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.