Reflections From Nicaragua

agent mcbryan is all about the Bojon Introspection these days as he gets stuff going in his central american kingdom.

check it out:

3 Months in Nicaragua have come and gone very quickly.

While time does go slightly slower when you are in central America, it stills goes fast. I’m back in the US now, and the plan is to spend the holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas) with my family, take a vacation in January and head back to Nicaragua for the beginning of the next surf season in late February.





Not that I’ve had a lot of time to slow down and reflect yet, but I’m proud to say that I exceeded my own expectations for what I set out to do in the three months I spent in Nicaragua.
1) I’ve been able to steadily improve my Spanish. It has definitely been frustrating at times, but I know I am learning because am now to the point where I am comfortable bribing the police officers in Managua.

2) I have been able to locate and purchase several pieces of land at the best surfing beaches in Nicaragua; the crown jewel is a 50 acre plot at the beach, right in the middle of the best surfing area on the pacific coast. This plot will be divided into lots and sold next year. (If anyone out there is looking for a good investment in Nicaragua, please point them in my direction.)

3) I gained an incredible appreciation for the my family and friends back in the States. The one thing I probably overlooked prior to moving down were my friends and family. I had no idea how many really good friends I had in the US until I left…and moved to a place where I knew no one. After three months, I am very fortunate that I’ve begun to develop these relationships in Nicaragua, especially with Jose and Elia who have treated me like I am part of their family.







Perhaps most significant of all, however, is a new perspective on life that has been developing inside of me.

Before embarking on this whole Nicaragua thing, I spent much of my time trying to figure out what I needed to do in my life so I “didn’t have to work”. Work was always the necessary evil that was a means to an end. Not to say that I didn’t like the jobs I have had in the past, because I did – as much as anyone could like a “job”. But being honest with myself, it always came down to the fact that I was working so I could have the money to do the things I really wanted to do – like surf and travel and surf and travel and surf.





Three months ago, it was my thinking that I could move down to Nicaragua, live in a tropical paradise, not work and surf all the time. Sounds like a great idea, right? Well, let me tell you that I was wrong. The most important realization I have made from this experience is that my original goal of NOT working, is not what I was looking for at all. In fact, it is just the opposite. I have learned that I will go absolutely nuts if I am not “working” on something. That something doesn’t have to be a job, but it has to be interesting, stimulating and fun.

Every morning of the last three months, I was able to wake up and without encumbrance, ask myself, “what do I want to do today?” and then be in the unique position to do exactly that. I’ve realized that I wasn’t really looking for a way not to work, but rather a way to enjoy my work, and my life to the fullest. And actually, if there was no differentiation between my enjoyment of working and living, that would be the ideal. So, starting now, that’s what my new goal is: to work the way I like to live - for the fun of it.

The other thing I realized is that the more risk I take, the more risk I can stomach. In that way, following through with this decision has increased my ability to do more of the things I want to do in the future.




Before making this move, my life was pretty good. I had a great job, I lived in a great city, I had great friends and most importantly, I was happy. By most people’s standards (including my own), there was no need to make a change. I struggled with that. The decision process leading up to my move seemed like such a big deal in my mind and I questioned myself about everything. Could I really do this? Was it a good idea? Did I have the balls to give it a try? What happens if it doesn’t work? Etc.

At the time, this seemed to be one of the biggest decisions in my life and it was difficult – but in retrospect, it wasn’t that big of a deal and it was easy. In fact, I can’t believe how easy (and fun) it has been. Once I made the decision to do it, all of the things I was afraid of just disappeared. Instead of worrying about not knowing the language, I began to learn Spanish. Instead of not knowing anybody, I began to make new friends, and instead of being alone in an unfamiliar place, I began to feel comfortable in Nicaragua. Everything was so new and exciting, before I knew it, I was completely immersed in a brand new world.




I have gone way beyond my comfort zone, and in doing so, I have changed my perception and increased my tolerance for ambiguity. I am now able to visualize many more opportunities in areas I would not have considered just three months ago. As a result, the very things that seemed impossible before, I know are not only possible, but also within my reach. In any case, I can’t wait to get back to my new home in Feburary.

All the best…

- Bryan

amen, amen, amen. mcBryan is getting to the heart of what it's all about. the Kingdom of Bojon is out there folks.... you just gotta go find it.

Posted by bojon at November 18, 2004 08:36 PM