Doing

Calle de Los Siete Cruces

My greatest challenge during my year in Ecuador is to stop measuring my worth based on what I accomplish, but to find comfort in being and not doing. I wake up each morning with all sorts of plans and projects, and am frustrated when unable to proceed at my pace and on my schedule, which of course is impossible, especially in Ecuador, where time is elastic and uncooperative, as are Ecuadorians (regarding timeliness) and now Eric who has become Ecuadorian. When I am told to be ready at 9:30 AM for example, I will make sure that I am where I am supposed to be, often early. More often than not, I wait and wait and wait, and an hour or more later, or perhaps just ten minutes later, action begins.

Banco Central

La Compañia
Centro Cultural Metropolitano

Am I supposed to be more relaxed about time too? I worry that if I become more like the locals, it will be impossible to return to my former life, where patients arrive at my office at the hour or the half hour and I am expected to be on time and prepared for each one. And I still feel guilty if I show up late to an appointment. Usually that still makes me early, but today I arrived at my house 5 minutes late for a lesson with Amparo. She is usually 10 to 15 minutes late, so I was a little bit relaxed coming home, but she came early today and surprised me.

Santa Catalina

Benalcazar

La Merced

Iglesia de La Merced

La Merced

La Merced

I have not yet adjusted to the time challenges. However, feeling comfortable about being in the moment without thought to achieving or overcoming or accomplishing is my greater task. I am programmed to do do do. Today in fact was a 'do nothing' day, but I got up at 6 and made breakfast and snack for Maya, helped her get ready for school and escorted her to her bus, answered emails, went for coffee with Eric to review our schedules for the month and read 'El Comercio', went to the gym and rode the bike for an hour and discussed getting myself prepared for climbing Cotopaxi in the spring, took the Ecovia to the Centro Historico for a walk, had a two hour lesson with Amparo on medical Spanish, picked up Maya and brought her to orchestra, walked home across Parque Carolina to prepare dinner, walked back across the park to pick Maya up and walk her home, ate dinner with the family, helped with homework, took a pilates class, and got Maya ready for bed, and then started writing.

I am trying to be. I simply took a walk today and looked at the buildings and enjoyed the sunshine. Plus everything else.

View of the Panecillo

La Merced