DAY 4 - January 21, 2011

In Nicaragua for the 4th day and it feels so great to be hearing the generator running in the background at the mission. My mind has been constantly comparing this place to the other places I've been, especially Haiti and Africa. Justin and I were just discussing today as we walked through the village, how the standard of living here seems much better than where we've seen in Africa despite being the lowest in Central America. Almost every house has a tin roof, they have pumps on the top of wells, and so many animals running around. All the houses are built up on stilts to keep away from bugs, although right now I'm sitting in the dark writing with my headlamp on, and there isn't a single bug flying in my eyes! Sonya, Liz, and Hans – you know what I'm talking about. Working night shifts at the hospital in Africa, and being attacked by all the bugs attracted to our lights as we gave out medications. And I mean bugs up the nose, in the ears, down the scrub shirt, and in the morning we'd clear an entire layer of dead bugs off the desks in the wards. Here in Nicaragua the air is so clear at night!

And everything else seems to compare that way with Africa looking more extreme in every aspect. We went to the market in Puerto Cabeza to buy food and hardly got a few side looks. No mobs of kids touching us or people laughing at every word. There is an abundance of all types of food here. The outhouses have a cement block with a toilet seat on it to sit on. I actually miss the holes in the ground in Africa because it seems more sanitary than sitting on the nasty seat. So I've been climbing up on top and squatting over the hole. Haha! I never thought I'd miss that from Africa.

But I do wonder about this desire I have for things to be hard like in Tchad. Maybe because that experience pushed me so much in every way, making me grow in ways I didn't even know I could. And now I'm wishing for that again. I want experiences to happen even if it's hard. I'm sure it will come and then I'll be wondering what I was wishing for! The first few days here have just been so lax and laid back. I should probably cherish them. And I'm sure I'll be finding experiences unique to Nicaragua like the 3 tarantulas we've chased out of the girl's cabin already!