This place makes you believe in a higher power. (Photo by Suzan Haskins)

On a hill above Cotacachi, at a bend in the road overlooking an impossibly green valley, someone has painted a sign on a post. It says “Dios esta aqui.” God is here. No matter what your religious beliefs, this place makes you believe in a higher power.

This is the Andes, where magical things happen. And this is where I live. On the day of the summer solstice, not one… but two… rainbows appeared in the sky, one above the other. Two perfect arcs framing our mountain, Volcan Imbabura, below. Everywhere, people stopped what they were doing, just to stand and stare.

The fact that this rainbow appeared at the start of Inti Raymi is symbolic enough. Inti Raymi is the festival of the sun, a tradition handed down from Incan ancestors of the local Quichua, who live in Cotacachi and nearby villages.

Living among the Quichua, with their earthy spirituality and colorful traditions, is a major attraction of this part of Ecuador. Most still wear their traditional costumes —not just for fiestas, but every day —and they are fiercely proud of their culture. (Where else can you pop in for a shamanic cleansing as if you were going to the dry cleaner’s back home?)

Family means everything. Long into their toddler years, babies are carried in shawls wrapped and tied on mother’s backs. This works like some kind of super-security blanket and you won’t see a Quichua baby throwing a tantrum.

Sunday is market day in Cotacachi, when the villagers bring their wares to sell. Everything from fruits and vegetables to ground spices, woven baskets, and rope made of woven plastic shopping bags —recycling at its best. And then there are the roses. I pay $5 for five-dozen, long-stemmed roses that are so fresh they last nearly three weeks. Needless to say, our home is always filled with flowers.

The climate here in Cotacachi is perfect for us. It’s around 75 ̊ F in the daytime and 55 ̊ F at night —just right for us. We wear jeans and T-shirts most of the time and always have a sweater or jacket on hand for when the clouds pass in front of the sun. (This perfect weather is thanks to the fact that Cotacachi is slightly north of the equator but at an elevation of about 8,000 feet.)

Our apartment here has a perfect view of Volcan Imbabura and we enjoy sitting on our terrace and watching the landscape change as the clouds and sun play with the mountains. We chose to live in a condo because we can lock the door, walk away, and when we return a few months later everything is as we left it. We don’t have to worry about security or a garden that needs tending. For $10, a local woman cleans the place from top to bottom in just a couple of hours. (And that’s the going rate –we’re not underpaying. The minimum wage in Ecuador is about $300 a month.)

The low cost of living is one reason we live here, but it certainly isn’t the most important reason. We never spend more than $30 for our utilities each month, gasoline is less than $1.50 a gallon, and for $7 at the market, I can buy more fresh produce than I can carry.

But we’re here for the adventure of it all… for the new experiences, new friends, and amazing sights around every corner.

Photo by Suzan Haskins

Effigies are burned on New Year’s Eve. Image by Carlos Adampol

As the clocked ticked its way from 2012 to 2013, we gathered around the bonfire and ceremoniously offered our human-size effigy to the flames. That’s the Año Viejo (or “Old Year”) tradition here in Ecuador, and one worth adopting no matter where you live.

As way of saying good riddance to life’s nuisances and bad habits, in the final days of the year, you pull out your old clothes and stuff them with newspaper or twigs. You can make you own mask or find a myriad of colorful papier mache masks for sale in shops or at the local mercado for a couple of bucks.

Some effigies are made in the likenesses of people you’d like to be rid of in the coming year. Politicians, terrorists, sports opponents, and tiresome entertainment celebrities are favorite targets, but some people create their own likenesses, with symbols of bad luck that has plagued them, or bad habits or characteristics they dislike most about themselves.

If you are superstitious, you can create a generic effigy. Just write down the things you want to be rid of (such as anger, illness, financial woes) on a piece of paper and tuck it inside your effigy’s shirt. Add some cigarettes or a bottle of booze if these represent the bad habits you wish to turn your back on.

As the clock strikes midnight, you set it all ablaze with gusto …out with the old and in with the new.

