pensionado wrote:SJpersonal note:
I highly recommend you spend a bit of time in your chosen location before relocating.
Your enthusiasm is admirable. But if you plan to retire to Cuenca then flip flops will not be part of your daily wear I can assure you.
Great idea to take up Spanish: have you considered Pimsleur approach to learning Spanish?
You also need to think about what you will really miss about "back home" if/when you relocate. That is why this forum is an excellent source of info so you have landed on the right spot for some of the folks who have chosen Ecuador as their new permanent home.
My personal choice is to visit and travel Ecuador every odd year (while I am still able, the even years are for other SA countries) for a chunk of our winter (90 days max.) and then return home. And I am fluent in Spanish, having grown up in Colombia and Peru.
You will see that there are a number of folks who buy into IL's selling of Ecuador (for example) only to return home after a few months of realizing they weren't in Kansas anymore.
Just my thoughts.
Hi, I am definitely not looking for a little America. I have traveled throughout Europe, the Caribbean, etc. I want out of the US! But no flip flops, now that may just be a deal breaker LOL! I do plan to visit before relocating there, at least several times before, that is a must. I totally understand that Ecuador is not the US, that is the appeal for me. I want a simpler healthier lifestyle, I want to be out in nature, to walk more. I want a different life. I am definitely NOT Naive. That is why I have started my research so early, I want as few surprises as possible. Regarding learning Spanish, I have already purchased Rosetta Stone and I have 30 days to try it out. I see people complaining about the US foods that they miss, I have not eaten anything out of a can or plastic bag in over 5 years, I love cooking I have over 200 International cookbooks. If I want Fried Chicken Pasta or BBQ then I will make it myself, I am looking forward to learning about Ecuadorian foods. I found out that there is even a Raw Food Community in Cuenca, which I have become interested in during the last few years. Trust me I am going into this with my eyes wide open.
I can't wait! If I hit the Lotto I will be there that much sooner.