I only have one more week in Nicaragua…so crazy. We leave here next Sunday and start the 6 days of travel to get to Bangkok. I’m excited for the hour or so layover in LA to grab some food – oh, the cravings! We eat beans and rice….EVERY day! But in the meantime, here are a few confessions from my time here so far.

1. Living next to the water makes me feel like I am home.

2. Living on an island with two volcanoes makes me feel like I am in another world.

3. I can recognize each child’s cry.

4. Silly Amy thought Mexican food was in ALL of Central America…nope. I am in the land of rice and beans.

5. There are a lot of lies, junk, and ugly parts of me that I’m trying to deal with on this journey.

6. Washing clothes by hand is a full upper body workout.

7. Happy Birthday, Stacey…love you, pookie, and miss you!

8. Read Under the Overpass…NOW

9. Having all the little girls sit in my lap makes me think of you, Mom. Thanks for a lifetime of lap snuggling.

10. I started drinking instant coffee to taste something other than rice and beans…P.S. I don’t drink coffee.

11.  Every party has a piñata.

12. I am spoiled because I have a toilet seat.

13. My life should not be about being happy, but being better.

14. Julieta’s laugh is my favorite sound in Ometepe.

15. I am learning that I am not as independent as I thought.

16.  Nicaraguan makeup parties can get a little crazy.

17. Having a day of silence can be energizing and restful all in one.

18. I no longer like the internet.

19. The song “Hey There, Delilah” is forever tainted – music video to come, hopefully.

20. We had a party to celebrate the new fridge at Cicrin. The old one smelled like grandpa was rotting in the freezer.

21. Loving others is one of the best things I can do.

22. I’ve always had enough.

23. This year is going to be an amazingly, great, difficult year.