State of the Union (Nica Version)

It's funny to think about the last time I watched the State of the Union: in my cubicle on the fourth floor of the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill. Tonight, I'll watch it in an open air room, sipping a cold Tona and probably hitting the router because the wifi isn't the best in Nicaragua. Not only does the State of the Union mark another year passing for this administration and our country, but also for me. SOTU nights felt like quintessential DC way back when, and now, I'm barely getting internet somewhere deep in Central America. It's one way to measure how much things have changed, how much I've changed, since those cold January nights in DC.

But enough about politics.

I've already fallen a little bit in love with Granada. The city itself has charming patches, and they can't all be found in tourist sections. There are enough expats and visitors here to keep the restaurants ubiquitous and the drinks flowing. I've found an Irish pub, a few pizza places, Nica's version of Chipotle, Mexican food, American bars, and plenty of Nicaraguan restaurants in between.

The kids I'm "teaching" are precious and horrible all at once. They can be incredibly annoying. I have kindergarteners, and they punch and sass back and won't stay still for longer than 20 minutes and always want something. But they also want to be hugged and loved on all the time, and I can't help but oblige them. Well, none of us can.

And I do mean us, because you can't help falling into a group when you live with 15 other people. There's a sort of kinship I feel with my housemates and fellow volunteers. Perhaps because we all live together very...simply. No hot water is enough to make any two people bond. Or maybe it's because we all help these sweet children. Maybe it's because we all enjoy beer. I don't know. Whatever it is, I'm finding myself more and more at home with the people of Casa La Libertad, all 15 of them.