Thinking of Moving Overseas? We’re Too Old to Make Big Mistakes

Dear Reader: The above photo is from Portugal, one of several very popular spots for ex-pat/immigrant Western retirees. My personal exploration is Ecuador, but I strongly recommend you look around and be thorough. Above all do NOT just sell and land in a wholly new culture based on a sales pitch or curated comments from Happy Expats who haven’t lived there more than at least five years. This is the second on my series as I explored Ecuador.

Paul W. sat across from me at lunch this past week. He’s one of the two top movers for gringos eager to find a new place in Ecuador. One of his stories is worth sharing.

Some years ago, a woman of means lost her husband, read about Ecuador in International Living, and decided immediately to make the move. No preparation, no investigation, no research. She loaded up a few big containers and down she came.

Figure about twelve grand or so plus expenses per 40-ft container. She had several. It’s a massive undertaking, to say nothing of the time and labor.

Barely three months later, she was done. Couldn’t find her community, wasn’t happy. Didn’t like the weather, the people, nobody spoke English. Nothing but complaints. Lost the tens of thousands it cost her to ship the big containers, walked away from all her goods. That was the…