In 2007 my husband, six year old daughter and I left our hometown in North Carolina to become volunteers. Through the help of friends and family we ended up in Ecuador, South America, now one of the most popular countries for American ex-pats. We now spend our days giving love and help to orphaned and abused children, teach the illiterate to read, cook for the hungry, and do whatever in our power to help the suffering feel better about the future.
The adjustment for our American family hasn't been an easy one. My husband left a good-paying job that he had worked for a decade. I left behind my parents, baby sister, and childhood friends.We sold our beautiful home that was on a 2-acre wooded lot. We lived out of six suitcases here in Ecuador while trying to continue home-schooling our daughter and learn a new language. Our savings dwindled away while struggling to make ends meet working online. In the beginning of 2012, my husband contracted dengue, a horrible mosquito-borne illness. Our landlord stole money from us, then evicted us onto the street. We had every reason to turn around and catch the next flight back to the States. But we hung in there, and our lives have been richly blessed for it.
I have continued this blog for several years now, even from before we knew how to find Ecuador on the map. If you read some of my earlier posts, you'll see how fun, easy, and uncomplicated my life used to be. I was your average thirty year old, still trying to figure out if it was really necessary to act like a grown-up. I had slumber parties still, I'd go out for night drives over the speed limit, I traveled to Amsterdam alone to visit a friend...twice. I really loved life. There was no reason to change it, and yet I did. Ecuador changed me and my family for the better and I have no regrets about any sacrifices we've made..
For those of you thinking of moving to Ecuador to live the easy life here in "paradise", forget it. Keep your Starbucks, Golden Corrals, and Targets and stay there, wherever you are. But if, after reading my blog, you have a realistic view and still want to move here, pack up and come on! What are you waiting for?
For those of you still on the fence about this whole ex-pat thingy, feel free to email me. I've come to know a lot about this wild and wonderful country and I can help you get started in finding the right town for you, what to expect as far as home options, schooling for your children, medical information, volunteer opportunities and much more. If I can't answer your questions, I can help you get in touch with someone who can. If I've helped you in any way, either personally or just through ideas in this blog, please show your appreciation. My time is valuable to me. You can donate your monetary '"Thanks" to the Blog Bank at the bottom of my homepage. You can also let me know if you want those funds to go towards sponsoring an orphan. Every bit helps!
Thanks and enjoy the blog entries!
Celeste
Tena, Ecuador
cravincation@gmail.com
I'm not sure how I stumbled into you, but I'm glad I did...
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