Adios America

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We're baaack!

Five years ago, we were in the midst of a seven-month long around-the-world backpacking trip that we also chronicled on TravelBlog as Drinking Life to the Lees .

Since that trip ended, we've been living back in the great city of Chicago. We both got Masters degrees that buried us in student loan debt; worked jobs that eventually got to be tedious; and tried to figure out how to recapture the energy with which we returned from our traveling.

Finally, we decided to pull the trigger on a long-gestating idea of moving out of the United States (not to bore you with details, but let's just say we have some problems with it). So, why Ecuador, you ask, especially since neither of us had ever been there before? Good question. During our travels, the three areas that we enjoyed the most were Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia and South America. Eastern Europe is great... but we're leaving Chicago and need extended winters like we need a Birther as a roommate. Southeast Asia was tempting... but the language and cultural differences made it seem difficult to be productive. That left South America. Ecuador seemed the best choice, when judged on the cost, coolness and livability combined litmus test.

One day not long ago, Justin saw that Cuenca had been named the number-one retirement destination in the world in some travel magazine and forwarded the link to Christine... later that day, Mayor Daley announced his retirement (Christine was working for the city government, which was turned upside-down by the announcement). If that wasn't a sign, we don't know what is. We found that Cuenca had many of the things we were looking for... natural beauty, universities and museums, the UNESCO seal of approval (like any city except Gary, Indiana doesn't have that at this point). It also seemed to be at a good point of gentrification... we wouldn't be the first gringos in town, but it isn't yet overrun like a Costa Rica or Prague. Plus, Justin found out he worked with several natives of Cuenca, who assured him they weren't loco.

So what will this blog be? Unlike the previous one, we won't be traveling constantly. Obviously, we will be taking advantage of our proximity to new, exciting places (Quito, Guayaquil, the Galapagos, etc.), and when we travel, we'll post about our experience. But for the most part, we'll be in Cuenca, settling in as expats, finding an apartment, looking for jobs and volunteer opportunities, learning the culture. We want to write about what it's like to be strangers in a strange land, knowing nobody and not understanding the language (yet). Sometimes we'll have much to say and will post often, sometimes we won't.

P.S. If you like what you find here, Justin does a blog with a friend on American pop culture (writing as David Simon Cowell). Check it out if you're so inclined. Warning: Adult Situations and Language abound.

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Comments

[Patricia Sullivan]

Glad you made it
Happy to read your first entry. And even happier to know that you missed the big snow of 2011. It was not a good time, I might add. It may have been fun if I were about 50 years younger, but shoveling out the alley is not my idea of good times in Chicago. So stay healthy, get acclimated, and enjoy! Looking forward to more entries.