Living Abroad: What It’s Like to be Back in the US (Part 2)

Cynthia:  “Would you like to round up?” We didn’t know what the checkout clerk was talking about when we paid for our groceries with cash.

Edd:  I asked, “Round up to what??” “The nearest dollar,” he replied. I said, “If I have a choice, I’d prefer to round down.” He wasn’t amused…

C:  And when we asked what happens to that extra change he said, “It goes to charity.” “Really? Which charity?” Crickets.

E:  We’re actually used to clerks asking weird questions. For years in Ecuador they always want to know if you have exact change. And for sure we don’t have the coin shortage supposedly going on here. We more often use Sacagawea dollar coins than bills.

C:  I’m noticing more differences now that we’ve been here awhile. We walk almost everywhere at home, and it takes us about 25 minutes to go maybe 2 miles from our apartment to Parque Calderon, the central square in Cuenca’s Historic District. The house where we're living in NC is also about 25 minutes from our son’s home. It’s 23 miles away!

E:  I’ve driven more in the last 7 days than I have in the last 7 years! Yeah, driving lets you cover a lot more ground in a shorter amount of time, but I much prefer our pedestrian lifestyle. It’s so enjoyable to take your time strolling through lovely old neighborhoods instead of zooming along boring freeways.

C:  Another thing we take for granted living in Cuenca is the low humidity. One big reason we moved there was because of the climate. Of course, we knew about the moderate temps, but didn’t realize how pleasant the dry air would be at that high altitude. Constantly feeling sticky is not a plus for me.

E:  Ha! I start sweating just thinking about doing anything. I tell you something I don’t miss about our life there—the noise. We haven’t heard a car or house alarm, a honking horn, or loud motorcycle in weeks!

C:  You’re right. I love the quietness too. Life in the suburbs, especially the place we’re staying now that’s surrounded by trees, is way different from city life. That’s why we put so much emphasis at the beginning of Retirement Reimagined! on deciding what’s important to you.

E:  The daylight saving time change today is going to be an adjustment. Being at the equator we’re used to sunrise and sunset at the same 6:30ish time all year. Getting dark around 4:30 is for the birds!

C:  I wonder if everybody is still wearing masks back home everywhere they go? I’ve been surprised that here most peeps just throw one on right before they enter a business.

E:  Lots of people in Cuenca even wear a mask when they’re in a car by themselves! It will be interesting to see what’s changed when we return.

C:  Usually it's really not that much. But 2020 has been anything but “usual,” so we should probably expect the unexpected.

E:  Speaking of which, let’s see what happens in Tuesday’s election. Hope everybody votes!