Oh, life! You're incredible!

Hello!

Grenada

 6 months! WOW...it seems like a lot has happened since I posted that last update on life decisions. Ugh...life decisions....2 words that I am sure has haunted, and will haunt, many of us for the rest of our lives. It is almost a sentence in itself. If someone says "Life decisions..." then gives you 'the look', everyone has the same reaction..."ah, yes...life decisions" followed by a knitted brow and pursed lip grimace.

Ometepe

After posting my last entry about dreading 'life decisions' I wandered off across America to Quebec, then onwards to Nicaragua. Why not? It was lovely. Nicaragua is an absolutely stunning country. I could write a blog on every new place I went. It is incredible...it started by flying into Managua and then onto Grenada, where we stayed at the most incredible, and highly recommended, Miss Margrits (http://www.missmargrits.com/). After discovering $1 breakfasts of Gaillo Pinto and experiencing a Hipika (as well as getting to know the local drink of choice, Flor de Cana) we moved onto Ometepe, an island made up of 2 volcanoes. Gorgeous! We also, after never having driven motorcycles before, rented one for the day and, with many near death experiences often involving canines, we toured the island- I highly recommend visiting Ometepe! From Ometepe we travelled to the party town of San Juan Del Sur with a focus of just buying surf boards and then getting out of there- it is a dangerous place, and apart from the giant Jesus looking over the bay, quite disappointing in the sense that it is run by Americans, drugs and alcohol. But we found our boards so onto Popoyo we went!

learning to drive a moto!

San Juan Del Sur

Popoyo! I loved Popoyo. As my surfing ability is...minimal (meaning I would paddle out and pretty much lie on my board sunbathing in constant fear of being pummelled by a wave or eaten alive) I was able to enjoy the beach running and multiple barbecues our hostel insisted on having every night, consisting of full disco lights, ear drum shattering beats and often fireworks lit from the hanging cigarette of the hostel owners mouth. After almost 2 weeks in Popoyo, we said goodbye to the chickens that pretty much lived in our room, and chicken bussed it to Lyon....a long trip where my ipod and cell phone were stolen, but I was rewarded by witnessing just how many people you can actually shove onto a regular yellow school bus. Too many, is the answer...way too many.

Ometepe

Lyon was great, but after 2 days we got ourselves out of there and made it to the Boom! Dramatic right? After a 45 minute mosquito infested trek to the beach, and an impossible wave to surf, we figured maybe actually the Boom was not for us. Luckily, we were picked up on the side of a gravel road by a hilariously high Californian who lead us to what I think of as 'Paradise'. A beautiful house on a private beach at a very good price (http://beachhousenicaragua.com/) with fresh water and a man who would bring around fresh coconut bread in the mornings. $3 nine pound fish, and $1 Tunas, a gelato place, pizza place and a great surf instructor...we were in heaven. In addition to the newly bought motorcycle, we felt we had found our place in life! If anyone is heading to Nicaragua, I recommend Jiquillo.

San Juan Del Sur

After careful consideration, I decided to come home for Christmas, but not before a quick flight over to the East of Nicaragua to visit the Corn Islands....Amazing! Water so blue, a near death boat ride across to the little island, no roads or cars, and amazing snorkeling. It was a great end to my Nicaraguan adventure.

Turtle Beach

I arrived home at 1 am on New Years Eve and surprised my family for Christmas. It had been 10 years since we had all been together and it was such a treat for us all. I was also able to jump back in a get a job ski patroling at Lake Louise ski field. It was perfect.

This winter I was lucky to get in a couple great ski tours, including: the Wapta Traverse, Mount Crowfoot, and Mount Athabasca. It was lovely. I was also able to complete my goal of the season and do a backflip on skis. That is probably my proudest moment! I will write another post full of this winters adventures!

Hope everyone is getting out and getting rad every once in a while!!! Miss you all!

Much love,

Sarah

Christmas dinner!