My daughter was living in Nica with her Nicaraguan fiance, so when she found out she was pregnant (first baby), my husband and I went to visit them in San Juan del Sur. She and her fiance were planning to return to the U.S. together to have their baby, with her family close by. When we were leaving Nica, we met Sarah, her husband and two-year old daughter on the shuttle van from SJDS to Managua. Sarah was pregnant with her second child. I was the sad mother saying “good-bye” to my pregnant daughter and Sarah & family were so kind and consoling (since I was the one with the tears). As it turned out, we were on all the same flights back to the U.S. (they were visiting family) so we had a chance to chat and they gave us their contact information in case there was any way they could help our daughter. Imagine, they just met us but were so welcoming and kind. Sarah told me about her positive experience in Nica with her first delivery and that she planned to deliver her second child there as well. She also mentioned that she is part of a community of moms in SJDS and welcomed our daughter to join too. After some time back in the U.S. we found out that circumstances in Nica prevented my daughter and finance from getting back to the U.S. in time for her delivery. My daughter was very nervous about delivering in a foreign country (as were her parents) and without her family nearby. I immediately contacted Sarah in Nica to ask her more details about her delivery expereince- which hospital, doctors, care, prices, etc. She immediately wrote back with all the information we needed to get started. She recommended the hospital, a few doctors, (and which ones spoke English too). However, it wasn’t just her wealth of knowledge, but she went over and above what most strangers would have done. She was so warm, caring and reassuring. Sarah also had a blog that we read which was helpful detailing all the specifics and prices. There wasn’t just one email . . . every time something came up that we needed help with we would contact Sarah and each and every time she would respond immediately and always end each communication with, “please let me know if there is anything else I/we can do for you”. My husband and I met our daughter in Managua to be with her for the birth, and she delivered a healthy baby boy (so did Sarah, 3 weeks earlier). We couldn’t have navigated our way through the whole process if it wasn’t for Sarah. We weren’t even supposed to be on that shuttle the day we met, since we had reserved a private shuttle. As people say, “things happen for a reason”, and I told all our friends that we were supposed to meet on that shuttle because she was our angel, and we simply could not have done it without her. We were so happy that Sarah & family could attend our daughter’s wedding. It felt like the circle was complete with them there.

~Eternally grateful, Grandma Mimi.

My husband and I had been scoping out Nicaragua for a year or so when we became pregnant with our third boy. My first reaction was, “there is no way I am having a baby in Nicaragua!” We both agreed that it would be best to put our relocation plans on the back burner for a while.  I struggled giving up this dream though and before long, I was looking online for resources. I came upon Sarah’s blog while searching for “having a baby in Nicaragua.”  One of Sarah’s blogs was about her personal experience with the pregnancy and birth of her daughter, Lucy. This gave me hope and I thought, “maybe I could do this…” I reached out to Sarah and she emailed me back inviting me to ask as many questions about living here as I wanted.  I did.  I had lots of questions about renting, school for my boys, buying a car, phone service, health care (lots of these questions!) and community. Once we decided to make the move, Sarah added me to a Facebook group of San Juan Moms to help introduce me to the community. When we arrived in Nicaragua with 8 suitcases, two carseats, a stroller, a 15 month old and a 3 1/2 year old, we were a little overwhelmed, but excited for this adventure. I also was 6 months pregnant.  Fun! The first two days were a blur, just trying to get our bearings and recover from our 24 hours of traveling. Did I mention I had a 15 month old and a 3 1/2 year old?  Sarah arranged a meet and greet for us with several expats living in San Juan del Sur with young children. This was a pivotal moment for us. After meeting Sarah face to face and talking with others who had made a similar move we felt so much more grounded. Sarah introduced us to the community in such a welcoming way, we immediately felt a network of support in Nicaragua. Sarah’s list of recommendations helped us get set up with doctors, housing, food shopping, cell phone service, a car… The list goes on. She was such a wealth of knowledge and since she had been through it all before, she knew what we needed most. We have been here for 8 months now and I can honestly say that without Sarah we would not have made this move.

~Carina (Granada and San Juan del Sur)

My wife and I are planning to start over in San Juan Del Sur. We have a million questions and the thought of the unknown excites us. We stumbled upon Sarah’s blog and our eyes started to widen. Her blog is very informative, with information on everything from living and working in SJDS, the ins and outs, and even how to bake a cake in a temperamental oven. We recently signed up for a consultation with Sarah so we could put a face with the blog and ask some more specific questions. She is a wealth of knowledge and a very valuable resource in our decision to make “the leap”.

~Kelly and Janet (North Carolina)

I met Sarah several years ago, when my husband and I had just moved to San Juan del Sur, and since that time, she has been an invaluable resource on all things related to Nicaragua (and beyond!) – from the small (which local shop sells a hard-to-find ingredient) to the big (which doctor to trust when in need of medical care). She is trustworthy, reliable, responsive, honest, and in-the-know. I feel so lucky to know her, and to be able to tap into the wealth of knowledge she’s accumulated living here. If you have a question regarding San Juan del Sur, Sarah is your girl!”

~Michelle, Casa de Tierra (San Juan del Sur)

“My husband and I always had the dream of relocating to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. While beginning our research from the United States I remember feeling discouraged because of the lack of information online about the country. However, I happened across Sarah Fahey’s blog and this all changed. I was able to find someone whom answered all of my questions, was more than willing to help and gave me the comfort I needed in order to make the move down here. We have now been here full time for a year and a half and have absolutely fallen in love with the country and the people. Without the help that Sarah offered I feel that none of this would have been possible. I highly recommend Sarah’s service. She is an amazing person and a very knowledgeable resource!”

~Corey (San Juan del Sur)

“We had the pleasure of meeting Sarah this summer when she opened up her home to us. We were visiting SJDS for the summer and had mutual friends. Since our return back to the States, she has been extremely helpful and knowledgeable in matters regarding relocation to this beautiful beach paradise. Her blog is very informative for those thinking of making the move.”

~Alethea (Alabama)

“Sarah was a real help to my wife and I as we prepared for our move to Nicaragua this summer/fall. She gave us excellent, useful information on subjects like raising children in Nicaragua, healthcare, housing, and what to expect from life here in general.  Following our Skype consultation she went the extra mile and provided us with details about pediatricians, rental companies and even where to find our brand of baby formula.  We were a little nervous about the thought of such a big move but after speaking with her any concerns were alleviated.  We would strongly recommend Sarah (or her blog) to anyone taking their first, or final, steps relocating to the Land of Lakes and Volcanoes.”

~Russ and Ginger (Edmonton)

“Sarah was super helpful. We’re in the early stages of our planning and had lots of questions.  She structured the info she gave us, based on our goals and interests made sure to respond to everything.  She followed up with a list of helpful tips with links, which is going to be a great resource for us as we continue our planning. She was friendly and accommodating.  I highly recommend her!”

~Meg and Kriss (NY)

“After my husband jokingly suggested we move to a little beach town in Mexico to escape the rat race, I got online and did a search for “expats with children” and found Sarah’s blog.  I was so excited to find other people with young children living in Central America!  We immediately set up a relocation call with Sarah to discuss our “hair-brained scheme”.  She was so generous with her time and answered all of our questions thoroughly, following up with even more info in an email.   She was very honest and didn’t try to paint an overly rosey picture, but simultaneously alleviated our biggest fears.  What we really thought was an outrageous proposition became completely feasible!  I don’t think we’d have continued to pursue this dream without Sarah’s help.  As we continue to plan our first visit down, things we hadn’t thought of pop up and Sarah continues to answer our questions.  We’re so excited to meet her and her family in person!”

~Paige & Greg