Life-Altering Lessons from Nica (PYL In-Flight) (Jun 27, 2021)

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Terri Hanson Mead

6 min readJun 27, 2021

Welcome Back My Altered Passengers:

Each morning in Nicaragua, I started my day in a rocker on the back patio of my friend Christy’s place in Iguana, looking out at this view. Every night, I sat in the same rocker and stared up at the stars as I propped my feet up on the railing and tried to avoid getting bitten by mosquitos.

So many stars and such magnificent electrical storms in the distance. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Each morning, I eased into my day with a cup of coffee enjoying the sounds of nature mixed in with the sounds of an occasional motorcycle or car as people made their way to work.

Sometimes I would hear the sounds of the surfers riding or cycling by with their surfboards, chatting amicably as they made their way down to one of the local beaches.

Finn was often laying in the hammock looking the opposite direction as I jotted down my three daily gratitudes and did my mind-clearing morning pages which I often refer to as my mental palate cleanser. There was very little talk as Finn isn’t very chatty in the morning and Christy often slept in a tad later than we did.

This was a life-altering trip for me. And as one would expect from a life-altering adventure, I learned a thing or two that I thought I would share with you. While there’s nothing earth-shattering or new here, I often need to be reminded of what is truly important in life and adjust the way I live accordingly.

Take a break! Vacations, downtime, stepping outside of our normal day-to-day grind are all critical to our happiness, productivity, creativity, and overall health. It’s so easy (especially in the Silicon Valley) to feel like we have to be productive all of the time. We don’t. Not everything has to be done to achieve a specific goal or to check something of the never ending to-do list. We need to be able to recharge, refill, and give our bodies and minds a break.

Go the distance! It’s worth it to travel distant places that require multiple modes of transportation and many hours of travel. I used to (before Necker Island and Nicaragua) balk at the idea of traveling places that felt like it would take forever to get to. I’d opt for Puerto Vallarta or Paris or anywhere else that was only ever a direct flight and easy to get into and out of. But now? The world has opened up. I appreciate that getting there (and home) are part of the adventure.

Travel and explore more! Far too often I would think about the cost and the inconvenience and let work and routine get in the way of travel. After 15 months of being stuck at home without the option to travel, I want to get out into the world. I feel better physically and mentally when I get outside of myself which I can’t help but do when I travel. It makes me a better person. It helps me appreciate so much about me, my life, my family, my friends, and the world in general.

Focus on the present. As a planner, I often focus of what is coming up, what needs to be done, and making sure we are adequately prepared for all of it and planning for every contingency. In focusing on the future, I miss out on a lot of what is happening now.

Don’t just save; spend too. I was raised to focus on saving for the future but I wasn’t really taught the balance between saving and spending to enjoy life now and be prepared for the future. I know I’ve let the cost of something keep me from doing it even though technically I could afford it. I’ve been so focused on making sure that there’s money for the future that I’ve missed out on opportunities to live, enjoy and experience the now.

I am good in crisis. In Costa Rica, on the way to the airport, my driver decided not to pull to the side of the road at an unexpected checkpoint. Rather than doing as he was asked by the police officer, he gunned it. Despite the terror (and mostly shock) I felt as we drove 60+ mph down the center of a two lane highway, often into oncoming traffic, I casually texted my 16 year old. After being dropped off at a gas station and told that I would be picked up by someone, I kept my cool and I downplayed it (a little too much actually). Eventually I was picked up by two guys in a beat up brown Toyota with a faded Taxi sticker and made it to the airport. I was fine but it really was terrifying. I didn’t lose it. I communicated where I was to Zeke, Finn and Christy. I thought through my options as I assessed the safety of where I was left, potentially stranded. I did chug a beer after my Covid test in an attempt to reduce the adrenaline. And then had three margaritas once I made it through airport security.

I know I am incredibly fortunate and I don’t take any of this for granted. As I write this, Finn (my 16 year old) is on their way home from Costa Rica as they are ending their month-long Nicaraguan adventure. Their trip to the hotel in Costa Rica was a lot less eventful than mine and I am hoping they will have learned a thing or two from their trip as well.

Maybe they’ll even share these things with me so I can learn from my Gen Z kid.