On Being Whelmed in Nicaragua

One of my favorite lines from the movie “10 things I Hate About You” comes from the character Bianca and goes something like this: “I know that you can be overwhelmed and underwhelmed, but can you just be whemled?” To this her friend replies “I think you can in Europe.” Part of the struggle in training has been trying to find a balance between being overwhelmed and underwhelmed. Or as they refer to it in Europe “being whelmed.” (Note: I know that is not actually a term in Europe. Its hard to portray a sarcastic tone in a blog post!) There have times when I’ve been completely overwhelmed and ended up curled in a fetal position in my mosquito net. There have also been times, mainly on weekend days, when I’ve felt bored and restless in my training town. The challenge is to find those small moments of calm and contentment and carry them with you through those periods.  It also lies in finding those small victories, like finally being able to understand what my two-year niece is saying.  If Nicaragua has taught me anything so far (besides Spanish), its been to find gratitude the small, ordinary moments in my day. I realize that this sounds like some cliché Halmark card, but hey those people must know what they’re doing then.  For example, one of my favorite moments of any day is having breakfast with my host mom.  For that half hour, I get to eat fresh local fruit, eat freshly made bread, sip on some delicious café con leche (which my host mom makes with A TON of sugar……just the way I like it), and learn about Nicaraguan food from my host mom. Back at home, I always had the tendency to only set aside the last five minutes before I ran out the door for breakfast. That’s not how it’s done here. People take more time for food and conversation, even at 5:30/6:00 in the morning. By more fully appreciating this moment, instead of wondering why my host mom is trying to talk to my so early in the morning, I start off my days feeling more calm, relaxed, and sustained.

That’s my reflection on the week.  Tune in next time to hear me talk about my experience teaching a class of 42 (not exaggerating) third graders completely in Spanish. I’ve already written out everything that I need to say, just in case. Any good thoughts, prayers, karma that you could all could send my way would be much appreciated. Miss you all! I wish I could write to you all personally, but this blog will have to suffice for now. However, see my previous blog post if you have any interest in writing me. I promise that I’ll be the best pen pal ever. (Although I can’t say the same thing for the Nicaraguan mailing system.)

Hasta la proxima vez! Adios!

A mountain getaway. Side note: I did not have to work too hard to appreciate this :)