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What characteristics help long term expats stay in Ecuador?

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kayell
  10/1/2014 15:15 EST

What helps people stay in Ecuador longer? This could be personality traits, things they/you especially like about the country/area, or anything else that fits. I'd love to hear from long term residents.

iguanab1
  10/1/2014 15:26 EST

TO live ANYWHERE abroad it's mandate that a person be flexible, patient and aware that the way it's done in you home country is likely not the way it's done elsewhere. It also takes respect for the local culture, tolerance and compassion.

If a person can't do this, than will end up living a judgmental and unhappy life. And that would be a heck of a way to live after making such a change.

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SWIRLZ
  10/1/2014 17:20 EST

I think iguanab1 is quite accurate.

I might add....it is important that you have an interest or desire to be there. The glass is half full not half empty. A sense of adventure coupled with a REAL interest in learning/living the new life. Respect for virtually everything and the true understanding that "we're not in Kansas Todo". And....THAT'S A GOOD THING!

livefreebstrong
  10/1/2014 17:28 EST

Kayell...what do you consider long term?

Humility. There will be times when you're going to look like a fool, or a least feel like a fool. Take yourself too seriously and you'll end up fighting yourself as well as the odds. Humility can also help you stay quiet long enough to learn what's really needed to survive here.

Learn to like people. If you can't like the guy who looks and acts alot like you, you're going to have a very hard time liking the one who looks and acts alot different.

Sense Of Humor. Finding humor-- or a way to laugh at it all, really helps to put things in perspective. Bottom line, it makes life better no matter where you live.

Just push through it. Half the time it's your own bad attitude. Nike says... Just Do It. Nike knows everything.

Appreciation. There were 700 earthquakes in Mammoth Lake since Monday. Ebola just hit Texas. The Dow dropped 238 points. #1 Grade Ahi is at 12.00-16.00 a lb. and I'm paying 3.50 (it's gone up!). I'm typing this as I'm looking at the ocean. Nice sunny day. I'm more than thankful that I'm here.

Iguanab said compassion. I'll second that one too.

kayell
  10/1/2014 18:29 EST

Hi LFBS,

At a bare minimum I'd say that a long term resident would be someone who has been there AT LEAST 2 years AND is still happy to think of living there for many more years.

All of these answers are helpful. I'm hoping to move to Ecuador in @ 4 1/2 years. I'm busy learning Spanish, which is proving both easier than expected, harder than hoped, interesting and challenging every day.

Another question for you all - after several years of living in EC, what are your favorite things about life there? Are they similar to what you expected or not?

withoutego
  10/1/2014 19:35 EST

Here in Cuenca there are twenty cent Popsicles available in several tiendas. That's why I stay.

sinego

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livefreebstrong
  10/1/2014 21:27 EST

And that's one of the reasons i read this forum. The pop cycle lovers.

nancylaleau
  10/2/2014 02:08 EST

I can't wait to locate those cheap popsicles!!! Thanks sin ego! --nancy

SWIRLZ
  10/2/2014 08:46 EST

The weather.....the scenary.....the people, both Ecuadorian as well as our man expat friends. The "family first" culture.

In many ways.....our friendships here are stronger and more enjoyable than in the States. We have been really blessed to meet sooooo many new and interesting people we would never have taken the time to meet before.

This is home and we love it!

shawnnn
  10/2/2014 09:15 EST

Some expats running from USA tax problems so the reason they stay long term in Ecuador where there is no extradition.

Keylime
  10/2/2014 09:45 EST

Some people just have to see the news of what is happening in the USA and the middle east..... all of a sudden Ecuador is THE place to live

keylime

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peabody
  10/2/2014 10:23 EST

Way to go shawnnn. There are a lot of people hiding in plain sight here; However, there is one less than just a while back. Wonder if Hotel Bonanza is still open without the head high honcho now in prison?

livefreebstrong
  10/2/2014 12:00 EST

I feel centered here. There is a special energy. The equator provides a mystical internal and external balance. The closer location of the sun blankets me in vitamin D health. My senses are heightened. My brain is on a constant, high alert...source of stimulation, unknown.

The ocean calls hope to me in the moring and whispers calm to me at night... the whales? They are my brothers.

I feel alive. I feel invigorated. I feel... chosen.

And, those cheap pop cycles.

I see that Sinego has now been in in the country long enough to understand the mysterious hidden rhythms of our native Ecuador. He has bonded.

