Managua, Nicaragua: The Land of Forgotten Beauty

At the Festival of Poets, Granada, Nicaragua

"Tu justificas mi existencia, si no te conozco, no
he vivido; si muero sin conocerte, no muero, porque no he vivido."
-Luis Cernuda

Sorry for the delay friends.....but I have been incredibly busy. Today marks day number 18 in Managua, Nicaragua. More importantly, this is the first blog that I am writing from Central America. So with that....BIENVENIDOS DESDE CUIDAD SANDINO IN MANAGUA, NICARAGUA!!!!! The weather is beautiful and the sun is shining brighter than ever. I have just returned from the historical city of Granada, Nicaragua. This weekend, I have the privilege of hiking Volcano Mombacho with 6 other great people. Although the hike was difficult, I thought about the journey that I took to get me to Managua and how much difficulty I was met with. While I was met with disappointment and hardships, I pushed past the fatigue of it all and reached my goal, which was to study abraod. Words can never express the feeling that I felt at the top of that volcano. Last weekend, I hiked my first volcano ever, Volcano Masaya. If you can not tell, I am in a land of volcanoe, like 10 volcanoes to be exact. From Volcano Masaya, I could see the Lake of Nicaragua, which is the largest lake in Central America. Any doubts that I had about studying here were erased when standing on top of the volcano. Since we hiked that volcano at dusk, I could see the lights of the city. PURE BEAUTY. What people don´t realize about Nicaragua is that even though it is a poor country, the beauty of Nicaragua shines a million times brighter than any amount of money.

Highest peak of Volcano Masaya!!!!!

While the past three weeks have been difficult, its always comforting to know that there are others that feel the way that you do. The picture to the left is my study abroad sisterhood....and Hector, our program director. Without these chicas and Hector, I would not still be here in Managua....they are a great support group. We are in this together....this life-changing journey.




The Welcome Dinner at Viejo Ranchito!!!!



More so than the chicas, my stay here has been great because of my host family, in particular, my host mom. She has made my transition easier despite the fact that I cried the first week here. She is nice and really cares about how I feel about Nicaragua. It is great to know that I am loved, even if I am in a different place. Learning about the history of Nicaragua, the struggles and the truimphs of this great country, as well as how its people have pride in the country is simply amazing. I have had the opportunity to chat with some great Nicaraguans in my short time here....and I have enjoyed every moment of it.

My host mom: Doña Jackeline

Well, I must go....classes start tomorrow...make sure to check back regularly....I will be updating this once a week for the next four months......

Hasta Pronto,
DJM