What has been the best thing about living in Nicaragua?
Emma: I really like living in San Ramon because we can just run around wherever we want. I just liked the whole thing - going on all the trips, experience stuff like horseback riding, learning Spanish, learning about the culture here. Nicaragua is not how I thought it would be. I thought it would be more like the United States than it actually is.
Hannah: I liked seeing nature and all the animals.
Aileen: I really like the people here, especially their sense of humor, perseverance and warmth.
Jeff: Living in another country provides many opportunities to learn new things about other cultures as well as yourself. Some of those can be tough lessons to learn but always worth the effort. On a lighter note, I really liked all of the trips to the beach - we just came back from a fishing village/beach called Masachapa and we going to a beach called Mechapa on Friday; learning to surf (a bit) was an added bonus.
Video Interlude
Here are links to a video of Emma and Hannah right before we left San Francisco and a video that they made in honor of our one year in Nicaragua.They are worth checking out if you want to see how much Emma and Hannah have grown in just 365 days.
What has been the worst thing about living in Nicaragua?
Emma: I missed all of my friends and family. However, I made many new friends here.
Hannah: I did not like the hot weather, fleas, ticks, rats, mice, and Jondri (a kid in her class). Oh yeah, I do not like cold water in the shower.
Aileen: Mosquitos.
Jeff: I sometimes got a bit bored living in such a small town. However, when I think about the 9 years prior to moving here, bored was not such a bad thing. In retrospect, being bored was sort of a choice as I could have found plenty to do if I had looked a little harder.
What was the coolest thing you did this year?
Emma: I really liked all of our trips, especially to Laguna de Apoyo.
Hannah: I really liked staying in hotels with TVs and hot water. I liked having pets like dogs and chickens. I also have two pet bugs, Tom and Rob.
Aileen: Building schools in communities that did not have them.
Jeff: Spending so much time with my family was an incredible blessing. The second best thing I did this year was our month long vacation in Peru. I like Nicaragua but am in love with Peru!
What was the hardest thing you had to do this year?
Emma: Getting used to school, really it is true; the fact that everybody screams and nobody raises their hands was hard.
Hannah: School was hard because kids yelled at me if I read faster than them. They would yell callate which means be quiet. When mommy tried to give me a cold bath and I pulled down the shower curtain..that was bad.
Aileen: Missing friends and family.
Jeff: Cooking everyday with limited ingredients and an even more limited imagination. Thank goodness for internet recipes and my Mom.
What are your favorite and least favorite places in Nicaragua?
Emma: Laguna de Apoyo and Playa Amarillo are my favorite places. I do not have a least favorite place.
Hannah: Laguna de Apoyo is my favorite place. The cold shower is my least favorite place.
Aileen: The estuary near Jiquillio beach is my favorite place and my least favorite place is the immigration office in Managua.
Jeff: Our adopted hometown of San Ramon is my favorite and least favorite place. I love walking out the door and being in the woods within five minutes. However, it is sometimes difficult living in a small town where everyone knows your business but it is hard to get to know anyone well. Luckily we all made some good friends and of course the longer you live somewhere the more accepted you become; unfortunately just as we are getting settled in it is time to leave.
What did you learn this year?
Emma: I learned about the culture. I learned to speak Spanish is what I really learned. I got better at guitar.
Hannah: I learned that I like living in the United States. I also learned lots of songs like the national anthem and some other things.
Aileen: That my children are amazing, strong and resilient.
Jeff: Being the primary caregiver for two children is incredibly hard work. This is the toughest job I ever had (and the most gratifying). I also learned that blogging is so 20th century and we should have tweeted everyday instead. However, if you have to blog - Wordpress is a better choice than Blogger!
Are you glad that you came here? Why or why not:
Emma: Yes, because if I didn't how would I have learned to speak Spanish and stuff like horse back riding?
Hannah: Yes.
Aileen: Yes. I am sorry that is all I have to say.
Jeff: Yes, it was amazing to watch the children adapt to Nicaragua and see Aileen kicking ass at her job. We have had some amazing experiences this year and met some wonderful people.
Do you have anything else to say?
Emma: I am sad to say goodbye to my friends but am excited to see everyone in the United States.
Hannah: I wish Cuate can come home with us and I want a Chiuaua too.
Aileen: I have the best family ever.
Jeff: I feel very re-energized after a year away from my work and am excited to see what comes next. Part of me feels that we are just getting started and I wish we had more time to experience life overseas together. However, we have all grown so much this year and that will stay with us wherever we are.
There you have it, one year's worth of wisdom in a single blog post. In typical Huang-Kositsky fashion we have no idea exactly when we are leaving San Ramon, where we are going or who is coming with us (i.e., Cuate). We will post an update as soon as we figure it all out.
Do you have anything else to say?
Emma: I am sad to say goodbye to my friends but am excited to see everyone in the United States.
Hannah: I wish Cuate can come home with us and I want a Chiuaua too.
Aileen: I have the best family ever.
Jeff: I feel very re-energized after a year away from my work and am excited to see what comes next. Part of me feels that we are just getting started and I wish we had more time to experience life overseas together. However, we have all grown so much this year and that will stay with us wherever we are.
* * *
There you have it, one year's worth of wisdom in a single blog post. In typical Huang-Kositsky fashion we have no idea exactly when we are leaving San Ramon, where we are going or who is coming with us (i.e., Cuate). We will post an update as soon as we figure it all out.
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