Edd:  Well, here we are. Back in the States for the trip that was originally supposed to have happened in April. How great is it to finally be with the New Jersey half of our family?

Cynthia:  It’s terrific! We’ve logged a lot of hours on Skype and Zoom during the past six months, and I’m grateful this technology has made it possible for us to stay closely connected. Who knew we would be jumping on Zoom with our grandchildren to help with their school work? 

Since a lot of people aren’t flying these days and wondering if it's safe to travel, why don’t we talk about our observations from being in 2 countries, 3 planes, and 4 airports getting here?

E:  So much has changed since our last trip in January, especially having to do with traveling. We had no idea what to expect. Here’s a recap of our experience over a 24-hour period along with some photos.

The airport in Cuenca has only one or two flights a day right now, but the...

If the upheaval of 2020 has you concerned about your retirement, you’re not alone. A recent survey revealed that a full 70% of people in the 50+ age group are more worried now.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they plan to work longer than they originally hoped. But the harsh reality is they hope to work longer than they planned.

Older employees have already been the most negatively impacted by coronavirus layoffs. And historically when members of this demographic lose their jobs prematurely, only one in ten ever earns as much again.

Whether you know you haven’t saved enough or worry that you’ll outlive your nest egg, there’s an overlooked and under-reported strategy that allows you to retire sooner rather than later.

With the money you have.

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We break it all down in a new Exclusive Report called, “Concerned About Your Retirement?”

Learn about a canny “outside-the-box”...

Cynthia:  We’ve had several subscribers write to us asking if living abroad still makes sense with everything going on in the world right now. I think it’s a really valid question that we should talk about.

Edd:  I agree. Even after five months of this pandemic there’s so much fear and uncertainty. A lot of times when people are trying to process those extreme emotions they tend to kind of shut down. 

C:  Yeah. When you’re not sure what to do the easiest choice is to do nothing.

E:  Exactly. I think the key words you said are “right now.” It doesn’t feel like it, but coronavirus isn’t going to last forever. And, of course, everyone’s hoping for a speedy economic recovery.

C:  But what if that doesn’t happen? There were concerns about retirement savings pre-pandemic. With the stock market fluctuations and massive unemployment I’m sure a lot of people who believed they were in good shape...

“Hot enough for you?” 

Family and friends tell us it’s been so hot in the U.S. this summer that chickens are laying hard boiled eggs. 

Here in the southern hemisphere it’s the middle of winter. Which where we live in the Andes mountains means—basically nothing. 

A bit of nip in the air some days. A few degrees cooler at night. In regards to climate it’s pretty much Groundhog Day all year for us.

We call it “Goldilocks weather”—not too hot and not too cold. Just right!

Apparently, we’re not the only ones who find that idea appealing. By far the most popular report on our website has always been one about affordable locations close to the States where it’s springtime all the time. 

That article highlighted four great spots, including our hometown Cuenca, Ecuador. But we realized there are a lot more places out there to tell you about. 

So we decided to pump up the volume and have just published...

 If I live abroad, am I an immigrant or an expat?

A subscriber recently wrote to ask, “You always refer to yourselves as expats. Since you came from the U.S. to Ecuador, doesn’t that make you immigrants?”

Great question.

The short answer is, yes, technically we are immigrants. Upon arrival here we had to immediately begin a legal process to become permanent residents.

Immigration policy has been a much discussed and debated topic internationally in recent years. 

Some nations provide open borders; others are seeking to be more restrictive.

Ecuador generally falls more in the first camp. We have always felt welcomed here, and although not citizens we can vote and participate in the national health care system.

But the country’s kindness and generosity have been strained by the influx of so many refugees exiting Venezuela. 

To the point that before borders were shut down completely because of coronavirus, Venezuelans were no longer allowed to...

Cynthia:  Great job on those baby back ribs. Combining our son’s advice with the recipe you found delivered a great result. Glad we could enjoy some traditional 4th of July food. (Want the recipe? Click here...)