As I watched our burning man this year, I couldn’t help but consider this tradition as symbolic of expat life. It’s an extraordinary thing to walk away from life as you know it and embrace the magic of living in a foreign world. Not everyone can do it and not everyone finds happiness in doing so, but for those who do, it’s a wonderful world indeed.

Happy New Year, and may 2013 be the year you find contentment wherever you may be.

Photo by Carlos Adampol.

What will you do when you retire overseas? The sky is the limit. Image by newlow.

Think you’d like to retire overseas but don’t know what you’ll do once you get there? Many people who retire abroad use the opportunity to not only reinvent themselves, but to become helpful resources in their new communities.

Take Sandra Dayton, for example. In 1987, after first spending some time in Europe, she moved to Mexico with her husband, Dan. They settled in the little fishing pueblo of Puerto Morelos, about halfway between Cancun and Playa del Carmen on the eastern Caribbean coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

Puerto Morelos was not a place tourists visited much back then. Even today, it’s still not a star attraction on the mainstream tourist trail.

“Like most people who come here,” says Sandra, “we thought the beach was where we wanted to live.”

But soon, she found herself more and more attracted to the nearby jungle and communities within it. She started a tour company that took tourists into the jungle on botanical expeditions and to visit the cenotes (freshwater sinkholes) and chiclero (chewing gum harvesters) camps.

“I didn’t want people to see how poor the Maya people were who live here, but how rich they are from the sustainable lifestyle of the jungle,” she says. She started to work with the women, helping them make hand-embroidered items that could be sold to tourists.

Sandra acted quickly when the opportunity came about to buy a few acres of jungle land. She knew just what she would do with it…

Many yoga enthusiasts (mostly women) had taken part in her jungle tours, and they were interested in learning more about the abdominal massage techniques practiced by the Maya women.

“When a Maya baby is born,” Sandra says, “a midwife massages them out of their mother’s belly and into the world. They’re massaged all during infancy and at seven or eight years old they’re taught to massage their parents’ and grandparents’ tired bodies when they come home from working in the cornfields.”

Sandra thought that the women of the jungle communities could take these skills and with a bit of training, provide uniquely authentic spa treatments for tourists. They would earn much-needed income to support their families and enable their children to go to high school and even college.

In 2006, the Jungle Spa opened. “We had concrete blocks with wooden tops we used as massage tables,” Sandra laughs. “But we had a meditation ceremony and talked to our angels and week later a man showed up and told us he had a construction site closing down and we could take what we wanted.”

In the ensuing five years, the Jungle Spa has flourished, as have the local women who work there. Operated as the Lu’um K’aa Nab non-profit organization, and directed by Sandra, income goes directly to the women who provide the treatments, which include full-body massages, aloe-vera and banana-leaf wraps, a decadent chocolate scrub, even a four-handed massage given by two practitioners.

But make no mistake: this is no Cancun-resort-style luxury spa. Treatments are given in a large open-air thatched-roof palapa. Lotions are made from natural ingredients grown on-site or in the nearby jungle. Reasonable prices are charged for (take it from me) a unique and memorable experience.

“We figure we’re supporting 60 people in this community,” Sandra says, “when you include the women and their families. When we started this project, I never dreamed we would be as far as we are today. We’ve really done this on a shoestring. Through word of mouth, people come here for authenticity, adventure and a darn good massage.”

Learn more at www.mayaecho.com.

How can that be? Especially in a world of rising costs and dwindling savings? Simple. They’re packing their bags and moving to a foreign country where every experience is fresh, exciting and the cost of living is lower.

But to get to the point where you shut the door on your life in the States and embrace a new, very different culture and language takes a little doing. You need to weigh the pros and cons and make some wise decisions about where you’ll go and what you’ll do once you get there. For some people, this is a piece of cake. For others, it can be a nerve-wracking experience.

There are online quizzes that can help, but the best way to approach this is by ruthlessly and honestly profiling yourself. This sounds easier than it is. I know more than a few people who moved to the beach for instance, only to find out that they’re not beach people. It’s a great place to go on vacation, but living there is something else. If you’re not keen on heat, humidity, pesky insects, and sand in every crevice, it may not be for you.

