MOVING TO ECUADOR IN 2020
***I am going to hit you with a lot so hold on and enjoy the ride***
Wow, has it been a year.
Is moving to Ecuador in 2020 even an option as a virus has completely changed the way we function as human beings, economies have shut down, riots have ensued and there is massive change in the air? And through all of this, life keeps on moving forward for everyone. As Ian Malcolm from Jurassic Park so eloquently states,
“Life will find a way.”
And find a way it has.
As this year began, my word for the year was ABUNDANCE. I could feel there was something brewing and major happening, and I aligned myself to be productive, effective, and in-tune with the world around me. Could I have expected what was about to ensue…all I can say is, WHOA.
In the beginning of 2020, I was living in Colorado with my lovely lady, Natalie, my company Digital Audit Pros was taking on clients for Branding and Website Design and I was sure this was the year the company was going to really take off. I had built my online courses, was beginning to hire out, and had a system in place so I could focus on what I loved most, podcasting, creating, and inventing.
“Oh the best laid plans of mice” – Hitchhikers Galaxy.
Early in the year we realized we were ready to move from Colorado. We owned our home in Colorado Springs and we had talked about moving to Nashville for her doctorate in Language and Culture. But God, Source, Higher Power, (whatever you choose), had a different plan for us. When Natalie found out Vanderbilt was not happening for 2 years it threw a wrench in our plan to move and start anew in Nashville. As everything unfolded she made the statement, “you know, it really isn’t Nashville I am disappointed about as much as I was excited for starting our next adventure.”
When I heard this I knew it was time!
I have been trying to move internationally for YEARS. After spending a year in Australia I was hooked. I wanted to show Natalie how incredible it was to sell everything, move abroad, and start a new adventure in a culture that is different from the US. Don’t get me wrong, I genuinely love the United States…the beautiful nature, the infrastructure of food and water, the respective freedom, the people, the ability to create abundant opportunity, and so much more. But there really is something to picking up, selling all your belongings, and starting over in a culture where you can have a fresh start, with new people, and new perspectives.
If you ever want to truly feel ALIVE…
I highly recommend moving internationally as it will change you for the rest of your life.
But I needed Natalie on board. I went to Australia alone, and while it was truly the experience of a lifetime, I wanted to share the memories, the friendships, and the experiences. People and loved ones really make everything better. So I started planning and searching for places we could begin a new adventure. THE CALLING WAS THERE!
I went into my search with 5 criteria that I knew were critical for an international move to happen effectively.
Safety & Medical
Clean Food & Water
Pet Friendly (Quarantine Laws)
Cost of Living
High Speed Internet
I knew if I could find a country that matched up with all five of these factors I would be able to convince Natalie to sell it all and move our 3 Dogs & 2 Cats internationally. We could figure out the rest. Here was my logic.
through
Top 5 Most Important Things To Think About When Moving Internationally
Safety & Medical
This is clutch because keeping us safe is really important and I know momma Brue worries a lot about me when I do crazy things like this. I wanted to make sure Natalie, the pets, and I were all sleeping safe and sound knowing that we are protected.
As for insurance, the US is crazy expensive. For all of you business owners, and honestly…for most of you out there living in the US, the Insurance and Medical system is insane and could use some tender loving care. In 2010, my entire large intestine was removed so medical care is very important, when it is needed. I am proud to say that I have been off all medicine for the majority of the last decade and it has been over a year since I last had to go to the hospital due to dehydration.
Point being, when medical care is needed, I do not want to mess around in a system that does not have great, affordable care. A safe country and healthy medical system keeps life running smoothly and abundantly.
Clean Food & Water
This one is extra important to me, eating healthy. Non processed, quality ingredient food is becoming harder and harder to find in the US. Almost everything has something in it that causes some set of issues, including our water and veggies. I am ready to really take pure living to the next level. Eating fresh organic vegetables, drinking pure and clean water…these are a must that in my opinion deserve to be at the top of the list.
When you put healthy and quality substances into your body, you get a healthy Mind, Body, and Soul in return. This is becoming harder to find in the US and something I take very seriously. So #2 on the search list is Clean Food & Pure Water.
Pet Friendly
As many of you know we have 3 Dogs and 2 Cats. Natalie brought the 3 dogs into the relationship, and I brought the 2 cats. Together we created 3Dogs2Cats.com. They have taught us a lot and continue to make life better, even though they can be a lot to handle at times.
In the past, I used to view having 5 animals as a limitation. I found myself saying, “I can’t live internationally anymore because the travel and quarantine for 5 animals is too much”, or “I never can go explore the way I want to because we have to worry about the dogs and the cats”.
