Feliz Navidad

Greetings and love to all!
I realized that I was wearing myself down a bit from moving around so much so I decided to take it easy in Granada and it has done me right. I have gotten some good rest and relaxation and now I feel more myself again and I am ready to keep going. I spent my days here strolling around town and stopping to have talks with some locals along the way. I stroll and chat and stroll and chat... it's really quite nice. I have met some great people here who have shared a lot with me about life in Nicaragua. A lot of the people I end up talking with are Sandanistas and they tell me about the war and the revolution, and often times how they don't like America, but then they are like, but don't worry we are trying to move past this and we want good relations with you. I also share with them my views of America and where I am coming from and in the end I have had some very positive cultural exchanges and made some nice friends.

Aside from that, lets see... the first afternoon I was here I decided to walk down to the lake to check it out. I wasn't exactly sure where I was going, just strolling around. At the lake edge I walked past this group of 5 people from Spain who were hanging out and they called me over. They asked me if I wanted to see the islands and I was not sure what they were talking about. Then they told me how there are about 400 tiny islands in the lake that were formed by volcanos and they were rounding up people to go on a boat tour to get the price down... with me we would each just have to pay 2 dollars. So I was like yeah sure I'll go with you on the boat tour and off we went. We slowly cruised around these tiny islands observing the nature, and they are also sparsely inhabited so it was fun to see the different houses out there too. It turned out to be a great afternoon activity and the people I was with were very friendly so I was in good company. Once again I was amazed how everything seems to work out when I have no plan (because I would not have been able to afford to do this on my own). It is really special to be able to be open to whatever comes along and not have anything holding you back. Last night I stayed up almost all night talking to Erick from Costa Rica and I was telling him how I have been getting through Nicaragua and the different things that have been happening to me and he was like wow you are a true backpacker. I thought it was pretty funny... when I step outside of myself and look at where I am and what I am doing, I just think I am living my life right and it feels really good. When everything is in alignment happiness and good blessings will come. And when I feel strong inside I am better able to share and give myself to others.

And so with that I share my happiness and good blessings with all of you and I send my strength and love on this holiday season. Most of the people I care about are far away from me now, but they are close in my heart. We are all in this world together and we need to support each other and let each other know that we care. One thing I have truley learned on this trip is that there is not much out there in the world better than good company and good friends-- people who are there to share experiences with you, and to support and care for you during the good times and the bad times, and who are there to laugh and have fun with you because laughter is the best medicine of all!

In the morning I'm off to spend the next 2 days on a quiet crater lake, so I will pass my Christmas in peace and good spirits and I will be thinking of all the people who important in my life.

Con amor,
Tess

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