Likewise, if you can’t live without the sounds of the waves lulling you to sleep at night, a mountain location may not be your cup of tea. And “city people” may not do well at all in a small town that lacks the cultural opportunities they’re accustomed to.

Here, in no particular order, are eight factors to consider when choosing your overseas retirement destination:

Affordability. How does the cost of living stack up with your income and budget?

Health Care. Will you be comfortable with the quality of health care you’ll receive, are good health insurance plans available to you and will costs be in line with what you can afford?

Ease of Transition. Are you comfortable with language and currency issues? Are there some familiar items in the grocery stores and pharmacies? How easy is it to get a resident visa and to import your household items?

Accessibility. How close is it to your friends and family back home? Is there an international airport and other amenities, like good hospitals, nearby?

Community. Is there an expat group? Are you comfortable with the locals and their culture?

Housing Prospects. Are homes for rent or sale at a reasonable price? If you buy a property and later change your mind, will you be able to sell it easily enough?

Climate. Are you looking for four seasons or year-round warm weather? It’s best to plan your check-out visit during the worst weather season so you’ll know exactly what to expect.

Things to Do. What are your hobbies and will you be able to continue to enjoy those? If you like good restaurants or artistic events, will there be enough of these to keep you busy?

Prioritize these in order of importance to you. Assign some weight to each factor and add in any others that concern you. Maybe you’ll be taking children on this journey and you need good, accredited schools close by. Maybe you’ll want to find work or start a business. If so, the place you move to should be conducive to all these things.

And here’s the best advice: You must spend time in a location before you even think about moving there. Most importantly, don’t settle for less. If a place you have your heart set on doesn’t match with your personal wish list, keep looking. Your paradise is out there and the more honest you are with yourself and your needs, no matter what they are, the easier it will be to find it and the happier your experience will be.

Photo of Paris by Flickr user wlappe

The view of Mt. Imbabura from my window.

My husband, Dan, and I will soon celebrate 11 years of living the expat life. We’ve lived in seven different locations (in Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Ecuador) and spent a considerable amount of time in many, many more – especially Belize and Costa Rica.

Believe me, we’ve learned a lot in the past decade!

Importantly, we’ve learned that it’s impossible to compare and contrast the merits or disadvantages of entire countries. And if you’re thinking about retiring to a foreign country, that’s probably not the approach you should take.

Years ago, we’d talk confidently about the benefits of Mexico versus Ecuador…or Panama versus Costa Rica. But we’re finding that we don’t do that too much these days.

It’s not because there aren’t differences between entire countries… there are obvious and, sometimes, major ones. The visa choices and tax requirements of Belize may be a better match for you than those of Panama. Perhaps the low cost of living in Nicaragua meets your needs better than Costa Rica right now.

But when it comes to a good quality of life—which is, after all, what we’re all looking for—Dan and I find that comparing countries is far too difficult.

For instance, in the last couple of years, we’ve thought a lot about the places we’d most like to live. Certainly, we’ve talked about what countries we like, but we’ve been much more dialed in on specific locations within those countries.

When we decided on the small village where we now live, it was only partly because it was in Ecuador, one of our favorite countries. It was more because of what the town itself offered… peace and quiet, an interesting and colorful culture, safety and security, an extremely low cost of living and – for us – the perfect climate…not too hot and not too cold. All of these things mattered far more than what Ecuador itself offered as a country.

When you approach the idea of living overseas, you naturally start from a country level, but if you do your research well, you inevitably sharpen your focus on specific locations.

Take Costa Rica. With a bit of research it’s easy to see why it’s a wonderful place to live and retire. It’s an extraordinarily beautiful and diverse country – truly a place with something for everyone, whatever your lifestyle needs or desires. And health care there is among the best (and most affordable) in the world.

