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Life in EcuadorStories of the Bitter and the SweetBy Linda
McFarlin
Life in Ecuador, like life in any other country, can sometimes deliver the sour when we are anticipating the sweet. This can be quite shocking, especially when our expectations are high but our “reality check” button isn’t fully functioning.  During my life in Ecuador, I have occasionally been fooled by a somewhat exotic fruit that looks and smells just like an ordinary orange. I bite into it, expecting a rush of juicy sweetness, only to swallow a mouthful of pure lemon juice! Surprise! It’s really a lemon masquerading as an orange.
When Life Gives You Lemons, Make
Lemonade
The optimist’s slogan, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” is definitely applicable to life in Ecuador, and oh, what delicious lemonade you can make! Adopting this simple yet powerful statement will help overcome difficulties that occur during your life in Ecuador or anywhere, but it is often easier said than done. I find that the challenges presented while traveling and living in Ecuador offer two basic choices. I can complain, blame, worry or manipulate and make myself really miserable when life doesn’t give me what I want. Or I can take the negative little surprises that come my way with as much equanimity as I can muster and set about making that lemonade. When I can manage to meet adversity with creativity and a certainty that I’ll somehow overcome, even triumph. . . I usually do. Glean
Wisdom from Those Who have Gone Before
Readers can glean much wisdom from the experiences of those who have made the move to Ecuador and have a successfull and happy life in Ecuador. Pro-Ecuador is collecting the stories of people who have moved to Ecuador to live or to retire. Some are expats from other countries. Others are Ecuadorians who left their country to live elsewhere before returning to live or retire in Ecuador. All these individuals offer unique perspectives and share gems of wisdom that can help us become global citizens. These Ecuadorian tales, some cautionary, some amazing and some transformational, are offered in a spirit of inspiration and encouragement and also as an early warning system for our readers. Curious and courageous, many of these adventurers have listened to their hearts’ desires instead of to the admonitions of their minds. Following their impulses to leave the familiar and explore distant lands has brought them to Ecuador. Herman: I found my
Personal Paradise in Ecuador
One such individual is our partner Martha’s older brother, Herman. The photo below shows him standing on the site where he will build his new home in Cayambe, Ecuador, north of Quito. 
Caroline:
Single, Successful and Having It All
Another adventurer is Caroline, a Brit who spent many years in Florida. She has been living in Ecuador for over a  year and has faced unique challenges that would
have sent many women hurrying for the next plane home! Since arriving, she has overcome each obstacle with imagination and determination to succeed. In less than a year and speaking very little Spanish, she bought land, built a custom adobe house, purchased five horses and started her own successful business. One of Caroline’s biggest successes was discovering that she could buy a magnificent Arabian polo pony at an incredibly low price! Click here for more photos and Caroline’s personal account of her life in Ecuador.
Antonio: The Embodiment of the American
Dream
Another Ecuadorian who will soon be living in Ecuador again is Antonio, a young man who arrived penniless in the U.S. at the age of 20 and made his fortune remodelling buildings in New York City, where he owns a very successful construction company.  The
story of his road to riches reads like an American novel.
He got a job hauling trash at a construction site, learned English, and
then was hired as a construction foreman. The crew ignored him because of his youth and inexperience and he had to fire half of them. After starting his own company, he underbid several jobs until he took business courses. He persevered, developing a winning plan that eventually led to wealth and success. His personal philosophy and successful formula for both working and living embraces a wide range of acceptance of religions, races, ideas and perspectives. |
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fulfilling the American dream not only of wealth but of personal
happiness and satisfaction as well. He is attaining his dream not only
in North America but in South America as well. Click to read Antonio’s story. Other stories of People from Ecuador: Phyllis Cooper: Cotacachi Woman with a Vision See how the dream she created is now for sale Jeff Stern: This Ecuador Chocolate Factory is one of those Special Hidden Places Joan's Story: Relief from Fibromyalgia Pain Cesar Alvear: A Young Man talks about Particpatory Democracy in Cotacachi Leonardo Alvear: A Cotacachi Community Leader talks about 21st Century Socialism This is a must read story to help understand Ecuador Lynn Allen--A School Teacher Finds True Love with a Shuar Indian |
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