Haykuykuy!...Welcome my brother.

The flavors come in Raspberry, Mango, Strawberry, Vanilla bean cream, Avocado, Rum raison, coconut...

Also, on a more serious note, I would like to second all the grown up things that Swirlz said.

snowflake53
  10/2/2014 13:08 EST

livefreebestrong are you being serious about what you said about ecuador?

livefreebstrong
  10/2/2014 14:32 EST

Sorry Snowflake. I was goofing around more than I was being serious.

Yes. The pop cycles are great here. Like a meal when you get the creamy ones.

Yes, I second Swirlz and how he feels about Ecuador. I stay in Ecuador because it's my home and I appreciate the lifestyle it affords me. I have roots. I miss the sea when I'm gone too long.

The Ecuadorian culture is intuitive and forgiving and I recognize the difference when I'm away.

No. On the rest. And, just because Sinego has discovered pop cycles does not mean he's a full fledged half native brother of the land.

He only understands the mystical rhythms of Cuenca....Grasshopper has much to learn about the rest of Ecuador.

But--his increasing knowledge of pop cycles shows that Singrasshoppers has made great progress. Soon, he will know all the secrets.

ecuadorjoe
  10/2/2014 14:50 EST

I have been here semi-permanently (went back to TX. 1 time) since November 2013 but I visited and looked for a place to live 6 times..But I agree with LFBST. However please do not forget that any country has its ups and downs i.e.: what happened here 4 years ago and what is happening now with the students in Quito. That is why I left my money back home.

kayell
  10/4/2014 16:35 EST

I am SO relieved to read about the low cost of popsicles; that could have been a real deal breaker.

I am concerned about how the pop cycles handle on the rough cobblestone streets of Cuenca.

Sounds like you all are people with positive attitudes - willing to go with the flow and enjoy what is. Have there been things that you found difficult to deal with and how did you get past them?

withoutego
  10/4/2014 17:30 EST

Sir

I said hi to an 86 year old gringo in the cafe this morning. When you get that old its required you tell everyone your age. Encouragement for the process of getting older. Like a message from someone further down the trail.

So I told him that we had both made a wise choice for our last bunch of years. That was heartfelt from me.

Its nice down here, not the rat race and buzzzzz up north. Coming here is like detox must be. Slowing down. Relaxing, going native. Great retirement.

Reason some stay #nn they are able to relax. Many stressed lab rats can never adapt to a calm environment....they remain stressed. Some people are like that.

sinego

withoutego
  10/4/2014 17:36 EST

Popcycle was a character in a 50's biker movie. The guy had a ZZ top quality long beard that flowed behind him at least three feet as he rode his bike down the highway. Did you ever see it? "Whats her name" was in it....what was the name of the flick?

sinego

suziehammond
  10/5/2014 14:19 EST

This is a good thread. Just yesterday I posted an article on my blog about having to be humble. Nothing like not being able to really strike up good conversation or understand your electric bill when you are new. The rigors over learning to really deal with another language is tougher for some people than they realize initially and it can be wearing. Thus the need for a good sense of humor and flexibility to work your way through things.

Best of luck on your search!

Suzie
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http://www.goodwriter.info/Blog/index.html

nancylaleau
  10/5/2014 15:15 EST

learning the language --
Hi Suzie -- It took me a while to accept that I wasn't all that fluent in Spanish although I could understand and even converse... my fluency was "deceptive," however. I'd be in the middle of a conversation when all of a sudden there's be this look of alarm on someone's face(s) and I'd realize I'd made a very starting comment without meaning to... like describing a friend as "very warm", but it came out that she was [indecently] "hot"... or using a common and innocuous Colombian expression that had a totally indecent meaning in Ecuador... I once tried to tell a guy he was very smart and "had a lot of brains", but it came out meaning he "got a lot of p---y." (Slang especially does not travel well...) As far as I can tell, it didn't do me any permanent damage since Ecuadorians make a lot of allowances for gringos...--nancy

ecuadorjoe
  10/5/2014 16:12 EST

Yes, this is an interesting thread. For the ones born in Europe like me is somewhat different. Most of us speak multiple languages and most of us lived in Canada and the U.S. I speak multiple languages but unfortunately no Spanish but in a few months I have been here I can understand my girlfriend and she can understand me most of the time. However you are correct in Argentina a certain word means something different then in Ecuador etc....

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