When the stars sometimes don’t align, you just have to pivot.

We achieved quite a milestone in May — 15 years as expats here in Cuenca, Ecuador! Wow, has it really been that long?

Ironically, we were in the U.S. visiting family at the time, so we decided to postpone celebrating until we got back to South America.

As it turned out, that visit unfolded differently than we had originally planned.

Our son needed surgery, and early June was the best time for him to schedule it. Cynthia remained behind to help him during the first few weeks of his recovery, while Edd returned home to oversee some repair work in the apartment.

She arrived home at the beginning of July in need of some R&R, and Edd was grateful for the relief from single life.

You see, we’re not used to being apart for long periods, which made another upcoming occasion even more special.

Our 54th wedding anniversary!

We decided to celebrate both occasions with a getaway focused on rest, relaxation, and reconnection (hey...