- Calgary Horizon by Laura Zerebeski
– Calgary Horizon by Laura Zerebeski

Black and white, hot and cold, day and night. Expat life in Nicaragua is quite opposite to what it once was for us in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. If we were to “paint a picture” it would look something like this…

All of our belongings fit into our Hyundai Galloper.

When small appliances like blenders or toasters break we wouldn’t think of throwing them out, we simply take a trip to the repairman to get them fixed instead. There are no clocks in our house and we wash dishes by hand with cold water.

Our food comes from a garden, field or tree, not from a bag or can. Passion fruit and dragon fruit are no longer considered exotic, they are just part of our regular diet. Processed food doesn’t taste good anymore.

Painting the Picture: Our Expat Life in Nicaragua
– A sampling of fresh fruit & vegetables grown here in Nicaragua

If a beer costs more than $1.50 USD we think it’s expensive. And if a 9-year old happens to be the one serving it to us we’re not shocked or surprised. 

Cheap Cervezas
– 3 x 2 Victoria Clasica Promotion: C$50 = $1.92 USD

We can take our dog everywhere! She even rides with us on our 125cc Yahama motorcycle. Which just so happens to be our our primary mode of transportation.

An Affordable & Fun Way to Travel in NicaraguaSince we live in a beach town we don’t have to worry as much about what we wear, which means our wardrobes consist mainly of tank tops and flip flops. Sometimes we go months without buying a single new piece of clothing.

An extra special dinner for two costs just $25 per person. 

We don’t have to go to the zoo to see monkeys.

Painting the Picture: Our Expat Life in Nicaragua
– A howler monkey visits us at our rental home in Playa Marsella

Our lives are not over scheduled. We get to decide how busy we want to be. A party invitation can be sent out two days in advance, instead of two weeks.

We are now able to enjoy a lot more quality time socializing with friends. Friends who are from Australia, Belgium, Canada, England, Ireland, Nicaragua, Switzerland and the United States.

SJDS 12 Pubs of Christmas CrawlWe always know what the weather is going to be like. Our doors and windows are rarely closed and you can find us enjoying time at a beach just about every other day.

Painting the Picture: Our Expat Life in Nicaragua
– Playa Colorado: Hacienda Iguana, Nicaragua

So there you have it — a glimpse of what life is like for a Canadian couple who are living and loving expat life in Nicaragua!

Can you imagine it? Are you currently living it? What does your “picture” look like?