I always knew that asking for help was important, but on this solo trip to Nicaragua I’ve really been reaping the benefits of being brave enough to ask for it. A week ago I left my comfort zone and my husband in Mexico, stopping in Miami then Costa Rica before arriving at my new-to-me home in Nicaragua where I didn’t know a single soul. Actually I didn’t know anything at all. I didn’t know where to get food (thank goodness I asked my driver to stop at a supermarket so I could panic buy a few staples), I didn’t know where the people were, and I didn’t know how to get anywhere. I was a strange lady in a strange place.
Upon arrival, I made myself some bland rice and beans with a salad. I made dressing from mayo and ketchup because I couldn’t figure out if the dressings in the store had dairy in them. Actually I couldn’t tell if they were dressings at all. They could have been steak sauce.
My husband let me know that he was meeting some friends to go see live music and have dinner. In the group text I’m in, people talked about meeting up for beers. Meanwhile I’m all alone on the top of a mountain eating flavorless rice and beans. “What the hell did I get myself into?” I asked myself.
I came here because a friend of mine invited me here with him, his lady, and their new baby. They live upstairs and I was going to rent the downstairs apartment and they were going to introduce me to everyone and show me everything. A week before arriving I was informed that they wouldn’t be here. I almost backed out.
At first I wondered why I didn’t.
I really struggled with figuring stuff out. I got lost a bunch of times which led me to huffing and puffing up insanely steep hills in the wrong direction. I heard there was a fruit truck, but I hadn’t seen it for myself. I know there are really cool people who lived around here, but where were they? I was so uncomfortable. I really don’t like not knowing what I’m doing.
So I asked for help. I shared how I was having a hard time and the people showed up offering support in so many ways. At first I felt guilty and scared to ask because I knew how lucky I was to even be in this situation. There’s people in the world with way worse problems than me and they are the ones that need to be supported and not me. The things is though is that we all deserve support when we need it.
Without my support team I’m not sure I would have made it through so quickly. Something else really helped me. When I got garlic salt I knew that everything would be OK. Actually, I got that garlic salt because I asked for help. The woman on the top floor rented a four wheeler and I asked her if I could borrow it to go to the market. She said yes and gave me directions there and that’s where I got the live changing garlic salt. Since that moment everything changed.
I found my flow. I met friends. I heard the fruit truck men yelling, “Banana banana banana banana” in the streets and I ran out and now I have a bounty of fruits and veggies. Although I am more physically alone than I’ve been in so long, I feel a part of something. This doesn’t mean that I’m not awkward and shy sometimes. I’ve been putting my towel down near people who I think are nice on the beach at sunset and sometimes they ask me if I’d like to join them. That’s how I met a bunch of German college grads who I introduced to Phish.
There are so many reasons that you might not feel comfortable asking for help and that’s something to look at because in the flow of life you need to start receiving instead of just giving all the time. The people who helped me really enjoyed it and felt good doing it. Who am I to deny them of that fulfillment? And because of that I will be sure to continue to ask for help when I need it.
Thank you for being on this journey with me and I love you (and garlic salt)!