But once you’re determined that Costa Rica (or whatever country you choose) is the place for you, then you need to drill down and figure out where to live…

In a country as diverse as Costa Rica, for instance, this can be tough. Perhaps you’d prefer the gorgeous laidback lake country of Arenal…or the urban convenience of the Central Valley…or the tropical splendor of the newly opened southern coast near Ojochal…or even the adventure of the Caribbean coast.

Same with Ecuador or Mexico… are you after the size and excitement of a city like Quito or lively Puerto Vallarta? Or are you after small-town village life in a place like Vilcabamba or Ajijic – both known for their perfect weather and healthy environment? Maybe you’re a surfer – in that case, you might set your sights on Ecuador’s Pacific coast near Salinas or Mexico’s Pacific Coast state of Oaxaca. Scuba divers and snorkelers might want to check out Tulum on Mexico’s Riviera Maya…or even go farther south to Belize.

Much of it comes down to ruthlessly profiling yourself, and in my next article I’ll give you some tips that will help you do just that.

By assessing exactly what you’re looking for as a potential expat, then getting past the “Europe vs. Latin America” stage to the “Ecuador vs. Panama” stage and well beyond — to pinpointing a specific location that matches your requirements, will not only save you time and effort, it will focus your thinking on one question: what’s most important to you?

Photo by Suzan Haskins

This is a guest blog from Suzan Haskins. You can read her whole series on retiring abroad here. 

In a previous blog post, I wrote about one of the key perks of living in Latin America – affordability.

I wrote that you can live quite comfortably in Latin America on your Social Security benefits, despite the fact that those benefits have only risen 3.6 percent in the last three years. For a retiree in 2012, the average Social Security benefit is $1,230.

One of my favorite treats, I mentioned, is that in Ecuador, I can afford to hire someone to clean my home. It costs me all of $10, which, I said, “is a good, fair wage.”

But a reader of that blog didn’t agree, and posted a comment, saying: “I would object to paying my household help $10. No, that is not a good fair wage. Would you want to do the same work for that price? That is exploitation and taking advantage of the poverty of the area.”

So let me explain….

In general, the cost of labor is far less in Latin America than it is in the U.S. It’s the reason just about everything costs less here — housing and food prices, especially.

The minimum wage in Ecuador has risen considerably in the past five years, from $170 a month in 2007 to $292 a month this year. That’s causing prices to rise across the board. Still, based on a 40-hour workweek, this makes the hourly minimum wage $1.65.

That’s exactly how much I made as a supermarket cashier back in 1973, and in many ways, I am happy to report, Ecuador feels (and costs) very much like the U.S. of my youth. But I digress…

My housekeeper is paid $10 to clean my apartment, which is small at about 800 square feet and with a 300-sq.-ft. terrace. It normally takes her less than two hours to clean the entire place. Do the math and you can see that she is getting about three times the minimum wage.

While I understand that $5 an hour may not sound like much to you, it is, as I said, a good, fair wage in Ecuador. She doesn’t work for me full-time, but only once a week. She has several other clients she works for, too, and she enjoys the flexibility of being her own boss. If she worked full-time for a generous local family she could expect to get somewhat less than $20 for an eight-hour day.

If I were to pay her more, others in the local labor pool would only want to work for those who pay more…the foreigners. And my Ecuadorian neighbors would not be able to afford to hire local workers. It’s already a pinch to them that the minimum wage has risen more than 30 percent in the last two years alone.

(And need I point out that this is far more than the 3.6 percent increase in U.S. Social Security benefits over the past three years?)

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this or any of my blog posts. In fact, in my next post, I’ll address another reader’s comments about the inability to use Medicare outside the U.S. The options may surprise you…

Photo of Ecuador coins from Flickr user marshlight.

This is a guest blog from Suzan Haskins. You can read her whole series on retiring abroad here. 

This year, 2012, marks the first year since 2009 that U.S. retirees will finally see a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of +3.6 percent in their Social Security benefits.

In other words, along with suffering through a tough global economic situation, retirees who depend on Social Security endured three consecutive years without a cost-of-living raise. This was an historical event, mind you – the first time in three and a half decades that no cost-of-living increase was forthcoming.

