One year ago yesterday, a young and wide-eyed Kelsey first stepped
foot on Nicaraguan soil to embark on a grand adventure. One year.
One year!
I honestly cannot believe so much time has passed. And yet, I feel as if I’ve lived a lifetime
in this one year. To help me regain my
sanity and grasp on time, I’ve begun to make a list of the things I’ve seen and
done during this past year. In a way,
this list celebrates the big and the small, the exciting and the struggles, the
expected and the surprises. So celebrate
with me!
The top 20 things I’ve done this year are:
1.
Learned how to excel at a new job as Student
Life Coordinator
2.
Lived with a host family for a month
3.
Learned some Nicaraguan slang and managed to use
it well (sometimes)
4.
Adopted a kitten who thinks she owns the world
5.
Learned how to make homemade tortillas and drink
beverages out of a bag
6.
Mastered the public transit system of cramming
oneself into an overstuffed vehicle of various sizes
7.
Flew and boated to a blip of an island in the Caribbean,
visited my old home in Costa Rica twice, visited my friend Guissel’s old home
in the pueblo of Cuapa, spent a few days living with campesinos in the
countryside, and visited my Michigan home twice
8.
Watched my little sister get married!
9.
Learn again how to excel at a new job as
Director of SPIN
10.
Completed three Masters courses in Social
Justice at the Institute for Christian Studies
11.
Was asked to be a regular blogger for One Faith,
Many Voices
12.
Went to (and enjoyed) a church that is extremely
charismatic and worshipped God with fellow Nicaraguan believers
13.
Did some touristy things (volcano boarded down
an active volcano, hiked and tented in a canyon, night hiked an active volcano,
gone bird watching various times, snorkeled, zip-lined, hiked in a cloud forest,
went to a baseball game, climbed the cathedral)
14.
Was set up with an amazing man who graciously
agreed to date this far-flung adventurer
15.
Discovered my favorite Nicaraguan food (stuffed plantains),
drink (maracuyá fruit juice), ice cream (pitahaya), fruit (banana), vegetable
(cucumber), adult beverage (tie between Flor de Caña and Victoria) and hot
beverage (coffee).
16.
Learned how to combat extreme heat and sweated
more than I want to think about
17.
Went to several free arts & culture
festivals that celebrate Nicaraguan history and society
18.
Successfully avoided getting severely sick with
any of the major afflictions such as (but not limited to) dengue, chikungunya, parasites,
amoebas, malaria and depression.
19.
Have more gained more incredible friendships
with people all over Nicaragua and Central America
And finally…
20.
Lived in another country for an entire year!
This is only a short list of all of the blessings that have
filled this past year of my life. And
for all of this, I thank God as my Provider, Caretaker, Father and Guide. He has been with me every step of the way,
teaching me, using me, and loving me. Without
him, I’d be lost.
Thank you God for a wonderful year!
Stay tuned!
Awesome!
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