I’m back from Nicaragua. I love traveling. It reminds me that besides apples, oranges, and bananas, there are nancite, jocote, and níspero. It reminds me that some things cannot be translated. It reminds me that the @ symbol might be hard to find on a foreign keyboard, that the power might go out, the wifi might be spotty, and the wind might be so loud that you need earplugs to sleep. It reminds me what’s on the menu isn’t always in the kitchen, that water could come in a plastic bag instead of a bottle, and that toilet paper doesn’t always go in the toilet.

It reminds me that taxis could have routes like buses, that buses could be so crowded you don’t have to keep your own balance, and that vanilla milkshakes might come with banana in them, just as a matter of fact. It reminds me that you could see pigs on the beach, a crab next to a bull, and get married on a Monday. It reminds me that you could use your lips to point instead of your index finger. It reminds me that it could be so windy that the salt you shake doesn’t land on your food. It reminds me that you might set out for prime rib and end up with fish tacos.

It reminds me that there are hammocks. It reminds me that I’ve never needed to know what time it is. It reminds me that I could use the Internet for no more than 10 minutes a week for 5 weeks and be perfectly happy.

It reminds me that you can’t go surfing just any old time you want. You have to wait until the time is right. It reminds me that there might be a good reason to put on your pajamas before you go out surfing. It reminds me that there are jellyfish and manta rays in the ocean. It reminds me that I’m always in the ocean, and that the ocean is always boss. It reminds me that raw cashews could be poisonous. It reminds me that I could be shivering while I’m getting sunburned.

It reminds me that everything will be provided for you along the way, except when it isn’t. It reminds me that the fare on the way there might not be the same as the fare on the way back. It reminds me that I might never be here again.

Photo of moon crab courtesy of Lisa Egle. Used with permission. Thanks Lisa!