Saturday, January 22, 2011

Things to Think About

It's funny, but it seems like every winter, we all say to one another, "it's seems like it has been a really cold and snowy winter".  We (in Kentucky), along with most of the country, got hit with this last band of bad weather.  We have 3-5 inches of snow sitting on the ground and the thermometer is sitting at 8 degrees.  Brrrrr!!!  We received out last gas and electric bill and it was well over $330. and we always sit around with sweatshirts and blankets on.  So, I really won't miss the cold weather. 

The only good thing about the bad weather is that it has given me time to go through boxes, closets and drawers to figure out what to do with everything.  We moved to our current house only 3 1/2 years ago after being in our other house for 18 years, so we had gotten rid of quite a bit then.  I did find a box of books that we packed from our bookshelves in our other house and never unpacked.  So those books will either be sold or given away.

We have an appointment with Gabriela Espinosa in Quito the Tuesday after we arrive in Ecuador.  We are trying to pull together the paperwork that everyone says we will need to attain permanent status.  We are hoping to bring a couple of extra suitcases that Mick and Kathy have agreed to hold for us until we return in a few months.  I am starting to feel just a little bit edgy just thinking about everything that we have to do.

We have decided not to sell our house at this time.  We are going to try to rent it out.  Hopefully we will get the perfect family to take care of it.  My oldest daughter, Elizabeth, has said that we can keep some of our things in her basement (only the things that I hate to let go of).  She would probably end up with most of those things if something ever happened to me and Pat.  Caitlin will probably get some of our furniture when she moves into her own place.  I think that we have decided not to ship our "stuff" to us.  We are just not that attached to it.  I think after you have had to go through 40 years of your parents' "stuff", you realize that there is very little that you just can't live without.

Pat and I have really been having fun learning Spanish.  Although I'm not sure if anyone will know what we are saying.  Let's hope everyone will  "hablar mas lento".  I'm sure the grammar is not correct--especially the verb tense.  Just the words--subjunctive tense--sounds scary, even in English.  Well, enough rambling on.  Gotta go!!  Hasta luego!!  Sue

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Thoughts for the coming year

I have been voraciously reading everyone else's blogs over the last few weeks.  It is like I cannot get enough information about Ecuador, especially Cuenca.  I am one of these people who likes to be as prepared as possible when I undergo a new task.  And possibly moving to another country qualifies as "a new task".  

Pat and I have been pretty diligent at studying Spanish over the last few weeks.  I am finding it is getting alittle bit easier as I learn more each day.  I am still sure that when we actually get there and someone starts to speak Spanish to us, we will stand there with our mouths hanging open.  Not knowing what they are saying nor how to respond.  We are now about 6 weeks away from our informational trip.  And we are getting really excited.

The down side - this whole situation has been a difficult time for my youngest daughter.  She is 21 years old, but she does not want us to move.  When she was 18, we moved from the house she was born in to a house in the city (about 12 miles away) and she was not happy then.  She is particularly frustrated and angry that we would consider moving so far away and leaving her all alone.  But we (mostly I) have decided that the only way that she will really grow up and function as an independent young woman is for me not to be close by to help "save" her when she needs rescuing.  It has been a very difficult process over the last couple of months.  Did anyone else who has made the transition have a difficult time with your adult children not wanting you to move?   When you are going through the process, you feel like you are the only one who is experiencing the difficulties.  So I would love some feedback.

When Pat and I initially contemplated a move, we were just going down to "check things out", which we will be doing in February.  But as I have been reading all of the blogs from expats in Cuenca, I just feel like it is pretty much a "done deal".  Unless everyone has been greatly exaggerating how things are, I believe that we will make the move during 2011.  It sounds like something that we will enjoy. 

But how do you start to let go of things here in the US?  Anybody have any good answers?  I believe this is the path that we are destined to take, but you always have doubts when you make a big move.  Well, enough of the seriousness--I guess it is a result of a new year.  People tend to be more reflective at the beginning of a new year, especially when you think ahead to the end of the year and all that might take place during the next 12 months.   Who knows what the future holds?