When I grow up, I want to be…
Throughout my youth, I would have answered one of the following: pediatrician, teacher, aeronautical engineer (thanks to Apollo 13 and a visit to space camp in AL), psychiatrist (until I realized they really only dole out drugs and don’t do much counseling), therapist, policy-maker (vague, I know), and of course, lawyer (though not something as specific as Illinois public finance). But now, I have no idea how to complete that sentence. The answer could very well be bond lawyer extraordinaire, …
Food/Comida – a Central America overview
This post is dedicated to my friend (we’ll call her L) who sent me an email last week saying she loves the blog but wants to hear more about the food. L- I hope this satisfies your appetite. It should be no surprise to most of you that Tyler and I describe ourselves as amateur foodies. We appreciate all types of cuisine at all prices, and when in Chicago, probably spend too much money on eating out. But we love to …
Panamania
Our journey to Panama started on Saturday morning at 10am from San Jose, Costa Rica. The bus was almost empty and only charged $8 for the 6 hour drive to a town just past the CR/Panama border. Unfortunately, I needed to use the facilities on board and was faced with an unfortunate predicament when told the lock on the bathroom door could not be removed. In my evaluation of the situation, I determined that a bladder infection would be more …
And on the Seventh Day…
A much needed rest (though 44 days in, not 7). Now I realize most of you are muttering under your breath “Rest from WHAT? How do you rest from vacation?” Oh but allow me to explain why we insist on NOT calling our trip a vacation. Vacation implies comfort, relaxation, ease of travel, dealing with businesses/people who are generally directly involved in tourism, a relaxed budget (or none at all for some lucky people), nice restaurants, packing enough clothes/supplies for …
Climbing volcanoes is no big deal
We’ve hiked 2 active volcanoes in the last 3 days, though our hike around the Masaya Volcano near Granada was only a few kilometers, paling in comparison to our 12 km escapade on the Concepcion Volcano on Ometepe. Our Thursday hike on Concepcion took us to 1000 meters, above the tree line, and would have given us fantastic views if not for the cloudy/foggy weather. We were pleased with the weather though- it would have been unbearably hot and much …
Some Reflections (and SJDS travel tips)
I’m starting this post with travel tips about San Juan del Sur. Even though we’ll be here for a few more days (until Tuesday morning, to be exact), I feel confident telling you the following should you ever find yourself here. There are a plethora of places to stay including the very high end (Pelican Eyes) and the super cheap hostels (like Casa Ora). I would highly recommend where we’re staying- Secret Cove Inn. It’s a B&B with delicious breakfast, …
Soy de los Estados Unidos
Tyler and I arrived in Nicaragua on Sunday night after a long day of traveling. The plan was to stay with a family while taking Spanish classes every morning at the Spanish School of San Juan del Sur. Unknown to us, Semana Santa* celebrations had already begun in SJDS, and Sunday night brought with it a very loud, all-night long street party complete with terrible band/singing, cheering, and fireworks that to the untrained ear sounded exactly like gunshots. We tried …
Saying Goodbye to Caye Caulker
We have been in Caye Caulker for 2 weeks and are leaving tomorrow for San Ignacio in the interior of Belize. It is a little strange to say goodbye to our first destination, and I think it’s really finally hitting us that this trip continues – we’re not going home after a 2 week vacation. This was the perfect first stop – we have eased our way into our journey by relaxing on a safe, English-speaking, easy to get around …
Land>Water
Our scuba diving adventure began yesterday morning. Per my previous post, I really want to challenge myself and do things I normally wouldn’t do. I have never really wanted to scuba- sure it always sounds cool, but i know myself, my likes, my strengths, and my weaknesses, and it never came to mind as something I’d truly enjoy. But I always owe it to myself to try, right? And perhaps even more importantly to me, I owe to it Tyler. …
You’re doing what?!
To truly understand why we’re going on this adventure, you have to know a little bit of background. For starters, one of the reasons I fell in love with Tyler is his sense of adventure and seemingly unquenchable desire to experience everything the world has to offer. For those of you know who know me well, adventurous wouldn’t be one of the first adjectives used to describe me. I’m a straight arrow kind of girl – my path, albeit an …