'Tis the Season

Did the holiday season already happen? It’s hard for us to tell, other than noticing family and friends’ photos on Facebook; meanwhile, we’re still in tropical weather craving a little A/C. While we dearly missed partaking in our family traditions, we did try to celebrate along the way.

Thanksgiving was in Leon, Nicaragua. Thank-fully (pun intended), another American couple organized a pot luck on Thanksgiving weekend. Ten Americans and twenty Europeans/Latinos partook in our beloved American holiday. Two brave women even got up early to hit the market and purchase two LIVE chickens!! They did all the dirty work to roast chickens, while everyone else was responsible for the side dishes. Nothing like a potluck Thanksgiving! We gobbled up: chicken, baguettes (thanks to Juleen), Oreo pudding stuff (thanks to Joe), plantains, beans, and rice. Sadly, Juleen didn’t have a single BudLight. She still wants to be a Rodakowski though.

Christmas was in San Jose, Costa Rica. We met up with a Wabash Alum (Joe’s college) who owns a bed and breakfast near the capital city. They were generous enough to take us off the streets and give us a Christmas worth remembering. We hung our stockings by the fireplace (thanks, Julie) and devoured home-roasted ham prepared with a pesto sauce—delish! A few other Americans and their Latino spouses joined the festivities. It was quite the crowd and a splendid meal. And, as you would guess, we highly recommend Bibi’s Bed & Breakfast for all those visiting Costa Rica. Thank you, Jim and Bibi.

New Year’s transpired in David, Panama. CouchSurfing was good to us. Our American host encouraged us to spend the holiday with her in her home outside the city. She has a great view of the city, primed for viewing fireworks. She threw a party for her ex-pat friends, and the party roared until 4:30 in the morning (at least that was the last I heard… we were sleeping long before). The Panamanian New Year’s custom was quite a treat as well: Individual families shoot off their own firework collections, ensuring good luck for them and providing a unique firework panorama for those viewing from afar.

While we couldn’t have been luckier for having great hosts for all of our holidays, we look forward to next year.