I was due.

In the few years that I’ve been able to call myself an “international traveller,” I have been one of the lucky few to never have had anything stolen. I always knew I was lucky, because no matter how careful or alert one might be, it only takes a second of distraction to have something end up out of your reach.

Today, someone got me when I was distracted by the decision of putting my bags on top of the bus, or sitting on them inside the bus.

The thief was a midd-aged woman who was suspiciously close to me. I kept wondering why she was hanging so close to me, and when I finally tried to push past her, she made her move. She unhooked the clasp of my bag and with deft fingers slipped away with my shiny, new… Blue Nalgene.

My two day-old Nalgene is off somewhere in Nicaragua, without me. But I have to say, I’m pretty pleased about this. If something had to go, I’m glad it was just a water-bottle rather than any of my camera equipment or personal documents. In the pocket below the hook, was my passport, wallet, and computer.

I was due to have something go missing; it was my time. Honestly, if she saw the need to steal my Nalgene, well, she probably needed it more than I did. Tonight, she drinks out of an impeccable specimen of waterbottleness.

Right now, I’m in San Juan del Sur lounging with Jenn before we take the bus to Tortuga, our home-away-from-home during the weekdays. It feels incredibly hot here, seeing as how I’m currently used to weather that brought snow in June at the moment, but I’m hoping it won’t take long for me to acclimatize.

For now, I’m going to consider the lack of hot water in the shower a blessing.