in to letting me take off with a half gallon of water in my hand.  Thank god!  As I shuffled down to where I could actually start running again I ran in to others that were in need of water.

It was cool getting to know the runners around you after settling in to a pace.  We would pass and re-pass each other and eventually learned each others names.  Other runners would shout my name as they heard the sloshing of my water chug approaching.  The last 5 miles were the most painful, but stretched over the best trail I've ever ran.  I ran up and down rolling hills while looking out over Lake Nicaragua from high up the volcano.  Dodging rocks and tree roots made it all that much more fun.  Settling in to a runners high over that kind of terrain was a blast.  After finishing the 25 km with some juice left, I regretted not pushing myself a bit harder.  But that's why they made the 50 k right?

I heard stories from other runners who hit up the 50km and 100km and completely gained my respect. Shout out to friends/bad-asses Sam Shepard and Jake Pritchard for rocking the 50 km!  Apparently the survival run only had 2 finishers!  The winner was the famous local Nicaraguan runner Johnson who ran with chickens, tree trunks, shimmied up trees, swam great lengths and basically survived what a good number of men and women could not.  We had the pleasure of sitting by Johnson during the award ceremony, whom proved to be a very humble and well spoken individual.  It is amazing how he is setting an example in a culture where ultra-running is not the norm and over all good physical health is not high on the list of priorities.  The winners in all four categories walked away with hand made Nicaraguan animal masks from the artisan town of Masaya.  A monkey represented the Survival run winners and was by far the most interesting.  The masks got progressively more fierce from 3rd place to 1st place.  The day after the ultramarathon a race was held for the youth of Ometepe Island.  The finishers got a pair of running shoes and a t-shirt.  Over all the event was an awesome mesh of culture as well as a display of camaraderie.

The next day we celebrated and rewarded ourselves with beers on the island beaches looking back at the volcanos we had conquered.  As we sat around telling stories, a survival runner participant came up with a large horse feed sack and told us to pull out our prize.  We quickly named him Santa Clause as he sported a narly mustache that curled up at the corners as came around with his sack.  I pulled out a liter of Tona, perfection.  We continue to reward ourselves with beverages all day and in to the evening. That night there was a runner's party with human bowling, Flamenco dancing, whiskey, cigars and breaking it down to some talented DJing.  All in all it was an unforgettable weekend.

Some fun semi-correct facts from my Garmin Watch.  Obviously 25km=15.5 miles so the elevation change messed with my watch a bit.

Some sported mohawks

my number was 311 :)

Santa Clause is sportin the hat, glasses, and the stash

FOMO

I learned this term from a good friend Jackie, who has taught me a ton about surfing and loving freely.  It was when my friends Julia and Kelly were visiting for my birthday that I discovered the condition that I have suffered from for many many years!  Kelly, Julia and I had just gone for a long horse back ride down the beach and were returning to Coco Loco to drop off the horses when we ran across Jackie.  She asked what we had been up to that morning.  We returned the same question and she answered, “Dude we went wakeboarding this morning up and down the coast.”  All of a sudden that hot itchy panicky feeling rises in my throat and I have no words, I’m horrified that I missed wakeboarding and all I can think about is how amazing it sounds to be whipping up and down the beaches of Coco Loco with all my friends wakeboarding on surf boards screaming my head off, hair blowing in the wind……and then I finally come back to the present moment. Jackie says, “Dude, you just had a serious case of FOMO amiga.”  “What’s that?,” I ask. “Dude, Fear of Missing Out, don’t worry I suffer from it too.” She says.

Seriously, I have issues!  I have this fear of missing out on all the amazing things life has to offer.  Probably why I run around full-speed from sunset to sun down.  My mom was always telling me to just be present in the moment and stop racing ahead to the next event, but how can I when there are so many cool things out there to experience?  I’m doing better these days.  I’ve self medicated with yoga, meditation, and learning to play the guitar to calm the heck down and live in the moment.  It’s just so much more fulfilling to be in that one moment and disconnect from all that is happening around you.  With that being said, I think there is also a healthy amount of FOMO that drives me to make the most out of life.  It makes me who I am.  Running half marathons is half the physical challenge and half FOMO, knowing that I can’t die not having the experience of running one.  Low and behold I really liked it!  Just like surfing, I can't live this close to amazing surf beaches and leave this beautiful place not having surfed.  Again I’d like to attribute many of the things I do to FOMO, because I may never have tried it in the first place with out my mental condition.  Thank you Jackie for diagnosing me.

So I hope that I have instilled a bit of FOMO in my readers to seize the opportunities that come your way because you never know if it will present itself again.

Gypsy

Lately I’ve been feeling very free, independent, no attachments to anything.  I realize that I lead a few different lives down here, which almost allows me to float and feel as though there is nothing holding me to an agenda or commitment, unless I let it.  Last week when the volcano outside my city was spewing ash I took the liberty to travel around the country with a few different groups of people, engaging in whatever opportunity came my way.  I felt very much like a gypsy floating from one situation to another with no idea what the next day would hold.  I went from surfing the beaches down south, to the colonial city of Granada sipping cocktails by the pool with my friends Mandy and Jeff, to the northern mountains of Esteli to raft a canyon within a span of 5 days.  I cherish these backpacking experiences and the excitement of having the plan of no plan.  And this is coming form Ms. Type A plan everything in advance.

Granted there are some negatives to that as well-not feeling like I belong anywhere, or that no one really knows or cares where I am, and no one really knows all the faces of who Kate is down here.   Sometimes I crave the people that just know what I’m thinking or feeling with out a word being said. But for now I want to focus on the freedom, because I know that one day a family and a career may not allow me to ever be back in this place, right here, right now.

If any of you have been on Facebook you may have noticed the amount of photos taken by the beach, surfing or riding horses.  Fortunately my proximity and attachment to the beach community of Manazano 1 has helped me to reach this level of freedom.  I float between my work in Chinandega in the high schools and NGO Pro Mujer and then back to Manzano 1 to work with Waves of Hope and the jewelry ladies of Artesenia del Mar.  Some weekends I float on over to visit friends in different parts of the country to clear my mind and have a new experience, but I realize I’m doing that with less frequency as I have found my heavenly place in Manzano 1.

It’s been awesome learning to surf and the intensity the ocean brings up for me is amazing.  As a double water sign, I’ve always felt at home by the ocean.  I’ve been able to get back to the things that connect me to my childhood- the ocean and riding horses- literally riding horses on the beach almost puts me over the edge.  A Nicaraguan family that I live with brought a beautiful sorral quarter horse stallion to their beach house where I can run him up and down the coast.  Freedom is what I feel when we are running full speed through waves that splash up in my face while my hair whirls around my face.  It’s that feeling of completely letting go and trusting the beast beneath me, whatever it may be.  Yet it’s a two way street, he trusts that I would never ask him to do something dangerous and I trust him to do the same.  Sometimes the beast is a massive wave that closes in on my board, but then again the trust arises.  Horses are made to run, waves are made to crash, and it is up to us to decide how we react.  I would like to make the conclusion that one cannot feel true freedom until they trust in themselves to let go, be a gypsy, at least just a little bit.