I didn't know where I was. Well, that's not totally accurate. I had decided to walk home through a neighborhood I'd never visited before. I was aware of my general location and direction, and I had a sense of how long it would take to be sitting at the dining-room table... so I didn’t need to know my exact coordinates to enjoy my spontaneous exploration.
Whether coming with suitcases or loading a container, people relocating abroad fret about what to bring along on their new adventure. Precious keepsakes, favorite books and photos…there’s only so much room. Well, I can recommend eliminating one thing...
Good news about residence visas in Ecuador... In recent months the government has made huge strides to simplify visa applications. There are offices in Quito and Guayaquil, and to better accommodate the continued influx of foreigners, a new immigration office opened in Cuenca last year. All locations have bilingual staff.
It's 5.00 p.m. on Monday afternoon. Time to start thinking about winding down the work day and getting ready to crawl home in rush hour traffic, then spending a few hours at home hopefully relaxing before going to bed… and getting ready to do it all over again on Tuesday. Except I don't live that life anymore.
Getting your residence in Ecuador has a number of benefits. Within 90 days of obtaining your visa, for instance, you can ship your household goods duty-free. And if you’re 65 or older, you are entitled to all sorts of special treatment—half-price bus transportation anywhere in the country, half-price tickets to movies, plus sporting and cultural events, discounted airfare, a free land-line telephone, and refund of your 12% IVA (value-added) tax.
1. Pensioner’s. For expats with retirement income, this is usually the preferred option, since it requires no major capital investment. It’s the route I personally chose. You must show permanent income of at least $800 per month to qualify. An additional $100 per month income is needed for each dependent.
Many expats living here are thrilled when they experience significant weight loss and overall improvement in their health. Two friends of mine, David Akins and his wife Karen, relocated to Cuenca, a lovely colonial city sitting at 8,400 feet altitude in Ecuador's southern highlands, a year and a half ago.
IL correspondents sometimes share their monthly budgets to help readers get a feel for the ongoing costs of living abroad. Items such as rent, utilities, and food are self-explanatory, but what about that nebulous "entertainment" category? Expenditures can vary wildly from person to person depending on individual interests and taste.
I moved to Cuenca, Ecuador. I did it for all the right reasons—and discovered an exciting new life beyond the curtain of fear that keeps most people stuck at home. I’ve been living here for two years now, and my expat experience thus far has vastly exceeded expectations that were pretty high to begin with. One of the most impressive aspects of life in Ecuador is the quality and affordability of health care.
To be young is to dream. As kids we fantasize about becoming super heroes, professional athletes, or actors. We start our careers and imagine great success and an early, prosperous retirement. Then “reality” gets in the way. One by one we set those dreams on a shelf. Still, it’s good to keep them around, however dusty. Because sometimes you’ll find them coming to life in amazing and unexpected ways.