Things you can tell just by looking at them

How the Uruguayans can tell we're not natives

*My funky rubber Airwalk shoes. They just don’t understand…

*The cool stroller that seats two children—totally an unknown quantity here.

*The way we AREN’T as bundled up as every other Uruguayan

*The backpack-leash contraption that we sometime use for Elijah—honestly, the Uruguayans are very perplexed about this one.

*We are sometimes in a hurry (some habits die hard, or don’t die at all)

*Two of my girls have comparably short hair (All, and I really mean ALL Uruguayan girls have long hair)

We’ve worked so hard to learn Uruguayan culture and speak Spanish and “fit in” here, but we are Americans, and despite our best efforts, people can tell that we aren’t from these parts. It’s not a problem, I’m happy to be what I am, but I think it is so funny to see and hear people’s reactions when they realize we’re extranjeros (foreigners). We constantly get comments and can see people discussing our presence. For them, it isn’t rude to talk about someone when they are right there, the way it would be in the US. So I chuckle along as I hear them making comments about our strange stroller or how weird it is that our rambunctious 3 year old is sometimes in a leash…even though it is a very cool one!