I’ve been in Ecuador just short of 3 months now, and I noticed a shift recently that I feel less like a tourist, and more like someone living abroad. When I first arrived, everything felt new and foreign, but now I feel very comfortable in Cuenca, and it has become my new normal. I don’t have the same anxiety talking to new people here anymore, and for the most part I feel like I’m home. I have a community here that I’ll really miss when I leave (but let’s not acknowledge how soon that is!!)

When you are a traveler or tourist, at least when I am, you want to see all the city has to offer, and you usually pack a bunch of stuff into a short amount of time because, well, you have limited time. You buy souvenirs right away, and you probably don’t go to the same restaurant multiple times. And if you’re anything like me, you also don’t necessarily slow down to rest. Because of this, you miss some of the intricacies of the culture you’re in. When you’re living in a country, though, you become completely immersed in them. I after the first few weeks, I started to recognize people who were on the bus in the morning at the same time as me. I’ve adapted to the eating schedule that my host family follows. I recognize the employees at the cafe’s that I frequent. I could go on. Since I am living here instead of just coming for a week as a tourist, I am able to relax and see the city over a longer period of time, and not feel that sense of urgency to fit everything into my schedule so quickly.

Beyond that, recently there have been elements of home integrated into my life here, which may have contributed to my feeling like I am home. The group Democrat’s Abroad, who helped those of us who wanted to vote in the midterms to vote, hosted an election night watch party. A lot of the girls in my group and I, along with my mom who was visiting that week, all went. I’m a political science major, so that wasn’t the type of event I would skip out on! It was really wonderful to have that feeling of home on such a stressful night, and it was fun to see some of the US expats of Cuenca.

Me with my “blue drink” at the Democrats Abroad watch party!

Having my mom here for a week also obviously contributed to my feeling of home, but not quite in the way I was expecting. She was a reminder of my actual home but made me realize how comfortable I am here in Cuenca. She knows essentially zero Spanish, so whenever we went anywhere, I was the translator. When you’re learning a language it’s easy to get hung up on all the things you DON’T know and forget how far you’ve come. I don’t think I would have felt comfortable and confident enough at the beginning of this semester to get around anywhere close to as well as I do now. It was also interesting to hear the things she pointed out as different here that I had become accustomed to, usually things like the narrow streets and strong presence of various street vendors. I’ve gotten used to the foods here, and it was a reminder of that when my mom had lots of questions about items on menus. I didn’t realize how much I had learned here and how used to this way of life I had gotten until I spent the week sharing my experiences with someone from my home.

Me and my mom by the entrance of the zoo here in Cuenca!

Though I may still look out of place here, (I’m 5’7 and blonde, I’ll never fit the physical characteristics of people here!) I definitely feel at home in Cuenca. I don’t think at the beginning of this semester that I could have guessed how at home I’d feel after just a few months, but I am so thankful that I do.