Granada to Now: Writing, Traveling and Back Home
22. Jun, 2009 
18 Comments
Granada, Nicaragua is so cute, you could put it in your pocket. If the cobblestone streets, Spanish colonial style-housing and creeping blossoms peaking from behind courtyard walls weren’t enough, take their cab drivers. There was the kindly older man who followed us in his cab to make sure we followed his directions to the hostel correctly, even looping around the block to avoid the one-way street and catch up with us again. As we approached, he honked his horn and pointed emphatically at the building. Or consider the young man with the big belt buckle that drove us to our ferry to Isla Ometepe, who insisted on parking his car and helping us carry our bags all the way to the ferry, a good city block away. Or even the guy that chatted with us during dinner and then complimented my Spanish as being, “very good”. To a Spanish student, there are no sweeter words.
So adorable, accessible and friendly was Granada, that my husband and I quickly began hatching some long term plans. Over scrambled eggs in the town square, while live music played and families walked in the shade, we sipped our coffees and calculated how much a modest home would cost.
But our ruminations only lasted as long as breakfast. We were heading north, planning on landing in Guatemala eventually to return to the language school I visited last December.
At the time, I was working on several projects. The National Travel Writing Month, both facilitating the group and also participating in the challenge. I put together an application packet for a guidebook. I wrote a 20 page short story for a six week writing workshop. I applied for an editor position at a large website. I workshopped my writing and wrote critiques for dozens of other writers. I scoured the hostel lending library and read a new book every other day.
So when I tell you the next city in our travels, Leon, Nicaragua was beautiful and worth seeing, understand that my observations were merely intellectual. I don’t have any stories about meeting kind strangers or tasting fantastic new foods. I became extremely focused in those two weeks, absorbed in finishing my projects. We went out to dinners, but afterward, I’d hole up with my laptop, the glow of the monitor illuminating my face, as my husband slept beside me.
That week we found cheap airline tickets (about the same price as busing it) from Managua to Guatemala. We rented an apartment and enrolled in language school. This was my old stomping grounds, Quetzaltenango. One of my favorite things about travel is getting to share a place with someone else, who’s never seen it before. I was pleased that my husband seemed to love it in Xela as much as I did. The air here was crisp, more like a rainy autumn that the dry heat of Nicaragua. Each day we’d walk to the open air market and pick out ingredients for our dinner. I had submitted all of my projects, so with some relief, I took comfort in the daily routine. Language classes in the morning. Cooking a lunch of tortillas, black beans, queso fresco and home made salsa picante in the afternoon. In the evening we’d marvel at the apartment’s 180 views of the city, as the hushed cityscape was dotted with the lights of thousands of homes, flickering on the mountain side.
We had planned on heading to El Salvador, then Honduras next, but at the last moment, decided to head back home instead. My husband would take the comedy sketch writing class in NYC that he had been considering (as an animator, he has many projects of his own). I would start again and commit to finishing the book proposal that had been sitting on my hard drive. I had a new project. It felt good.
We flew into the US about two weeks ago and rented an apartment in Northampton, MA with our dogs. $600/mo studio was more than we wanted to spend, but the short term lease and location were too good to pass up. If you need to spend the summer somewhere, Western MA is a fantastic place to go. The weather is perfect, there’s hiking and ponds to swim in, the college students are gone, but the fabulous restaurants are still open.
And today, I’m sitting in my studio, writing at my desk, without internet. I just updated this site’s design over the weekend and I hope it holds. It’s too nice in here, in my little space, even if I am offline. There are floor to ceiling windows beside me and I can see the hills of the pioneer valley. My dogs are sleeping on the bed, exhausted from this morning’s run. Last week, I bought a cheap world map and tacked it to the wall above my desk, and I’ve learned that Antarctica has it’s own flag. And Kazakhstan is really big. I think this will be a very good summer.
Hey Christine. I like the evolution. Great update. Cheers, G.
Wonderful post! I love reading about your ebbs and flows, working versus taking in the beauty that surrounds you.
