Getting Closer to the Big Day!

Another week has passed and many new accomplishments have been checked off of our list before our departure!  The travel lockers have arrived and are quickly being filled.

Bill and I traveled to Indianapolis Friday to get the LAST needed document from the Indiana State Teachers Retirement Office and then ran right across the street to the capital building to get it apostilled. We felt like we had won the lottery as we found an open parking spot with time leftover on the meter in downtown Indianapolis. 

Our dear friends in Ecuador continue to send us valuable tidbits of packing essentials and have shared hints and tricks to make the move easier. We surely could not have done this move without the help and advice of Bob and Rox in Manglaralto and Cyndy in Olon. 

Each day, I attempt to organize auction items.  I've been trying to fill at least ten boxes a day.  It really is incredible how much stuff a couple can gather!  I'm not a hoarder at all, but there will be a lot of items in the auction next week.

Bill and I have been trying to connect with our close friends as often possible and our son, Kevin, has been hanging out with us as we make visits.  I know we will see these dear friends in Ecuador, but the good-byes have been difficult.  

David, Bill, and Steve

Best Friends!

So it is forward we go!  We know this will be a busy eight days, but we are looking forward to dancing on the beach in Manglaralto and staring at the beautiful sunset by next Monday evening. 

Happy Halloween Eve!

The Road to Ecuador

So this is the first post to Bill and Shawn's Ecuador Adventure!

Many people have asked about our decision making process and the issues with moving to another country, so I thought I'd start this blog for anyone interested in our journey.

I plan to post pictures and stories as we make our move to Ecuador. We have a lot of people asking the same questions about the "why" of it all, so I'll try to make it as short as possible.

Two years ago, as I watching "Beachfront Bargain Hunt" on HGTV, they featured a little island called Roatan in Honduras.  I researched it a little and found that Honduras is a great place for retirees to settle.  We loved our time in Roatan (2015) but continued our research.  We had about five countries which we considered and researched extensively.  The following year (June 2016), we traveled to Manglaralto, Ecuador.   Initially, I was not attracted to Ecuador, but after a few days, it seemed like home!

Our lovely hosts made sure to show us the local fruit stands, bakery, grocery, and good restaurants in Manglaralto. We quickly realized that the vibe in Ecuador is peaceful, friendly, and kind.  We traveled up and down the coast and explored other towns, big and small. The language barrier was not a major issue as everyone we met made a great effort to communicate with us.  There's a lot to be said for talking with your hands!

Salinas

Puerto Lopez

Rocio's, one of our favorite restaurants in Manglaralto.

We made several ex-pat friends who graciously shared their experiences with us.  Not one person ever expressed any regret about their move.  Everyone was so kind to give us hints and tips about making our move easier.  

After returning home, Bill and I sat down for a serious heart-to-heart.  We spoke with a financial adviser who specializes in teacher retirement and our real estate agent.  We talked and reviewed all our options.  We agreed that "someday" Ecuador would be a great place to live.  After another long conversation across the dinner table a few days later, we decided that we shouldn't wait until "someday". With the cost of living so reasonable in Ecuador, we knew that my teacher retirement would afford us a very comfortable life and still be able to travel from time to time. Medical care is extremely affordable and high quality.  Ecuador uses the US dollar as currency. So.....what if there isn't ever a "someday"?  My father worked hard his whole life and found out he had colon cancer one month from retirement.  I learned a valuable lesson from that experience. 

Although I still have a strong passion for my teaching career, and we love our home in the middle of the forest, we decided to see if we could make the dream of living on the ocean a reality!  We put our house on the market in July and started the paperwork trail to acquire visas to live in Ecuador. For the last few weeks, we have obtained records (birth certificates, college diplomas, etc...) and had them apostilled, which is a documented agreement between countries to accept official documents. 

After we found a buyer for the house, we called the auctioneer to sell the contents.  The buyers have agreed to keep our chickens and three pet geese.  There is no real "road to Ecuador" so it is not affordable for us to ship the contents of our house. This is the most difficult part of moving for me.  I know the story behind every piece of furniture and every framed piece on the wall.  But I have been assured by friends in Ecuador that this will be the most freeing experience for me.  We know that our only child, Kevin, doesn't need to be shackled with trying to manage the household items after we're gone, so the plan is to take six suitcases, one dog, and one cat.  

Abby 

We finally set the moving date and purchased the airline tickets!  As the auction will be November 6th, and we will no longer have a bed or a car, we will be leaving on Monday, November 7th.  We will complete our civic duty and vote before we leave. 

Bill and I are both terrified and thrilled.  My last day of school was October 19th.  It still doesn't seem real.  Bill's last day is November 2nd.  Our friend, Dale Moss, heard about the move and featured us in a lovely article in The Evening News, so now our little community knows.  We're really doing this!  

The good-byes have begun. 

Ready or not, Ecuador, here we come.  

Sunset from our rental suite in Manglaralto.