Wandering Shepard: The Last Post

So folks, it’s been a good run, but unfortunately all else, all good things must come to an end. Well maybe the word good is too strong. The truth is I haven’t been completely honest with all you guys, my readers, and least of all honest with myself. These past ten, almost eleven months, have been a tremendous struggle on me and it has reached a point where I don’t feel comfortable or happy living and working in Nicaragua any longer. What I am trying to say, is that I am ending my service a year early due to personal reasons. My parents are on they’re way down at this very moment, and what they are soon to find out, is that they’re on their way down to take me home.

The posts that you have read during the last few months have been the cookie-cutter version of life here, and the struggles that I have endured. I think part of the reason that I was so upbeat in all my recent posts, is that I was trying to convince myself that I wanted to stay, and that I was enjoying life here. But as I have recently realized that’s just not the case. My own language skills, or rather lack there of has been an ongoing reminder of my failure to become bilingual, and a constant source of mild depression for me. It’s difficult to walk around a town day in and day out, and not be able to really understand what’s going on around you; to not have the personal connection you have with the friends and family in your community. And what’s more, I miss my friends and family back in the states, who I love and care dearly about. You never really know how good you have it, until you leave everything you’re used to behind. While there are other professional reasons mixed in to my decision, I have decided that my own personal happiness is more important than “sticking it out”, or proving to myself I got what it takes. But it’s as I tell, or rather told, my students, you often learn more from your failures than your successes. And from that perspective, I don’t consider my time here in Nicaragua a waste of time, as I learned a lot about myself, and what it is exactly that I want to accomplish in my life. I wouldn’t trade my here for anything, but it’s just time to move on for me, back to the good ole, US of A. Love it or leave it right?

So I only have one more thing left to say, my parting words...april fool’s. C’mon, do I seem like the quitting type? And did you think I could really do that to my parents? Its vacation time baby, and I couldn’t be happier with my life down here. Although there are struggles with the language, I’m more that proficient, and while I do miss all of you terribly, I’ll be back (albeit for only a short bit) in July to thrown down a few, delicious beers. But I had you going right?

I also want to take a minute to say Happy Birthday to my main man Mishka, I hope its a great one. But more importantly, I want to say Happy Birthday Week to all those who turn one year older this week (or celebrate their "half" birthday) and to all who have ever been involved in our Birthday Week celebrations. Because as you know, Birthday week is way bigger than just one person.