DO you have any tips for great places to find work for a budding nomad?
And how does your husband handle the times when you’re completely engrossed in work? My fiance and I are trying to strike a balance between me building my freelance writing career and “together” time, but I definitely feel the urge to work more more more.
Love your blog! Can’t wait to read more!
Best,
Dawn
Enjoy your projects, enjoy the summer, enjoy the journey
Taylor Davidson´s last blog ..Three Days at the LOOK3 Festival, June 2009
Very engaging post Christine. Nicaragua sounds charming, you’ve inspired me to visit.
Hi Dawn,
On finding remote work, stay tuned, I have some great stuff coming up in the next 2 weeks, that I think will help.
RE: my husband, it’s not always easy. Because it the other one is focused, and you don’t have a lot going on, it can feel like you’re isolated. Over the years we’ve both had jobs that demanded after hours work, plus any side projects, so we’re gotten better at it. I would encourage your fiance to start a project of his own! If he’s super busy too, it makes it easier. But don’t work all the time
It’s not worth it, if you don’t enjoy yourself and relax regularly.
–Christine
I like the line, “Kazakhstan is very big.” Lots of places to get lost in.
Growing up in western MA (Southwick to be exact) I always smile when someone talks about the beauty of the area. As a kid I couldn’t wait to leave my little town but now I miss it, ok, well maybe not Southwick, but the area in general. It’s so green & pretty. Northampton was the place we went to find anything resembling entertainment. I love Northampton, there are so many little shops and great places to eat and drink. I also have to recommend the brewery in Amherst. I can’t seem to remember the name right now but the beer is fantastic, I’m sure a google search will pop it up. I’ve been reading your blog for a while now and I love, LOVE, love getting an RSS feed from you. I know it’s always going to be fantastic and insightful. Also I just quit my job this week to start embarking on my own trip and I can’t say that I don’t hear your voice of reason in my head when I start wondering “wtf did i just do??” hahahaha….. Seriously though, you have inspired me greatly and I just wanted to say that. I’ll be back in good ole’ Southwick in a couple months, if you’re still there maybe we could meet up for coffee or ice cream!
Great stuff, Christine. Have a good summer on your “native” turf. Best of luck with all your projects!
Stevo´s last blog ..The Hakka People: White Wall
If you end up doing the proverbial weekend trip up to Montreal, let me know and I’ll buy you guys lunch
It’s only fair for all the great articles and advice I have gotten from you. Plus we can talk shop as I am giving it all up for the road in the new year. Enjoy your summer!
I have been following your posts for a really long time but have rarely commented. The photos on your most recent post are so awesome that I had to just tell you. Btw your blog is a weekly escape for me to a life that I may never lead but would love to dream about.
Just seeing the new design now. It looks great! Clean and pretty.
Love the pictures! I would love to find time and be able to do the language immersion in another country. That’s in one of my bucket list.
It’s always a pleasure – and often a surprise – to catch up on what you are doing. I appreciate your writing and your attitude.
Northampton is one of my favorite spots. We stop there every summer for a few days on the way up to Vermont. I agree with you that there couldn’t be a much better place to wile away a summer and tackle some projects – all while eating yummy, organic, local food.
The site looks nice too!
A beautiful new site design to go with an incredibly inspiring post! Best of luck to you both with your upcoming projects and adventures this summer.
Hiya Christine,
Loving the sleek new look =) gratzz!
Lovely new site design! I’ve been reading your blog for months now, and I always look forward to new posts.
Best of luck in the US for the summer.
Liz @ Extreme Telecommute´s last blog ..How to Have a Social Life While Extreme Telecommuting
Love the new site design! Gorgeous. And I love Granada too. I just have to find enough time in our itinerary so we can hit Spain. So much to see, so little time. Sigh.
I can really identify with the working versus travel experiences. It’s an irony that the more you write the more people get interested in your travels, but the more you travel to experience the stuff you want to write about the less time you have for writing.. ahh, hard to get both