6 Weeks and We're in Cuenca

Six weeks from today will be our first full day in Cuenca -- if all goes as planned that is. We will be meeting Dixie Davey at our rental apartment the evening of August 3rd, and she'll give us the keys to our new home that we'll be staying in for three months. She kindly offered to help us locate the grocery store so we can buy the essential grocery items we'll need for our first day or so. I'm sure we'll be in a daze just getting used to a new time zone, getting over the jet lag and the high altitude, unpacking our 4 large suitcases, etc. I'm sure all who have come before can relate.

We have accomplished quite a bit so far. We've gathered most of the necessary visa documentation required (birth certificates apostilled , marriage license apostilled, passports copied and notarized, police reports notarized and apostilled). The only item remaining will be to get our retirement income letter apostilled at the Ecuadorean Consulate in Los Angeles. We'll be flying out of Los Angeles to Ecuador with a stop in Costa Rica. We have family in the Los Angeles area so we'll be staying with them the last week before we leave for Ecuador.

It is bittersweet leaving friends and especially family behind. But we feel that we'll be able to save money each month since the cost of living is so affordable in Ecuador. We would like to live for about a year in Cuenca and then a year on the coast to see which area we like the best. We'll be coming back to the States to vist with family and friends probably once or twice a year, depending on the costs. But since Mike is over 65, he can get 50% off of his flights out of Ecuador (plus a lot of other benefits).

So now that most of our friends and family know what we're doing, they of course are asking "Why Ecuador"? Well, I'm sure our blog friends have also been asked this question. The reasons are varied and personal. We have many reasons but it mostly boils down to financial. The cost of living has gone up so much that to live on a retirement income in the U.S. is getting harder and harder. We have found that our health care will cover us in Ecuador (Tricare) but we might not need it since the cost of medical services is so low. However, it is good to know we have it in case of something catastrophic happening. We're also looking forward to springlike weather year round (at least in Cuenca). Also we enjoy walking and I know we'll do a lot of that since we won't have a car. We look forward to eating fresh produce locally grown.

Now we need to keep going through closets, drawers, ect. to determine what gets packed, sold or stored. We also need to sell our car. Lots yet to do.

Until next time,
Pat Grimm