Social Butterflies - a whole new world.

It's hard to believe that we've been here for over 10 months now, unless you subtract the time we were back in Canada and how different life is!

Our children are suspect of our increased social life. We do go out to meet friends several times a week which is a definite departure from our solitary status back in Canada. It's likely that we just have more time, but it's also likely that we've found more people with a similar mind set to our own, which makes it easy to make friends. (This is a pet theory of Ron's, and I can't say that I disagree...there's something about coming to a foreign country that is, well, adventuresome and others who come have that same spirit of adventure.)

Susan & Linda making supper for us!

Be this as it may, it can really get exhausting. (Maybe, like amateur athletes, we just aren't in good enough shape for it! Our advice? Pace yourself. I know, I know: people are heading north for a stretch and you may not get to see them for a while, or they got back from somewhere exciting and you want to hear about it. (Or BEST case scenario, they have hard to get goodies still neatly packed in their suitcases, with your name on them! Yes, dark chocolate Reese's Peanut Butter cups are a luxury.) There are a hundred and one reasons why you should probably go meet that person for coffee or have them over for dinner, but seriously...limit it.  We've had weeks were we were out EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. (Conveniently, or not, depending on your view, our apartment can only service 4 for dinner, which for us, is occasionally vexing, but in some ways a blessing.)

Bike Trips

Some of you are thinking "hey, that sounds like my kind of action." If that's you, pack your bags immediately and head to Ecuador. I won't lie, it takes time to build up a network of acquaintances, but if you work at it, your calendar will be full before you know it. If you're thinking "dear heavens, no!" well, don't come or learn to say "no". (Which is much tougher to do here than you might think.)

Lunches

Dinners

Even with all of this overwhelming social "stuff" we're thriving here in Cuenca. And since we've never been shy of taking on new adventures, we're taking to it like ducks to water. Despite all our roaming it's possible that much like Goldilocks, we feel as if we might have found something "just right" finally.

 

Day trips with visitors

 

Dinner with family

So if you're thinking of coming here, make sure you're ready to get your social on...I guess it's completely possible to NOT do that, but why the heck wouldn't you?

Until next time!