And while news of the COLA increase is welcome, the downside is that the COLA will be offset by rising Medicare premiums, which are usually deducted from Social Security payments. And that’s not to mention the costs of food, housing, gas, and other items that have risen far more than 3.6 percent in recent years.

While my husband and I are a few years shy of being eligible to collect Social Security retirement benefits, this news doesn’t make us happy – mostly because of the effect it has on friends of ours who do depend on it.

It does, though, reinforce the fact that we made the right decision when – in mid-life and at the height of our earning potential – we decided to turn our lives around and move overseas.

We had a modest amount of savings. But even more, we had a desire to do something fun and exciting. We didn’t want to eventually arrive at the end of the road with any regrets. 

We were new subscribers to International Living magazine. We’d read the free electronic postcards, and poured over the magazine articles, special reports, and more. The message just made sense: you can live a better life for less money overseas.

So we sold our house, cars, and furniture, and moved to Ecuador. We did, indeed, find life to be far less expensive there. And the fun and adventure was well worth anything we may have given up.

But the truth is that today, after a decade living in Latin America, we no longer see much difference between the “First World” and what is perceived as the “Third World.” Modern supermarkets, high-tech malls, high-speed Internet, complete cell phone coverage, and excellent doctors and healthcare facilities – we have all that in Latin America.

In those early years of living overseas, we rented. ($600/month for a four bedroom/two-bath house in Quito with a garden and separate guest casita.) Only after we were really sure that we were cut out for the expat lifestyle did we buy our first overseas property.

We have bought and sold two homes in Mexico and today we own a nice, modern condo in a small Andean village in Ecuador. We pay about $30 for our annual property taxes. We have a comprehensive private health insurance plan that costs us one-fourth what a similar policy back home would cost. We spend $5 at the local farmer’s market each weekend for produce to last a week or more.

Because our daily living costs are so low, we can afford to splurge on travel, nights out with friends, and – my favorite treat – someone to clean our condo. We pay just $10 for that here in Ecuador, and it’s a good, fair wage.

So can you live a good life on your Social Security income when you live overseas? Yes. We know people who are doing it. And while we’re not at all sure what the future of Social Security may be, frankly –  we’re not worried.  Our retirement strategy has always been to do just what we’re doing now.  Live better for less overseas. Now that’s security!

Photo of Quito at night by Fernando Sanchez on Flickr.

This is a guest blog from Suzan Haskins. You can read her whole series on retiring abroad here. 

I first met Laura and Joel (not their real names) a decade ago on the shores of Mexico’s Lake Chapala where they were vacationing. He was retired and she was happily working as a network television sales executive. He wanted her to quit her job and move to Mexico with him and she was having none of it.

A few months later Laura accepted a prestigious promotion and assignment in Hawaii. Joel supported her decision, but made it clear he would not be moving there. They would live apart while she worked for two years in Hawaii. Then, she promised, they would move together to Mexico. Secretly, she hoped he would give up this ‘crazy idea.’

Life doesn’t always work out the way you hope it will.

Joel returned to Mexico by himself and bought a house. Laura wasn’t happy that he was forcing her hand. But true to her promise, she joined him in Mexico when her assignment in Hawaii ended.

As you might imagine, moving from a fast-paced job to retirement, in Mexico, no less, where she knew no one, Laura was bored out of her mind. She didn’t like the house that Joel had bought so she set about remodeling it. A year later, she took a job selling real estate and found she was very good at that. One day she suddenly realized that despite her misgivings, she was in love with Mexico and her new life there.

Luckily for Laura and Joel, things worked out. But what happens when partners don’t want the same thing? You want to retire overseas, for instance…to that sublime stretch of beach or sun-dappled colonial village…but your significant other says “no way, Jose.” Whatever can you do?

You can talk up the excitement, the fun, the romance of it all. Explain (with graphs and charts if need be – and I’m only half kidding) how much farther your retirement nest egg will go if you move where the cost of living is lower.

