Volunteer On The Road: Nicaraguan Memories. Part III
How was it like to Live in Nicaragua
How to describe a little place in such a way that when it’s remembered the stomach shrinks and you cannot do anything about the fact than missing it so much hurts?
To me, Manzano Uno has become that little place, lost in the north of Nicaragua and in the province of Chinandega.
From where you cannot really see the ocean but you can listen to it so clearly, I used to fall asleep every night listening to the swishing of the waves.
In Manzano Uno, you have breakfast, lunch and dinner sitting around a long table with the name of “Coco Loco” carved into its wood. How many times I observed the guys following the shape of the letters with their fingers while they were sharing a memory or a detail about themselves? At this table we’ve shared much more than meals.
Laughs,
Stories,
Beers
And experiences
Apparently, when we become older, the places we visit leave fewer traces. But when we are kids, everything is lived and felt with more intensity.
I remember when I was younger and I used to cry when summer was ending and I had to come back to Madrid. When we are kids I believe we feel more bonded with the places where we’ve been completely happy. Maybe because then happiness was something easy.
However, when you become an adult, it is more difficult to be happy. Maybe because we are more picky… or simply more complicated? We learn to hide our feelings because we are taught that an open heart is always punished. When that happens that we stop living intensively to simply survive.
I’ve also realised something, when I reflect on my experience in Nicaragua:
When you find the place where you’ve been completely happy you should try to keep it in your soul and let it be part of you.
So when life becomes boring and plain, you can close your eyes and come back to that small personal paradise.
To be Continued…
