WE MOVED BACK TO THE U.S.
As of October 4, 2014, We, the Serrano's, moved back to the United States! We live on the East Coast near New York City! This move back was just as major as our move to Ecuador! Our teenage boys needed to continue with their education and learn a skill so that they can secure a decent job when they get older; so an opportunity presented itself that allowed us to transition back to State life.
Our journey as a family unit to Ecuador was wonderful and we will never forget the life we built there. We have truly lived outside of the box and have learned about the beautiful cultures of the indigenous people of Ecuador and their language and also Ecuadorians as a whole. They are a very family oriented people and enjoy doing things together as a family unit. Seeing this on a daily basis made me miss my family that much more. We will really miss the friends that we made there and all of the wonderful experiences with learning and speaking the language.
For you who have not even thought of putting Ecuador on your traveling agenda, please, think again! Traveling through Ecuador was a great experience for all of us and you can do it literally on a dime. Whether you decide to take the van lines for $12 or the comfortable buses for $8, it will be worth the trip! As with traveling any place whether outside or within the U.S., do take precautions. Don't travel with your expensive cameras, laptops, Ipads, Iphone's, or anything of value, as you will be a target for petty theft. Don't pull out big wads of cash especially in cities such as Quito and/or Guayaquil. Use coins and small bills no larger than $20, as most vendors do not have change for anything larger. We lived in Ecuador for nearly 3 years without any incidents of that nature. We always did things together as a family or always made sure we did things with a group of friends. There is always safety in numbers!!
Now we are back to U.S. living and there are a lot of things that we miss about Ecuador such as low rent, low electric bills, low water bills, and friends that we have made that are like true family. But being home around my brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews are worth the trip back to the U.S. There was always that one thing missing living abroad for us...and that was our family. It's sure good to be back home. Ecuador will always be in our hearts! What a great experience!! Hope you all can make it there some day!! Until our next big adventure...
Ciao for now.....
Constance Serrano
