A recent survey shows that inflation is causing some older Americans to delay their retirement plans.

Inflation for February ballooned to 7.9%, a new 40-year high, and most consumers expect prices to continue to rise over the next 12 months.

Concerns about the future are compounded by recent stock market drops and the war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, other Americans are taking a different approach.

We ran into a longtime local friend named Paul last week. He owns a relocation service that helps people from the U.S. and Canada move their possessions to Ecuador. In fact, his company moved our belongings here over a decade ago.

When we inquired how business was going he replied,”Fantastic!”

We wanted to know if his customers were coming to Cuenca, leaving, or both.

He said, “They’re coming. They tell me with prices going up, the ugly politics, and now the war in Ukraine, there’s too much uncertainty. They’ve had enough and want a 'más tranquilo'...

Edd:  A guy wrote us wanting to know if there are racquetball courts in Cuenca. I hope that’s not a deal breaker because when you’re thinking about moving abroad there are MUCH bigger fish to fry.

Cynthia:  Lighten up. Not having access to a gym would have been a deal breaker for you. For me moving anywhere is stressful, even if it’s to a different neighborhood in your same city. Not only do you have to deal with sorting through and packing/unpacking all your stuff, there’s also establishing new routines, meeting new neighbors. New, new, new. I’m sure lots of people stay put even if they’re not happy just because it’s easier.

E:  Would you say that people who try to figure out every little detail of moving abroad are poor candidates for having a positive experience?

C:  Not necessarily. Some people just naturally focus on the minutia. I do think getting bogged down with “analysis paralysis” can sometimes...

Edd:  I read an article about lies people tell themselves in retirement.

Cynthia:  Yeah? We’re retired. What lies are we telling ourselves?

E:  The author covered three, but one of them I thought was particularly interesting: “I’m busier than ever… I don’t know how I ever fit work into my schedule.”

C:  That’s a lie? We’ve said it ourselves many times and so have a lot of our friends.

E:  That’s why I found the article interesting. The author says the translation of this “lie” is, and I quote, “I fill my life with whatever I can because I don’t know what else to do with it.”

C:  Huh. Well, I’m guessing this “expert” on retirement is not retired, and he obviously doesn’t know anybody in Cuenca. I mean, as an example, here’s a story from one of our lunch outings. 

A group of ladies met for a midday meal and were spending the afternoon...