July 2013 was a month of packing, and taking care of all the loose ends that come with a move. And it was a month of consciously remembering to stay calm and to trust myself. And it was a month of goodbyes, and not allowing myself to second guess my decision. I think that one of the most important things I had to do was to see this move as another experience in the game of life,
And so I tried and am now in Cuenca, Ecuador. The above photo is a view from my window.
Before moving here, I couldn’t quite zero in on what life would be like for a gringo in Ecuador. Reading and researching another person’s experience is like everything else in life. We bring ourselves, and we’re all different, and so our experiences will be unique to us. It makes me think of the book Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabut-Zinn.
Sumi, thank you for agreeing to be a single working mom for a week as hubby Toshi departed with me to give assistance. It was twelve days ago that I left JFK with my son-in-law. The first stop was a night spent in Panama City, Panama at the lovely Riande Aeropuerto Hotel which is five minutes from Tocumen Airport. When we arrived, the night was still young, and we had a relaxing, tasty dinner surrounded by plants, palm trees, and other happy guests. Nearby the hotel’s large pool shimmered in the soft lights.
Early the next morning the hotel’s van took us to Tocumen Airport for a fairly short flight to Guayaquil, Ecuador. There we surveyed our options for the last leg of the journey – Cuenca. We decided that the four-hour bus ride would be scenic – as in up, up the mountain we would go. It was! We saw incredible views. Steep, steep it was though.
And though I was in Ecuador in 2004, I’ll say that at this moment I’m undergoing what’s called “culture shock” because . . . visiting a place and deciding to live there are two entirely different things.
I’ll close for now by saying thank you dear family of mine for all the love and support that came my way. I knew I could leave because you all know how to be happy, you’re all healthy, and you’re all a rather independent bunch.
And I love you all very much.