Let's Start at the Beginning...

Let's back things up and catch up on how we wound up with crabs in our bed in Nicaragua.

Short version:
Dave got 'unemployed' in February 2013;
Dave stayed home for the summer, turning down many great opportunities as he unwound after 18+ years at his last job;
Dave cooked and cleaned and generally played house husband for Bex!;
Bex! brought home the bacon - literally;
Bex! continued to do well at her job, no surprise to anyone;
we rocked out event after event after event in the 50@50 Project, Dave's goal to complete 50 races in his 50th year;...

And after much consideration and research, we decided to pack up the plantation and move to Central America for a while.  How long?  Who knows.  Six months to two years is a good estimate.  We spent the summer getting our TEFL certification (Teach English as a Foreign Language) so we can hopefully make our way in whichever country we land.  We have a plan, of course.  More of a guideline, really.  We knew we would start in Nicaragua and we know we will head to Costa Rica.  The timing for these two things has already changed, even in the one week we've been here.

Our original plan was to arrive in Nicaragua and head straight for Isla de Ometepe.  It's the largest lake-locked island in the world situated in the 14th largest lake in the world.  And, having arrived just today, I can tell you it is magical and mysterious.  Made up of two volcanoes, Concepcion and Maderas, the boat ride over from Puerto San Jorge in Rivas was pretty surreal.  More on Ometepe later.  So, we are now in the village of Merida, where we will be volunteer teaching for seven weeks.

The first part of the plan that changed was our arrival date.  The director of the school suggested that if we wanted to get in country a little earlier, we should consider attending a Spanish language school to tighten up our skills prior to arriving to help him out.  So we looked into schools - there's a million of 'em - and decided on one located in San Juan del Sur, on the Pacific coast.  Stunning town and hard to leave this morning.  So our departure date changed, putting us in Nicaragua a week earlier.

The second part that's changed already is that we've decided to spend another 12 days in San Juan del Sur after we're done here.  Yup, we loved it that much.  Besides, we have friends there now!  We finish up on the island on 15 December and will spend Christmas in SJdS, leaving for Costa Rica on 27 December (my brother's birthday!).  We already have a room booked in San Juan del Sur for the holidays and have bus tickets purchased for the move to San Jose, CR.  So those dates are now set and the plan is a little more concrete.  But... it's so damp and humid down here that the concrete never really sets - plans could change.  Just sayin'...

Once we decided to make this move and had narrowed in on Central America, it was research research research.  Where to move, what types of jobs would be available, what certification was recommended, what documentation was needed, visa issues, medical issues, etc.  We read blogs and Trip Advisor and tapped any other resources to attempt to have as much of an understanding as possible.  One of the most valuable things we did was talk to those we know who have done this sort of thing.  Family and friends who have taught overseas were excited for us and all said they wish they could go back to doing it now.  A good sign indeed.  Plus, my son and his wife had just returned from two years in Honduras, so had the most recent experience for us to hear.  All in all, our loved ones were  VERY helpful and supportive.

On the home front, there was an apartment to pack up, a car to sell, a storage unit to obtain and load up, family and friends to see and a veritable laundry list of things to do leading up to our departure.  Good thing I married a woman who loves her spreadsheets and list making!!

Bex! left her job in September, we celebrated our first anniversary in true XDog style, then she went to Juneau to see her folks and visit her hometown before heading even farther south.  My brothers came to Portland (from Spokane and Coeur d'Alene) and we had a grand old time for several days.

But now the 'why' of it all?  In addition to all the support we received, we also got a lot of questions, mostly of the 'why' variety?  "Why would you want to move down there?"  "Why not just stay here and find work?"  Like that.

We answered all these questions as best we could.  "The adventure!" we said.  "The excitement!" we said.  "New restaurants!" we said.  But the real reason is "Why not?"  Although a trite answer, it's pretty much true.  It's a big wide wonderful world out there and what makes it feel smaller, more personal, more intimate is exploring and experiencing - other people, other cultures, other living conditions, other geography, other languages.  Life is too short not to push ones limits.  Yes, it's safe and comfortable and easy back home.  But there is so much to explore and for a while at least, we want to be those people that have the courage to go do it.  

For me personally, this is something I have always wanted to do.  I've held a fascination with Central and South America, and the Mayan and Aztec cultures, for a long time.  I never thought I would ever get to do this!  I've visited, of course - Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras - but have always wanted the immersion experience.  I'm 50 years old, and if I don't do this now I never will.  And here I am, doing it!  I probably wouldn't be here without my 'travel buddy', though.

Bex! has lived abroad before, living for a year in Belgium as an exchange student in high school.  She has also traveled throughout Europe and has dabbled in many languages.  She speaks fluent French, some Italian, a little German, took a class in Chinese and is getting pretty damn good pretty damn fast with Spanish!!  Sometimes her brain crosses over, leading to Spanish with an Italian accent or a response in French, but she has been amazing.  What really throws her is when she's concentrating so hard on Spanish and then hears something speaking French - kaboom! - mind blown for a bit as she sorts it out!

We travel well together, each bringing different strengths to our experiences and situations.  This is a good thing, I think.  

Next post:  The week leading to our departure!