When I was offered my full-time position, I pushed the start date back as far as I could (aka like a week and a half, ha) so I could travel while I still had some time left. Originally I was aiming for South America, and more like Ecuador or Peru, but given some of the things I'd want to do around there, i.e., Machu Picchu, it seemed too overwhelming for a short time to try to hit it all up, and I didn't want to go all that way and then not make it there. So I set a few different price alerts all around and as soon as something struck reasonable, I bought the tickets, and that's how I ended up
SPENDING A WEEK IN NICARAGUA
A friend from NYC left around the same time I did, only she was headed to the California Bay Area to start med school, and she hit up Nicaragua in-between. She had great things to say and a great love for it, which was partly why I put it on my list and was so excited for it.
As soon as I bought the tickets, I started researching, planning my trip and booking my stay. And man, does the US dollar go far there! The plane ticket itself was, without a doubt, the largest expense. I was finding hotels for mere American dollars a night. I'm not kidding. As a matter of fact it was proving to be so cheap that I started looking into staying at beachside resorts. I ended up opting out of it, mainly because the resorts are secluded, and when traveling alone, hostels are always the best way to go to mingle, meet people, and be in the thick of it all. My hostels for the whole week totaled about $10. This gave me a much larger budget to work with, and it allowed me to see the capital, visit other towns hours away, visit a volcano, and tour neighboring cities.
The only downfall of the trip was that it felt too short, and I was jealous of these other people in my hostel who were in the middle of long-term trips, having just come from Colombia or leaving for Venezuela. My story was that I was heading back in a day to start a new job. Ha.
I remember when I landed in Nicaragua and I immediately recalled my trip to Guatemala in the summer of 2003. The airport felt similar. And I stepped outside to find my car service, aka this man's personal car, to drive me to Granada. The windows were rolled down, the night was hot and humid and we drove through the tiny villages with kids out on mopeds, playing soccer, piling in the backs of trucks. It was warm and tropical, flat land, and you can just tell you are in Central America. And I love Central America. I was happy to be back!
I just freaking loved the place, and especially my hostel in Granada. After a lot of time substitute teaching and hustling for a job, after the crazy weekend of Coachella, laying in hammocks, sunning with strong coffee in the brightly painted courtyards and lush landscape, it was the perfect escape and refresher.
Additionally, I felt as though I was living like a queen while I was there. I was buying clothes and souvenirs and even went out to five-star restaurants for $15. Needless to say, I definitely don't always feel that royal!
I love traveling. I love feeling the different level of the sun, smelling the different air, hearing the different birds, going through the different doors. Before I went to Nicaragua, I hadn't been out of the country since Thanksgiving in Montreal in November 2011, and this trip was April 2014, so I was long overdue. Many people are surprised when I talk about traveling, traveling alone, and traveling alone in third world countries. I suppose it's not for everyone, but if you have the inclination, you should do it! You CAN do it! And nothing compares! And I'm happy that I have the wherewithal to just do it, even if I do it alone. Actually, traveling alone is maybe my preferred method of travel. I love good trips with friends, but sometimes you just need that Eat, Pray, Love re-energizing. Ha!
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