An Auspicious Austinian Advent

2/17

This afternoon my parents dropped me off at the Philadelphia airport, and by 11pm I was touching down in Texas. My boss Terri and her spouse Miguel picked me up at the Austin airport and took me to the house where I am staying just 15 minutes away. Alice, the woman who is renting to me, greeted us and gave me a brief orientation to the house. I have my own room, share a bathroom with Alice, and share the common areas with her, her pregnant cat Missy, and Leo, the other renter. Both Terri and Alice kindly had food for me, and I felt warmly welcomed already.

2/18

This morning Alice made coffee which she shared with me; I drank it out of a mug with a hummingbird on it that reminds me of Ecuador. I got my first glimpse of the backyard which is home to lots of native Texas plants and several raised beds (Alice, who loves gardening, said that I could use one if I want, which will be a small way to bring a piece of my Ecuador experience with me to this new place!). I’m not prone to believing there is a set path for each of us in life, but ever since I started exploring the option of this placement while I was still abroad, there have been little signs that make me feel like Austin is where I’m supposed to be right now. I took the morning to organize my room and in the afternoon I went on Alice’s Austin grand tour. She drove me around, pointing out local landmarks and showing me downtown, which overlooks the Colorado River, and then took me to a grocery store so I could stock up on some food. Her house is in South Austin, which is known for its quirky, chill vibes. I was especially excited to see so many taco trucks on the tour!

2/19

On my first day of work, Terri picked me up and drove me the mile to the Lutheran Church where the Bernardo Kohler Center office is located. I met Eva who oversaw my training for the first week. Next week she’ll transition to working from home. I have a desk in the church lobby and my role consists of setting up client legal consultations with Terri, filling out intake forms, and completing other administrative tasks like scanning and filing documents. I will use Spanish often (which can be tricky over the phone!) and will learn a lot more than I knew before about how the immigration system works. It has been overwhelming but also rewarding to start sorting out the different pathways people can take towards permanent residency and citizenship. On my walk home from work, I stopped at one of the many Mexican grocery stores nearby.

2/20

This morning I took a bus to the bank to set up a checking account. I haven’t quite figured out how my virtual bus pass works yet—every time I try to scan the QR code it doesn’t seem to work, but the bus drivers always just wave me on. The buses don’t come as frequently as I was used to in Ecuador and they’re a lot emptier. For now, it’s simpler to walk as much as possible, but when the heat starts to really crank (it’s already regularly in the 70s and 80s) I think I’ll appreciate the bus air conditioning. At work I met the staff of the other non-profit, Todos Juntos (All Together,) who uses the church building; they offer English classes and childcare and so there’s always lots of young mothers and their adorable children coming in and out! After work, I bussed to the library and got a library card.

2/21

After work I ventured downtown to check out the YMCA because I am determined to take some Zumba classes. They offer a fantastic discount for low-income folks such as myself, but it’s a decent walk from the bus stop to get there so I’m still deciding if I want to make the commitment. Maybe when we spring forward in March and it stays light later I’ll feel more comfortable waiting for the bus in the evening.

2/22

I found a grocery store that stocks some Andean products that I had in Ecuador! I’ve been consistently impressed by the wide variety of Central American cheeses that are available.

2/23

My last day of training—gulp! I checked out an incredible thrift store that’s just a two-minute walk from work and felt free and easy on the way home. Today I got my first piece of mail! It feels so good to know I can be reached this way!

2/24

Today I got lunch at a taco truck that is dangerously close to the house! Afterwards, I visited the Cathedral of Junk, a wacky structure a man has built over the course of 30 years in his backyard out of trash and scrap metal.

I’m eager to keep gaining confidence at work, explore the area, and start meeting more people. I feel grateful to have this opportunity and hopeful and excited about what the coming weeks and months have in store!