Well Worth the Hassle

“Never again,” I muttered under my breath as I clung to the rapidly fraying threads of composure that had been keeping me from bugging out, which I shouldn’t need to remind you, is a no-no on a commercial airline flight. The airline Ana, my girlfriend, and I had chosen to whisk us off to our tropical vacation in Nicaragua had seats that didn’t recline, extremely cramped aisles, and little to no leg room. They also seemingly regularly change flight times and dates weeks after their original purchase, which had put me in a foul mood before we even boarded the plane.

Our flight out of San Francisco departed around 1 AM, so both of us were excited at the prospect of being able to close our eyes in the United States and open them in Central America. As I mentioned  earlier, this is not how it played out. There was no comfort to be found in those seats, especially for me, with my chronic pain condition.

While Ana was able to find temporary solace in momentary slips into slumber, I wasn’t so lucky. A type of time dilation that rivaled the effects of a high dose psychedelic trip placed me in some kind of temporal purgatory. Every time I checked my watch, it seemed only minutes had passed. At some point, I stopped checking. At that very moment, a new development attached itself to my thoughts like a Facehugger from the movie Alien. Restless legs! I thrashed and stomped and massaged and even prayed to a host of Gods I don’t even believe in.

Luckily, before I found myself escorted off our grounded plane by burly security guards, I trained my thoughts on our final destination—the magical land of Nicaragua. A place where offshore winds groom waves to perfection and the beauty of the natural landscape paints a magical masterpiece. Where the food is delicious (and cheap) and the people and their pets are  quick to take you in. An inviting destination year-round, especially so now, at the tail end of a winter that truly kicked both of our asses.

These realizations stirred something inside me. I can make it! It’s totally worth it to endure this hell if Nicaragua was half the place I’d visited last July. Strength came in waves, and within five minutes, my frown had truly turned upside down. As my tension eased time began to work again the way it should, and before long, we were there!

As we walked across the tarmac after we landed, Ana and I traded weary, yet elated smiles. Traveling alone can be a fun adventure, but when you do it with someone you love, those all too common traveling mishaps become easier to navigate. Any couple that can consistently overcome such challenges have a great shot to make their partnership last.

Outside the terminal, Louie, our cab driver, was waiting patiently for our arrival, which was a blessing as our plane arrived about an hour late. Louie was talkative and friendly, which allowed me to iron out the kinks in my rusty Spanish. When we stopped for a bathroom break his eyes lit up when I told him to pick anything he wanted to eat from one of the vendors nearby. He came back with two bags of Chicharrones (pork rinds) and a coca-cola, a true product of his environment.

The drive was tranquil, and afforded Ana and I a good look at the countryside. Ramshackle businesses and crumbling residences highlighted the economic inequality in places like Nicaragua, but they were beautiful—brightly colored in pastel hues of green, yellow, and orange. The people we saw appeared to be happy, but you could tell that, for most Nicaraguans, life doesn’t come easy, a truth exemplified by the sight of an eighty-plus year-old farmworker carrying a back-breaking stack of wood on his shoulders.

When we finally arrived at our destination, Club Surf Popoyo, we were greeted by our host, Filippo. He showed us around his cute surfing lodge and led us to our room. It was perfect! There was a peaceful patio just outside our quarters lined with rocking chairs and hammocks, and the trail to the sand stretched a mere twenty feet. We could literally see the ocean from inside our room! At that moment, we knew that we were in for a treat, one well worth the hell we endured on our flight.

After we unpacked our things, we decided to take a sunset stroll and warm water plunge. Stiff offshore winds, the kinds that Nicaragua is famous for, were creating perfect two-foot barrels that lit up in shimmering gold reflections thanks to the molten sun behind them. So enticing was the scene that we abandoned our walk and ran straight for the sea. All the hardship of travel washed right off us as we dove under those first few waves. After sharing a magical kiss I looked at Ana with a cheeky smile and said, “I think it was worth it!”