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Bravely" Living a Life of Luxury in Ecuador on $1,300 a Month
At least once a week, I receive an email with the words "you're so brave." I chuckle to myself because everyone back in the States thinks i am so courageous. In reality, I think exactly the opposite...
What's brave about retiring to one of the world's top retirement destinations?Cuenca, Ecuador?with spring-like temperatures all year long (lows in the 50's and high 70's) and not having to work unless I absolutely want to..
I enjoy going to the thermal baths and spas in Ba?os, just 20 minutes away from my condo, twice a week...eating out with friends in trendy restaurants three times a week..."splurging" on a dozen roses (just $2 a bunch) every week, and occasionally attending a free concert alfresco under the lights of Santo Domingo Iglesia.
Life in Cuenca is so rich and full, I sometimes feel guilty?not brave. I'm tempted to tell everyone to stop calling me courageous because I actually feel extremely fortunate.
Friends back in the States just don't get it because they're too busy trying to survive. My peers are still working full-time jobs, losing their health insurance benefits and 401ks, and wondering how they're going to pay the mortgage next month or replace the brakes on the car that they're still making payments on.
If I had stayed in the States that would have been brave, but instead I stepped out of the box into a world of possibilities and have never looked back.
I traded a life of drudgery for a life in the land of "eternal" springtime, high in the Andes mountains. Don't need a car in Cuenca, which is the greatest luxury. Instead I take taxis ($2 a trip), the bus (25 cents), or enjoy leisurely strolls or a bike ride along the Yanuncay River with its Eucalyptus tree-lined banks.
Best of all, I have no more medical bills. I belong to the Ecuadorian social security system for $81 a month, which includes office visits, labs, hospitalization, and medication free of charge (no co-pays). And am able to enjoy vacations twice a year on Ecuador's magnificent coastline and trips back to the States to see folks , who remind me of how I once might have struggled to make ends meet.
When I have to respond to an email about how brave I am to live a life of luxury on $1,317 a month, I smile inwardly and say to myself, "Oh, but you can be brave too!"
Bravely" Living a Life of Luxury in Ecuador on $1,300 a Month
At least once a week, I receive an email with the words "you're so brave." I chuckle to myself because everyone back in the States thinks i am so courageous. In reality, I think exactly the opposite...
What's brave about retiring to one of the world's top retirement destinations?Cuenca, Ecuador?with spring-like temperatures all year long (lows in the 50's and high 70's) and not having to work unless I absolutely want to..
I enjoy going to the thermal baths and spas in Ba?os, just 20 minutes away from my condo, twice a week...eating out with friends in trendy restaurants three times a week..."splurging" on a dozen roses (just $2 a bunch) every week, and occasionally attending a free concert alfresco under the lights of Santo Domingo Iglesia.
Life in Cuenca is so rich and full, I sometimes feel guilty?not brave. I'm tempted to tell everyone to stop calling me courageous because I actually feel extremely fortunate.
Friends back in the States just don't get it because they're too busy trying to survive. My peers are still working full-time jobs, losing their health insurance benefits and 401ks, and wondering how they're going to pay the mortgage next month or replace the brakes on the car that they're still making payments on.
If I had stayed in the States that would have been brave, but instead I stepped out of the box into a world of possibilities and have never looked back.
I traded a life of drudgery for a life in the land of "eternal" springtime, high in the Andes mountains. Don't need a car in Cuenca, which is the greatest luxury. Instead I take taxis ($2 a trip), the bus (25 cents), or enjoy leisurely strolls or a bike ride along the Yanuncay River with its Eucalyptus tree-lined banks.
Best of all, I have no more medical bills. I belong to the Ecuadorian social security system for $81 a month, which includes office visits, labs, hospitalization, and medication free of charge (no co-pays). And am able to enjoy vacations twice a year on Ecuador's magnificent coastline and trips back to the States to see folks , who remind me of how I once might have struggled to make ends meet.
When I have to respond to an email about how brave I am to live a life of luxury on $1,317 a month, I smile inwardly and say to myself, "Oh, but you can be brave too!"
