Things I’ll miss…or not

At our COS conference, we did an icebreaker to get us to start thinking about our future stateside lives.  Here is my list of things that I will and won’t miss about Nicaragua.

WILL MISS

Being the most important person in town.  In the USA, I won’t be able to walk into the mayor’s office or superintendant's office and get a meeting on the spot.  People will no longer stare at me like they just saw a very pale white ghost.

My work schedule.  Some weekdays, teaching for 45 minutes and then spending the rest of the day in my hammock is considered a successful work day in the Peace Corps.  Rumor has it there’s this thing in the USA call a “9 to 5”…  Uh oh.

The prices.  Even though I live paycheck to paycheck, it nice to think about how low the prices actually are here.  Especially when friends and family come to visit.  Beers under a dollar.  Fine dining at $10.  Heaven.

WON’T MISS

The amenities.  Sure it’ll nice not to have to deal with Chicago’s winters.  But having climate control, hot water, microwaves and dishwashers trump 100 degree months at a time.

Being treated like an ATM.  While celebrity status is fun, it’s also nice to be able to blend in.  Definitely looking forward to being treated fairly.

The freedom.  No more having to email the office if I want to go spend a night on the beach.  Nope.  Just gonna hop in a car and go.  Amazing.