What To Pack For A Tropical Destination

 When I was planning to travel to Nicaragua, I could not find a good list of suggestions for what to pack so now that I'm here I thought I would share what I've found to be useful.

 Rubber shoes: The weather is hot and humid, rubber stands up to the climate. Flip Flops will be your best friend, they are open, comfy, and light. If you plan to go hiking you may need some heftier shoes. That said, there are some brands that seem to do better than others.

 For every day wear I like Havianas brand flip flops. I brought a couple of different brands down and my Havianas have lasted the best. Thankfully, Havianas can be found at a few shops down here for around $20 U.S.

 Crocs. Yep, Crocs. I don't personally own a pair but if you need a closed toed or different style of shoe other than a flip flop these are the brand most people prefer. If you are going to be walking down dusty or muddy back roads for any length of time Crocs are easy to clean and comfortable. The shoe version of a rubber boot, practical and less hot than a full on boot. I hear they are making some prettier styles now... If you plan to wear Crocs this is something you will definitely want to purchase before arriving. Prices of Crocs are 2 or 3 times higher here than what we would find them for in Canada or U.S.

 For moderate hiking, I've had Keeners brand shoes recommended to me. I haven't done this kind of hike yet so only sharing what others have said. Serious hikers will want to bring the hot and sweaty shoes designed for the job, built with adequate support.

 Cotton, Linen, and Rayon. For clothing I prefer loose fitting, light items that allow for a breeze to flow through.
 My favourite dresses are from the brand Pink Stitch. 100 % rayon, light and breezy. I frequently wear dresses casually as they are easy, and yes, breezy. Perfect for layering over a swimsuit.

 Light cotton shorts and loose fitting cotton or rayon tanks. If you can find Gauzy cotton tops, even better. I like Roxy brand cotton shorts and beach pants, and I've found some nice rayon pants at stores like American Eagle and Garage. I looked around at several different stores and online before I left Canada, these kind of pants were hard to find and they were only available seasonally at the stores where I did find them.

 I like a good Kimono as well. They work great to throw over a swimsuit and also to cover your arms from the sun without making you hot.

 Baggy beach pants for cooler days, I never wear jeans and anything tight feels stifling. The locals wear jeans though, so if you're used to the heat maybe you will want to bring a pair.

 Swimwear:As mentioned previously, I brought some swimsuits with me but they were not exactly practical for the waves in the ocean. If you are going to be in the surf you will want a sturdy swimsuit with ties so that you are able to tighten it up so it stays on. There are couple of brands available locally. Both Dkoko and Mgsurfline make swimsuits built for surfing.

 A double walled stainless steel water bottle. I haven't been able to find them in Nicaragua and I wish I would have brought one. They are invaluable when dealing with a tropical climate when hydration is important. Nothing else will keep your water cold for any length of time. Swell and HydroFlask are two brands that I know of.

 An umbrella for when it rains, and when it's hot.

 Back up power for your devices.

 A light hat with air holes for ventilation.

 A backpack, you will likely be walking a lot.

 A couple of pairs of sunglasses.

I'm not getting paid to recommend these brands, this is just information I would have found helpful when I was preparing to come down to Central America.

 If you can think of anything I've missed please feel free to share your recommendations.

Eyes Wide Open

 I've talked about some of the challenges since we got here so I wanted to share some of the good stuff. The benefits far out weigh the challenges for us and that's why we're here!
 - We get to have fresh fruit smoothies every morning if we want. Fresh from the trees sometimes and certainly more fresh than we were able to get in Canada. Yumm!

 - Our food is not modified so we can pick the seeds out of a watermelon and grow our own if we so desire.

 - We don't have to stay indoors most of the year because the weather is frigid. We've never liked the cold, and I hate dressing up in a huge parka trying to walk around like the stay puffed marshmallow man.

 - Warm wind, warm rain, warm weather, palm trees, the beach.

 - Passionfruit margaritas.

 - When the power goes out, my kids run outside to see how bright the stars look in the night sky. They've seen worlds underwater, swam in the Caribbean sea and a volcanic lake.

 - We haven't been to a mall in months.

 - Everything is new, like a child exploring for the first time, eyes wide open. Some things are scary some amazing!

 - The people. Yes, there have been some that try to take advantage but by far the majority of people that I've met have had a generous and kind spirit. I've had my neighbour bring me food and even a big bunch of bananas from the tree. So many, I couldn't eat them all! I love watching kids get inventive, playing baseball with a stick and an almond (that takes skill) or making music with nothing but their hands and feet.They are having a lot of fun and they are doing it without taking selfies that look like product placement ads.

