Adios!

I thought Maria was joking when she told us that people say "adios" here to greet each other. Why would you say goodbye to someone when you aren't leaving? She wasn't joking, people actually greet each other with "adios" instead of "hola." Maria explained that "adios" is used when passing someone on the street, and to say "hola" to someone would imply the start of a longer conversation. It took a little getting used to, but I now feel the need to say "adios" to someone instead of "hola" when I see them. Since I am clearly a foreigner, many people say "goodbye" instead of "adios" when I pass them on the street. Even though it is translated correctly, isn't used the same way in the U.S. I've become used to hearing "adios" but every time someone says "goodbye" to me, it takes me a second to register what is going on. I'm sure the more time I spend in Nicaragua, the more I will get used to it, and by the time I head home, I'll be greeting my parents with "goodbye!"