In reality, it was my limited mindset that kept me from exploring and adventuring in the world. Once I realized, instead of blaming them, I had every ability to step up my game and make it work – things changed. If I have to get a private plane so they all could fly easily, so be it. If we have to get a military transport to take us all, so be it. If we have to choose our country based on the ability to quarantine or not quarantine, so be it.
This is when everything opened up. I took on the responsibility and the challenge, they kept being awesome, and the world opened up again. This perspective was a game changer.
Consider it if you have pets or kids…people travel all the time and it does not stop them but makes them stronger. Long story short…pet friendly was important to us and I knew if I wanted Natalie to be on board the pets had to come with us comfortably.
Cost of Living
I freaking love this one. Cost of living in America ranges from pretty affordable to holy fml this is expensive. That is the beauty of America. Capitalism is no joke. Living in Colorado we were right at the edge of affordable starting to border on expensive. But a move to a country where the dollar goes further, and life can change quickly for your financial future.
Cost of living makes a big difference on how you create your lifestyle, live your life, and choose to build wealth. By cutting the day to day living costs by 60% it opens up the ability to save for the future, invest in the companies, hire out a team for home management, and have a lot more personal fun. A 60% decrease in cost of living makes a huge difference for what is possible when choosing to live life to the fullest while building wealth.
Finding a country that has an affordable cost of living makes life easier and things happen faster!
High Internet Speed
Here is the trick though about living in a country with a low cost of living…the jobs you will find there are going to match the cost of living, unless you are a specialist moving with a company within the country.
For us, we both have spent the last 6 years working hard to move our jobs and businesses online. It took me 3 years before I felt comfortable enough to move 100% online, and when I did, it opened everything up. It allows us to work from anywhere in the world…as long as there is high speed internet. This is a game changer. A third world country often does not have high speed internet everywhere. A developing country often will have high speed internet with speeds of up to 100gb and faster.
This allows us to live and pay developing country costs while working with US clients who still pay a US level paycheck. This is really where you begin to see the Win Win Win. The country wins, the client wins, and we win. And if you know anything about us…we love our Win Win Wins. This is why having a high speed internet connection was critical for my search to convince Natalie we should move abroad.
To sum it up…I was looking for a safe developing country, with great health insurance, clean food and water, who accepts dogs and cats easily, has a low cost of living, and spectacular internet. I thought I might have my work cut out for me! Turns out I found 5 different countries that fit the mold.
The Czech Republic
Malta
Thailand
Portugal
Ecuador
After pretty quickly doing research on all of these I came up with a fast and dirty pros and cons list.
The Czech Republic
Pros:
•Cost of Living
•Extensive European Travel Opportunities
•Great privacy laws
Cons
• Landlocked
• Weather
• Language Barrier
Malta
Pros:
•Island Living
•English Speaking
•Salt Mines (Yes…I will own a salt mine…it is on my list) lol
Cons
• Cost of Living
• Cost of Flights
• Tourism is insane during summer months
Thailand
Pros:
•Island Living
•Cost of Living
•High Speed Internet
Cons
• Not as pet friendly
• Safety level is a little risky
• Water & Pollution
Portugal
Pros:
•Beautiful
•Great Culture
•High Speed Internet
Cons
• Cost of Living
• Flight Cost
• Pet Quarantine
Cuenca, Ecuador
Pros:
•Cost of living
•Non GMO Laws & Clean Water
•Very Pet Friendly
•High Speed Internet
•Currently on the US Dollar (Great for online business)
•Great Private Medical System
Cons
• Semi unstable economy but developing well
• No amazon or reliable post service (yikes)
Ok, to bring everything back… Natalie and I were living in Colorado, craving an adventure, and we were ready to make some pretty big changes.
I had a list of all the factors I knew were important for moving internationally, and I had done my research! And when all was said and done, Cuenca, Ecuador would be the perfect destination for us to live, explore, and adventure with our 3 Dogs & 2 Cats.
Perfect! I had a plan to get our family to move international.
As I said, I have been talking about moving internationally for over 4 years…aka since we started dating! And every time Natalie gave me a look like, “mmkay, I like the idea but I don’t understand how we could make this happen”. And I, in turn would say, “come on babe, let’s just sell everything and go”. And she would say, “ok, make it happen”. I would do some research and it would stop there. In the past experiences, we had considered Iceland, Canada, Philippines, and China. Lol.
But I knew this time was different…I could feel it.
So I sent her this article via her phone. About 20 minutes went by, and I got this text…” I’m in, let’s do it!”
BOOM! And as quickly as that, we would change the course of our lives forever to begin our plans to move to Cuenca Ecuador at the beginning of 2020. (If only we had known what was in store for this year…OMG)!