I have been in Nicaragua for 6 months!  It is hard to believe.  Some days I feel like I just got here and know nothing of this culture or my place here.  Other days it feels as though I’ve been here forever and fit just like I’m at home.  In either situation, the comfortable vs. the uncomfortable, I feel like I have developed a sense of normalcy.  It’s just a new normal.

I thought I’d share a few of the truths of my new normal . . .

1. My name is “Christina” more often than not.
2. It is HOT . . . always!
3. I am exhausted most of the time.
4. Walking is my primary mode of transportation.
5. Gallo Pinto (red beans and rice) is a staple meal for me and is eaten 3-4 times per week.
6. A trip to PriceSmart (like Costco) ranks highly on my preferred list of outings.  ***There is pizza.
7. I buy the majority of my goods at a local pulperia or Mercado, instead of a chain supermarket.
8. A restaurant meal over $10 including tax & tip is considered lavish and for special treats only.
9. Toilet Paper:  I always carry my own.  It should never be flushed down the toilet. 
10. Floors:  There is no carpet.  There is most likely tile.  There may just be dirt.
11. Parades happen often, for many reasons . . . most of wish I never figure out.
12. I do not understand the majority of the conversations happening around me . . . Language learning struggles are real.
13. I must practice “defensive walking” at all times, as the road lanes (if they even exist) are merely suggestions for the buses and taxis on the town streets.
14. Bats WILL come into the house and become trapped and I must get them out.  It is a matter of when and not if. 
15. Horses all day long . . . pulling carts for workers, pulling carriages for tourists, and randomly walking through the streets stalling traffic.
16. I’m sure to always have cold lemonade, cheese crackers, and coloring pages on hand for the kids that will stop by the house.
17. I will ride the public bus for an hour for the privilege of going to the movies or the mall.  This will cost $1.  People may sit on my lap during this bus ride.  I will most likely not know these people.
18. I take 2-3 showers per day yet almost always look like I need one.
19. The plans for the day will always change; it is merely a question of how much.
20. Water and Electricity are to be appreciated, not expected.

***There are probably many more items that could be added to this list.  It’s just hard to think of them now because they have become normal. 

Normalcy is all about perspective.  My perspectives have evolved with my experiences and so has my sense of normalcy.  I have a normal life here . . . It just likely looks quite different from your “normal” life.  That variety is what makes life so extraordinary and keeps it all so interesting.  It’s just normal.