Sometimes it's good to stop pushing forward and take a moment to dwell on the simple goodness of where you are.
Things I love about Nicaragua:
Rainy season when it really arrives. The air is finally cool enough when it is raining and all the plants have water. Our kids dancing as it pours.
Vehicles. No one even bats an eye when you have to try to start your vehicle 5 times. Everyone's vehicles are about to fall apart and there is no judgement. If you can get yours to head down the road at any speed it sure beats walking.
Driving. Getting passed on both sides by motorcycles at the same time.
Swimming pools at restaurants. This is always a good idea in Nicaragua. The food is going to take anywhere between 1-3 hours to bring out so we look for someplace with a pool. We have our favorite places and the owners might have to wait for their "fruit guy" to show up before they can serve you. Just be patient and take a dip.
Less is more. While everyone else is trying to figure out their capsule wardrobe, in Nicaragua you can rock the same four shirts and 2 pairs of pants over and over. Hand washed, line dried, thrift store clothes never looked better.
No one expects things to go their way. It's suprising when you plan something and you still have power and water to pull of the activity. I have washed dishes and clothes with pool water and ocean water and read lessons with flashlights. No one is surprised or feels the need to leave.
Tomatoes year round
Fruit in season year round
Repairing things instead of buying new. Our weed wacker was fixed this week for $10. He took the whole thing apart and repaired it in about 6 hours.
Noticing how much garbage I make. I really liked my recycling bins in Oregon and I never felt like I wasn't doing my part. But every package I buy here I realize will either need to be reused, burned, or possibly picked up if the blessed garbage truck comes. It is an in-your-face approach to realize how much you are consuming.
Forced non-consumerism. There is nothing I want to buy. I can rarely locate something I would like for the house or books for school. Without Taraget or the ability to ship anything you find, you can make do without it. And if you are willing to pay $50 extra dollars to bring it down in a suitcase weighing under 50 pounds then you probably do need it.
Time for contemplation. There is a good portion of our life when the power is out, wifi is down, water is off, or its too hot to move. This makes time to think and listen. I think it is this reason alone that we feel we can move in direction of the Spirit with what we have. Not because we are more spiritual. Because the obstacles have been removed for us and we have time to dream and listen.