Edd:  Thanks. The whole meal was delicious. You know, since we were here at this time on our scouting trip in 2009, we’re actually celebrating our 11th Independence Day in Ecuador. Can’t say I remember all of them but THIS one won’t be forgotten.

C:  For sure. In all of our years on the planet we’ve never experienced what we’ve been living through during the first half of 2020. It’s been a total reinvention for so many. 

E:  Not just daily life, but how they’re celebrating milestones including this holiday. 

C:  Of course, we were disappointed our spring trip to visit family was cancelled. Grateful we’ve stayed healthy!

E:  Yep. I know many people’s lives have been turned...

Hooray!

This week coronavirus lockdown restrictions were relaxed as Ecuador appears to have “flattened the curve.”

We learned that a handful of restaurants have been allowed to reopen with proper safety protocols.

After 2 ½ months of our biweekly, grocery store trip being the “Big Event” at Casa Staton, we were beyond anxious to dress up a bit and walk into town to enjoy a sit-down meal somewhere other than our dining room!

Even though more cars are allowed out, we found most streets to be nearly empty.

Parque de la Madre, a large park normally filled with families on the weekend, is taped off and deserted.

It’s heartbreaking to see how overgrown and unkempt the entire space has become.

When we arrived at Café del Museo we were stopped at this table to have the bottom of our shoes sprayed. At the restaurant entrance we stepped into a tray to again clean our shoes (not sure what’s up with the focus on that particular...

Cynthia:  Do you know what today is?

Edd:  Is this a trick question? It’s Sunday, May the somethingth.

C:  It’s the 17th. Do you know why today is special?

E:  See, I know you. It was a trick question. OK, I remembered Mother’s Day and your birthday isn't until next month. So I think I’m safe saying, “No, baby, why is today special?”

C:  Because 10 years ago we got off the plane here in Cuenca, Ecuador. It’s our 10th anniversary of being expats!

E:  Shut up... Really?? That seems impossible.

C:  I know. I can’t believe it either. Remember how excited we were?

E:  I sure do. But you know what, I don’t remember us being scared. Do you? Honestly, we had every reason to be. We didn’t speak Spanish. We didn’t know anybody. Our shipping container was on its way and we had no place to live. What in the hell were we thinking?

C:  That this was gonna work no matter what because it...

Cynthia:  It was so great to hear from readers this week about how things are going in their areas. Some even sent photos!

Edd:  And we were really appreciative of those who asked how we’re faring here in Ecuador.

C:  Ironically, we’re supposed to be on a 5-week, family trip right now in the States. Specifically in New Jersey, one of the coronavirus hot spots.

E:  Yep. At the beginning of March we contemplated changing our itinerary and going early when all this craziness started. In retrospect we made the right decision staying put.

C:  I’ll say. Glad we trusted my intuition. Our country’s restrictions are more stringent than many places we’ve read about, but Cuenca has less than 200 cases in a population of over 600,000.

E:  You know, since we work from home anyway, our daily life is probably 90% the same as it was before. We just don’t get to go out for lunch a few times a week, and we visit the grocery store less...

When did these coronavirus restrictions start? Feels like about 100 years ago, right? For most folks current conditions have been a jolt to normal life. Everybody under the same roof all the time and nowhere to go. Simultaneously trying to work and keep the kids, if you have them, productively busy (or even homeschooled). 

But there are still a lot of extra hours to fill with no commutes or, in many areas, no outside activities except visits to the bank and grocery store. It seems like people are falling into one of two general camps:

1)  The “get ‘er done” group. These folks are knocking out every neglected project in sight. They’re organizing drawers, closets, attics, basements, and garages. Cleaning rooms, windows, cars, and yards. Some are going deep, taking on dreaded activities like checking expiration dates on all the food items, spices, and OTC medicines (“We’ve had this for 10 years?!?”).

2)  The...