Nicaragua: The Laptop and the Bus

The conductor on the old school bus insisted on taking my day pack after he had stowed my big pack in the back. He literally grabbed it out of my arms. I told him, I think, that my computer was in it, and that I wanted it with me. No luck. So instead of enjoying the countryside and volcano views, I worried the whole way to the Charco Verde drop off. A couple of travelers from the Czech Republic who spoke good Spanish explained my concerns to him, shrugged, and told me he said it would be OK.

Since it was out of my sight and my control, my imagination went wild. I had visions of it being used as a seat for some portion of the trip or being casually casually tossed out by a passenger. The Czech couple obviously thought I was overly concerned. “It’s my first time traveling with it, and I’m still a bit protective.”

When I got off by the side of the road, there it was. The pack showed no signs of abuse, so my worries diminished a little. When I finally booted up and signed on to the Charco Verde Lodge’s wi-fi, my muscles relaxed and I realized I had been tensing them the whole time.

I have to get over this, or I’ll be a wreck within a year. No comments from the peanut gallery, please.

Traveling with a laptop has been fine for the most part. I love looking at my photos for as long as I want, looking up information on the internet, making blog posts, and playing the simple games I like, and staying on as long as I want without having to worry about the money. I don’t even mind the weight much. I don’t like the worry, though. Maybe I’ll adjust.