From hard-won experience, here are a few pointers that may help persuade your reluctant spouse or partner to make your dreams their dreams:

Involve them in the planning. Moving overseas is a big decision. And it deserves careful thought and planning by all involved. Talk, talk and talk some more about it. Make sure you’re both as informed as possible and involved in the decisions about where to move, how to live, and so on. Spend time together and separately perusing online forums and other resources. If your motivation is economic, make sure you both understand what’s going on with your financial situation.

Compromise with a ‘no strings attached’ test drive. Nothing is scarier than cutting the ties completely. If your partner is reluctant to do that, consider giving the new life a trial run. Before you sell your house or buy that one-way ticket, rent an apartment in the new locale for three months or more.

Don’t sugarcoat the challenges. Discuss the difficulties you’ll face along the way, and work together on solutions. For instance, you may want to take some foreign language classes before your move. Try out voice- and video-over-internet (VOIP) technologies – like Skype – so you can easily stay in touch with family and friends. If you’re retiring, do some budget planning.  There will still be unexpected challenges, but by working together, problem-solving can be part of the fun.

Help ease the transition. Once you’ve moved, take an active approach to learning as much about your new community as you can. Be sure your partner has an opportunity to meet other expats and locals with similar interests. These days, you can do this in advance of your move through online blogs, forums, and websites. And keep busy – this is the perfect opportunity for you both to try something new. Take a class, take up a new hobby, do some volunteering, or even get a job. You might teach English, or take on internet-based work such as freelance writing, computer programming, or website development.

Remember that attitude is everything. When challenges do arise, maintain your sense of humor and look on the bright side: this experience will likely strengthen your relationship. (And it will give you great stories to tell later.) So support one another and make a point to have as much fun as possible on this adventure.

As Joel told me not long ago, “I knew Laura would like it, I just had to help her overcome her objections.”

And if that hadn’t happened? If Laura hadn’t fallen in love with Mexico? Well, that’s okay, too. Don’t think of your move as a one-way ride or as the last move you’ll ever make – if it doesn’t work out, you can always move on or go back home.

Along with her husband, Dan Prescher, in 2001, Suzan Haskins sold everything she owned and moved south…far south, in fact…to Latin America where she lives and writes on behalf of International Living magazine.

Photo: “Couple, beach, 1987″ via Flickr user josullivan.59. 

This is a guest blog from Suzan Haskins. You can read her whole series on retiring abroad here. 

“I don’t like being called an ex-patriot,” my friend Jack said. He’s a former elected official and about as red-white-and-blue as they come. His wife is a former trial judge. But now they’re retired and living in Ecuador…for the adventure, the pleasurable lifestyle, and the lower cost of living.

Gently, I explained to Jack that he is definitely not an ex-patriot. And he never will be…

Jack is an expatriate. As the dictionary explains, the word “expatriate,” which can be used either as a noun or a verb – refers to the act of moving from one’s home country. If you’re from the U.S. but you live in Canada, for example, you are an expatriate.

So what is an ex-patriot? According to The Columbia Guide to Standard American English, there is no such word. But dictionaries commonly refer to a patriot as “a person who loves his country, zealously supporting and defending it.” So it stands to reason that an ex-patriot is someone who no longer cares much about his or her country.

I have yet to meet an expatriate who fits that definition. Sure, we may moan and groan about what’s going on at home, but that’s how our system works. We’re allowed to do that and it doesn’t mean we love our country any less. In fact, I’d say it shows how much we care.

To set the record straight, you don’t give up your U.S. citizenship when you move overseas. Instead, you’re given a visa that allows you to spend time in the new country.

Most countries offer a variety of visa options to foreigners, from tourist visas that allow you to be in the country for a limited amount of time (usually 30-90 days) to a resident visa if you opt to live there full- or part-time. You may qualify for a student or humanitarian visa, for instance, if you attend school or do volunteer work. If you’re employed by a multi-national or national corporation, you’ll qualify for a work visa.

