Mi Familia en Ecuador

So I totally didn’t prepare myself for what it would be like to meet my host family. Can you? Really? We arrived in Cuenca on Sunday after an eight-hour bus ride and waited in a room in our school to meet our families. We joked about how we felt like orphans and I really did feel like I’d just gotten off the orphan train/bus. Back in the day street kids would be shipped by train from New York out into the West where they would line up in some community gathering area and locals would come to check them out and decide whether or not they wanted to take a child home. Yeah, my knees were shaking and I was uber nervous. Granted, at least I knew I had a family, but dag yo. Anyway, my host mother was there to greet me and she patted my hand and said “Tranquila.” And just like that, we put my luggage in her SUV and drove off. Away from all of my new friends. Alone. With this woman who was going to be my host mother for the next four months… So yeah, I was internally FREAKING out. But like always, I spent way too much time and energy being nervous. Stupid nerves. Nerves are something I’ve decided to work on while here. When fear drives my life, I miss out on way too much. More about that some other time.

But yeah, my family. I walked into their house and was like, holy cats, I’ve seen this place before. And I really had. This past December I talked to the only girl from Luther who has done this particular program in Ecuador and she showed me some pics of her experiences. Turns out, I have her host family. Small world. The parents are super nice and patient with my much less than desirable Spanish skills. They are both in their sixties. The father works in a bank and the mother is a housewife. They also have a maid who lives with them. Needless to say, they are pretty wealthy. I have my own room with a television and my own bathroom. I know, pretty hotsy totsy. There is also a 28-yr-old who lives at home who is obsessed with cars! But he is cool and a big jokester. Today I asked him what he did for a job and he told me he hunted deer in the city every day. Then again, maybe that’s not what he said. HAHAHA! There are also two sons who are married and have their own homes. We hang out during meal times and immediately after dinner (8:15ish) they head for bed. The first night they said “Vamos a descansar” which I interpreted as, “We’re going to go chill and talk for awhile.” Or not. Definitely meant time for bed. I am grateful for their kindness. It takes some pretty special people to invite a complete stranger into their home to be a part of their family for four months. Pretty special indeed.

Other tidbits I have noticed about my family thus far:
• They drive a stick shift!
• They don’t wear seatbelts.
• They are VERY affectionate with one another. This is a cultural thing. Whenever one enters or leaves the room she must acknowledge EVERYONE. And no, this is not a simple wave of the hand accompanied with “Hola” or “Adios”. Nope. Woman touch right cheeks with both men and women and make a kissing sound while men shake hands with one another. Yup. Lots of affection. It will take some getting used to. But overall, I think I’m a fan. Makes you feel loved, or at least, acknowledged. And that is a GREAT thing.