I Thought This Might Happen-------

When we moved here in May mayhem, pratfalls, absurdities, and general craziness broke loose. Such is the life of strangers in a strange land, and it made for some interesting stories. But after six months you've either thrown your hands up and moved back home (we know several folks who have done just that) or you somehow manage to settle in and begin creating a life.

We have chosen Door #2. Our Spanish still sucks, we still often have no idea why many things are the way they are (we quit asking--it makes things SO much easier), and yet---here we are, happy as can be.

The trips to the supermarket no longer involve intense stare-down's hoping the Spanish labels will somehow reveal their English translations. There are no more arguments with cab drivers about whether the fare is $1.50 or $2.00. We don't know all the street names yet but we don't get lost any more. Have we become boring? Hardly. We've simply become more comfortable.

But I'm a bit sad to admit that as a result this blog is becoming too "bloggy" even for me. I hate online diaries, and thank God I'm not yet reporting where we ate for dinner and, since we don't own a pet, what color nail polish Poochie got at the salon. But still, I and you expect more than a photo gallery with a few clever comments.

So what to do? I have no clue. I'm now writing for two publications, La Tarde and Cuenca High Life; there are several business deals cooking; our social life is totally off the hook; we are becoming a magnet for social causes. But all this isn't wildly entertaining--it's just us---today.

Perhaps all this should be reassuring and comforting to those of you considering a life abroad. We are poster children for a normal (debatable) suburban couple who parachuted into a different culture with zero friends and through positive intention have very successfully created a rich, vibrant new life.

We're returning to the States this Sunday for a 5 week stay to visit family and friends during the holiday season. Maybe plunging back into the world we left behind will generate some craziness. We're excited to see everyone, and I'm pumped about diving into the food (it's gonna get ugly)that's just not available here.

But even though we're going "home," I'm certain we'll be ready to get back to the beauty and peace of our real home here in Ecuador. For us Estados Unidos is now a "nice place to visit, but wouldn't want to live there."

Strange but true. Let's see what happens next.