Those of us who aren’t looking to work will most likely apply for another type of residency visa. In many countries, if you buy real estate or invest in a financial instrument of some kind, you’ll qualify for an investor visa. If you can prove you have a pension or enough income to support yourself, you may qualify for a retirement visa. (Panama offers one of the best retirement programs in the world with a host of enticing benefits.)

And yes, some of these visas can lead to citizenship in that country, if that’s what you’re after.

In many ways, moving to a foreign country is about as easy as moving to another state these days. But it comes with far more benefits – and adventure is definitely one of them.

So if this idea of retiring overseas is something you’ve been thinking about, maybe it’s time to take the next step? At the end of the day if you find it isn’t for you, you can always go back home. But nothing ventured is nothing gained. And there’s a lot to gain by living the “expat” life.

Along with her husband, Dan Prescher, in 2001, Suzan Haskins sold everything she owned and moved south…far south, in fact…to Latin America where she lives and writes on behalf of International Living magazine.

Photo of an American flag above Montana, United States, via Flickr user mrbendy.

“What do you miss the most from home?”

A house in Ecuador, 2007. Via Flickr.

As a speaker at International Living conferences held around the world, this is one of the most common questions I’m asked. And it’s one that’s easy to answer.

I’ve been living in Latin America for 11 years, and the truth is that I have a new home now, in Ecuador. There’s not much I miss from my old home. In fact, there are far more things I don’t miss than those I do.

Mostly, I don’t miss shoveling snow. Or scraping ice from the windshield of my car. Here in Ecuador, in fact, I don’t have a car. And I don’t miss that either. In the States these days, I’m told it’s common to spend at least $1,000 per month on car payments, maintenance, insurance and gasoline. I don’t miss that.

I also don’t miss paying high property taxes and utility bills. The annual property tax for our small condo here in the Andes is less than $50. Thanks to the temperate climate (did I mention no snow?) we have no heating or air conditioning costs and our monthly electric bill averages about $20. Our monthly water bill is $8. A bottle of propane that we use for cooking costs $3 and will last up to two months.

I don’t miss sky-high health care costs either. That’s a subject for another article, but we spend half as much on health insurance here as we did in Nebraska 11 years ago. Many expats I know forego health insurance altogether and pay out-of-pocket. A doctor’s office visit in the village where I live costs $10. In Quito, where you’ll find state-of-the-art hospitals and excellent doctors – trained in Europe and the U.S. – you’ll pay $40 to $50 for an office visit.

Point is: all this money we save goes a long way toward funding our daily living costs here in Ecuador.

But I know what you’re thinking. I must miss my family and friends, right? Of course. But you’d be surprised how easy it is to stay in touch these days. The Internet is a magical thing, and apps like Skype allow me to talk to anyone…anywhere in the world…for next to nothing. With video Skype we can do everything but clink glasses. Via Facebook I keep up with every detail of my family’s lives, sometimes more than I want to know. For better or (at times) for worse — I feel more connected than ever.

(Also for better or for worse, when you live in a beautiful and exotic foreign country, you’ll always have visitors.)

I do miss curling up in bed with a cup of coffee and the newspaper on Sunday mornings. Yes, they have newspapers here. But reading them in Spanish is often more work than pleasure. Instead, I curl up with my iPad and get my news via the Internet – and quite honestly, I’m not nearly the newshound I used to be. Which actually adds to my quality of life. The fewer political ads and snarky comments I see or hear, the better.

And here’s my guilty secret: I miss Triscuits. While we have modern supermarkets here with just about every consumer product you could want or need, some brands are unavailable. Watching the Super Bowl (yes, we even have DirecTV here) without my Triscuits just isn’t the same.

So friends and family… when you come to visit me, you know what to tuck into your suitcase. Original Recipe only, please.

Along with her husband, Dan Prescher, in 2001, Suzan Haskins sold everything she owned and moved south…far south, in fact…to Latin America where she lives and writes on behalf of International Living magazine. Keep up with Suzan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/suzanl.haskins or Twitter at http://twitter.com/suzanhaskins