 - Life here is about living. If you have the chance to step outside the commercialized world, for a holiday, to work abroad, or to start over I encourage you to do it! The bugs are bigger but I've lived outside of town in Saskatchewan and there are some big and biting things there too. Don't believe the hype.

- We have some cool shops run by people that have put their heart into their business. Nicaraguan made surf bikinis, you will need a sturdy bikini that is made to handle the waves, I learned this when I skinned my knees on the sand trying to stay low and get my suit back on after being tossed by a wave!

- Family run restaurants with fresh cooked food where people talk to each other...without the use of a cell phone. Kanye probably hasn't eaten here but I promise the food's still good.

- This place has a way of opening our eyes to what's real and what's real is beautiful!

Exploring volcanic rocks at low tide

Home Is Where You Are

 For a couple of months now, we've been searching. Searching for a place, the right place, to settle in at least for a little while.

  We've visited several towns in a short time and it has been a busy few months. These months of travel have been fun, interesting, and if I'm honest, challenging. We love to be on the move. Staying in the same house, in the same town, with the same job all of our lives does not appeal. While a comfort zone may be 'comfortable' it's no place to live. Having said that, it is nice to have a place where one can feel at home, a place to find rest.

   Travel is a great teacher and I've learned a few things about making a home on the road. Long term travel is different than vacation travel. Thought I would share some tips that have helped us while travelling as a willfully homeless family.

  -Home is not a place but a feeling. When looking for a place to stay there have been some towns, nice towns, that just don't appeal to us. I'm not sure how to describe it but some places feel like home, others don't. Look around, choose accordingly.

 -Though we choose to travel light, there are a some items that are nice to bring along or purchase:

  Blankets. We don't use much for blankets here but on cool nights it's nice to have a light layer on top of your sheets. I brought linen sheets from home, since I heard that good sheets were hard to find here and I plan to purchase a few pretty blankets from the markets in Nicaragua. Simple items, but having your own sheets and bedding can bring a little bit of that homey feeling to any place you go.

 -This goes without saying but, never assume. There are things that we assume to be normal coming from North America that are not considered as such in other lands. One of those things is comfort. Nicaraguan living rooms are generally set up with a few rocking chairs facing each other in a circle. I love it, I love that living rooms are set up around a lifestyle of sitting and talking with each other as opposed to the North American way of every piece of furniture facing the best possible view of the T.V., however, these rocking chairs are usually made of wood. Wooden chairs are not comfortable to sit in for long periods of time. My solution to this is to buy a few of the beautiful hand made beach chairs with hand woven fabric, my own 'furniture' to carry around from house to house. They fold up and are light so fairly easy to move around and worth it to have a comfortable seat.

Market in Jinotepe

 -Pots and mugs. Nicaraguan artisans are known for their pottery. I've always enjoyed having coffee out of my own special mug in the morning. I had to leave my mugs behind in Canada, my favourites are in the care of family so I can still use them when I return for a visit. Mugs are another item on my list for my trip to the market. Sipping coffee from my very own favourite cup tastes like home, a small comfort while living abroad. Since we are still transient and may be for a while, my dreams of planting my own garden and living off the land may have to wait to come to full fruition. In the meantime I'm going to buy a few pots. Beautiful pots that I can move with me, a place grow my herbs, veggies and flowers in a portable fashion.

 -If staying in vacation rentals or furnished homes, test out the beds. We liked our pillow top mattress. We have not found this to exist in Nicaragua. The comfort level of the beds here feels to me like I imagine it would feel to lay on a piece of plywood covered in, well, not much. Couple that with the wooden chairs or concrete benches made for sitting on during the day and you have a recipe for misery, in my opinion. If you can, find a place with a decent bed or buy a mattress topper, again, worth it! If you are backpacking bring a hammock, it may be more comfortable than some of the beds.

 -Check the plumbing, good plumbing is not a given and check for amenities. If you are not comfortable bartering or shopping at the local markets you may want to stay in a town where there is a grocery store, also not a given here in Nicaragua.

 -Screens in the windows. Not all homes have them. Mosquito nets are fine but I'd rather not have the bugs come into my house in the first place. Most home owners will allow you to put screens in if you would like them so it's a small thing but good to check for while you are looking. You will likely want to have your windows open, it's nice to have a breeze flowing through the house, and in a humid climate, smells get smellier...faster. Fresh air flowing through is a good thing.

 -We're currently loving our sweet little spot by the beach, learning to take each day as it comes, and enjoying the simple comforts in life.