hi!
As most of you know, I grew up in Nicaragua for a chunk of my childhood. I was born in Delaware and lived there for the first five years of my life before my family was called to missions. I don’t remember much of Delaware since I was very young. I remember the simple things like my house, church, neighborhood, school, and friends and family. While I made memories in Delaware, the bulk were made in Nicaragua. So I consider it more “home.”
When I tell people I lived in Nicaragua, immediately their eyes widen with surprise and intrigue. The facial expression is usually followed with a “woah” and “that must have been crazy” or hard, an adventure, wild, odd. And yes, it kinda was all of the above reflecting on it as an adult. However, in the moment it was normal life. I didn’t know any different besides what my parents would point out every so often.
Here are some things that could be perceived as different and often abnormal (or as my family says “it’s not weird, it’s just different”)
- celebrating holidays like Thanksgiving in private since it isn’t a worldwide holiday
- buying produce or groceries off the side of the road (usually from an old grandmother with all her naked grandchildren running around)
- Living in a place with little to no fast food places like Starbucks, CFA, In n Out, or Chipotle.
- Turning the faucet handle on the left and getting cold water. both were cold water.
- brushing your teeth outside at school after lunch with the whole student body.
- seeing a family of 5 or 6 all fit on a motorcycle with their pig.
- being late to school because a herd of cows were in the road.
- all piling into the back of a pickup truck to drive to the store or work.
This was normal for me. It was different, but normal in my eyes.
For the last eight years, I have lived in Colorado, so I have re-acclimated to the American way. However, because of my childhood, I desire to travel and learn about different cultures. The globe holds so much. I was excited to return “home” to Nicaragua. I have teared up at the sight of lime trees, a family of 5 on a motorcycle, only having cold water come out of a faucet, and hearing the tongue I used to be surrounded by. It’s been sweet. I have missed this!
Thanks for listening 🙂
– ella
