Sometimes the most ordinary things could be made extraordinary, simply by doing them with the right people. – Rebecca Williams

From the beginning, hearing the news of Peyton Manning joining the Broncos while transferring buses in Coban, Guatemala at a McDonald’s, there were two of us from Colorado and we couldn’t contain our excitement when seeing the future hall of fame QB holding up the orange and blue with a number 18 on it. Several months later, and finally, the long anticipated NFL season has arrived and thankfully I will be able to watch my beloved Denver Broncos for the season opener. The skies are dark and the rain is beginning to come down when Stephen and I head out of the hostel towards Republika. Meeting Alix who has gone down ahead of us, the three of us grab a table and I am ready for the fireworks to begin. As the pregame starts up, there are numerous beauty shots of the Mile High City and Stephen asks me if I am missing home. Answering honestly, I tell him that yes there is a part of me that craves to be watching this game with two of the most vocal and aggressive fans I know, Frank and Mike, but the experiences that I have lived out certainly outweigh this momentary emotion and our current surrounding is something I was only dreaming of a year ago. I consider the ability to watch games, even if the commentary is in Spanish, a luxurious novelty that brings me just a little closer to home, and that connection has helped me to continue to appreciate even the smallest things in life that I easily took for granted when I had what many would consider to be everything. Now, I am loving life and taking each day, not worrying too much about the next nor obsessing over the past, but trusting in the present. As the clock ticks down to the final seconds, Alix is already past the stage of boredom and I can only thank her for bearing through three plus hours as Stephen and I cheered on an exciting 31-19 Denver victory. You’re a trooper Alix. A trooper. Full of excitement, the walk through the empty streets of SJDS barely has me noticing the light rainfall, but I am eager to return to the hostel and watch an English analysis of the game on my iPhone as well as read the overflowing comments from friends back home. What a night in Nicaragua…the newest addition to Broncos Country.