The other day I flagged down a taxi and named the location I wanted to go.
Taxi driver replied, so you don't want to go home to your house?
WTF?
He knew where I lived because he had driven me in the past.
There is 500 taxis in Matagalpa and I have probably used many of them.
For me their faces look all the same.
For them, they remember me after years.
I need to behave all the time 😂
Lesson for Expats: In Small Communities, Your Reputation Lasts
Living as an expat in a place with few tourists or foreigners means locals remember you far longer than you might expect. Even if faces blur together for newcomers, your presence stands out, and people—whether taxi drivers or restaurant staff—will greet you by name after months apart.
The lesson is clear: your reputation follows you, so it pays to behave well at all times, because in smaller communities, everyone knows who you are.