Change!

Last night we got a phone call from the director of our language school stating that our professor was no longer available and that we would have a new professor on Monday with a new time change.

"Okay," I heard my hubby say on the phone to the director.

But I wasn't "okay" with it. Our professor, "Juan" (not his real name) was great. We were making progress and were considered at the intermediate level after only 10 sessions. He knew us as students, but more than that he was becoming our friend. We later realized that it was something between him and the school and that we shouldn't get involved (so we did not!).

So this morning, we started with a new instructor at a different time. Change...it's what life is all about (right?). But to be perfectly honest with you, I've had just about all the change I can take for a while. Our new teacher is great (don't get me wrong); she's young, she's fun and she's more animated than "Juan," but today we started from the beginning again  "Tell me a little bit about yourselves, " she said in Spanish with her eyes sparkling and her hands waving.

No! I thought to myself, I don't want to tell you about myself...I want "Juan" back!

My hubby gave me that knowing smile, put his hand to his forehead and scratched the back of his head with the other hand. After 34 years of marriage, I knew what that meant: Sit on your hands, Connie! Grin and bear it!

So I did...for one hour and 30 minutes. I was conversant and played along, but I wasn't "present."  Afterall, how much can a girl take? In one month's time, I have married a son, sold a house, given away all my earthly possessions, said goodbye to family and friends, came to Ecuador with four suitcases...oh, yes, I wrote a book during that last month as well that probably will never be released because I now live in a foreign country. No big deal, right?

Wrong!

My ability to change has stopped functioning. After class, Mark took me to the Oro Verde for a cappuccino and while I was enjoying my "cap" and complimentary chocolate, I looked up to find Mark crying (no sobbing!). I put my arm around him and asked, "What's wrong, honey?" And then the words which made me cry as well..."I miss my boys!"

I knew it...I knew it...I knew it! It was bound to happen. Of course, we miss our boys (we had to hide the pictures around the apartment because we sobbed every time we looked at them). Our boys are 24 and 29 and they have lives of their own and they're happy. In fact, I mentioned to Jon that we couldn't bear to look at their pictures because we started sobbing. He joked with me and said, "Oh yeah, I'm sobbing uncontrollably too!" ;-)

Here's the point...you knew I was getting to it, didn't you?  I'm sick of change. I want things to be stable (just for a couple of days, which means I don't want a new Spanish teacher). There...I said it!

As we walked out of the Oro Verde, another American couple walked in and complained that we had given "Ana" a tip for making the rest of our lunch "to go."

"You're going to ruin the economy in Ecuador if you do that!" he said (and he wasn't joking!).

I gave him a blank stare, grabbed Mark's hand before he said something he would surely regret and left the Oro Verde. As we held hands and walked back to our apartment I said, "Change is hard...isn't it?"

Silence.

Thankfully, Mark is asleep now (siesta time);  I'm writing two articles for the Internet (they actually pay me to do it -- imagine that?), and I'm listening to the rain pelt outside our bedroom window.

It's peaceful. It's quiet. It's home (for a change!).

Until next time...hasta luego!


Consuelo y Marco