NEW HORIZONS FOR OUR NUEVOS AMIGOS

Not so long ago we arrived in Cuenca to settle in for (what we certainly expect to be) the rest of our lives. There was so much to do - find an apartment, a reputable bank, telephone service. But in between all that scouting, we also “played tourist”, and hopped on the red City Bus Tour to get a lay of the land.

On that bus happened to be a giggly honeymooning couple from Texas, Karl and Brenda. Karl had scoped out the city a few years ago as a possible retirement destination on his own, and then he met his new love Brenda. This time he was here to share it with her, now in hopes that she’d fall in love with the city, too. Would Brenda leave her thriving career to take the leap with him? Could she?

That’s a huge question for anyone considering moving permanently to a foreign country. For many, it’s a leap so fraught with anxiety-producing challenges that most would conclude that there’d be no way. But consider it Brenda did, and soon after they returned to the U.S., they put their house in Texas up for sale. 

Fast-forward a year plus, and here they are, celebrating the arrival. We call it “their turn”. For Jeff and I it’s a bonus that they’ve been staying with us - thoroughly enjoying being part of their adventure, and sharing the heady ups and downs of the move. No doubt about it, like so many others who have come before, you’re torn between the excitement of it all, and the whole batch of whirlwind decision-making you’re thrown into. Worse yet, it’s all got to get done as quickly as possible.

Of course, the primary concern is finding a place to live. You would think that renting an apartment would be easy with all these beautiful buildings, but not necessarily. We were lucky to have followed the advice of another ex-pat (on that same city bus tour!) and hired the services of an awesome english-speaking agent to help us. Sweet Maribel was happy to do the same for Karl and Brenda. In our eyes, she’s a miracle worker. She knows the more desirable areas, and what’s available out there. Many apartments are already furnished, which narrows options if you’re bringing in a container, or if you like the apartment itself but not the furniture. North Americans also tend to treasure outdoor space such as terraces, but those are very hard to find. Thankfully after scouting out several places, Maribel found a place that works nicely for them.

Meanwhile, another big question is where to put your money. There are banks, and also there are credit unions typically called cooperativas. Some have better reputations than others, and you need to tease it out. Then the big questions are, “How safe are the banks here?” and, “How much should we put in?” Those are really important questions, but if you don’t know anyone, how do you know? Any guidance you can get from others is helpful, but of course, the decisions you make are very personal. At this point CD’s earn significantly more interest than in the U.S., which is a bonus. Most are covered by the equivalent of our FDIC called COSEDE. Our personal take on it is that our money is just as safe here barring any outrageous failing of the world economy, the event in which we'd all be affected, ~ and at least it’s making good money for us now.

Getting set up with cell service is also high on the list of “to do’s” when you arrive. You’re probably envisioning a simple get in and get out kind of deal to do it, but of course, that's not necessarily so. When I went with Karl and Brenda it reminded me of how glad I was not to have had a first born child to give up, because at any moment I expected they’d ask. They request everything - passports, bank accounts, international credit cards, utility bills, references with land lines only ~ all,or none, of which they might ultimately accept. The process with Karl and Brenda went into a second day, with hours of waiting each time. But as things are wont to happen, they may be slow in Latin America, but almost always things eventually go through. 

This good luck rainbow appeared outside our window yesterday morning, and Karl and Brenda moved into their apartment last night. They’ve got a container on the way, so for the time being they’re “camping in”. They’ve been troopers through this first phase of what feels like lunacy, and yet I often feel compelled to assure them how great it’ll be once they’re all settled in. It’s definitely both exciting and overwhelming at the same time. Trying to get things accomplished without spanish as a second language doesn't make it any easier. Fortunately Karl’s a quick study and is well on his way, so the main ingredients to success are already there ~ great attitudes, respect for this beautiful culture, major patience, and adaptability. They’re off to a fabulous start!

FOOTNOTE: Last night a segment was aired on ABC News entitled "American Retirees Find Paradise in Ecuador".Our good friends Edd and Cynthia were featured, and Jeff and I even got a 5 second blip on the screen with John Quiñones. Such excitement! If interested, check it out on www.abcnews.go.com , and look for the video. What a hoot!