By Edd Staton
A
lot of folks look forward to and truly enjoy the change of seasons.
Spring blossoms...the warmth of summer...fall foliage...bundling up in
winter.
I would not be included in that group.
I've
never been a fan of cold weather. Whenever it snowed I enjoyed walking
around and throwing snowballs for about an hour. Then I was ready for it
to go away so I could put on a bathing suit.
Four
years living in Las Vegas before relocating to Ecuador soured me and my
wife Cynthia on extreme heat forever. Something about having to walk
slowly so the friction of the scorching air didn't hurt my face never
sat well with me.
In fact, one of the key considerations in our decision to move to the colonial city of Cuenca was its moderate climate.
We're like Goldilocks—we want our weather not too hot. Not too cold. Just right!
But
while visiting family in North Carolina recently my son mentioned
something I hadn't thought about. He told me how he was looking forward
to putting away his winter clothes and breaking out the shorts and
T-shirts.
And I thought,
"Huh. I don't do that." In fact after three years living in Cuenca I had
kind of forgotten that's the routine in places that experience seasonal
changes.
Therein lies a
(very minor) downside to living in the "Land of Eternal Spring"—you're
eternally looking at the same darned wardrobe every time you open the
closet door.
There are
solutions, of course. Every visit to the States we buy a few new
garments and give away the ones we're most tired of when we return home.
What
about expats who don't travel back and forth like we do? Cuenca has
several malls and many boutiques scattered throughout the city.
Be
aware, though, that Latin Americans are generally smaller than North
Americans and clothing sizes reflect this difference. Selection for
large people is quite limited, but excellent tailors can make custom
clothing at quite reasonable prices. I showed a photo to a proprietor
here of a gorgeous leather jacket that retailed for over $1,000 in the
States. He made a duplicate just for me for only $125. (Those same
leather craftsmen are happy to create high-quality shoes for your feet,
too, by the way.)
What
would I do if I didn't travel and couldn't afford a custom wardrobe?
Well, at 6'3", I guess I'd be trying to convince my friends that
three-quarter length sleeves and capri pants were the latest fashion
statement for guys!
As I
said, wearing the same wardrobe all year round is a downside to living
in Cuenca—but it's one of the only ones. We didn't move here to be
fashionistas; we came here to enjoy the plethora of positive attributes
Cuenca has to offer. Fresh, healthy, non-GMO food...free symphony
performances...current movies in English (and sometimes in 3D!)...low
cost and high quality health care...the list goes on and on.
We
enjoy a very high quality of life in Cuenca at about 25% of the budget
we spent back home. Our luxurious two-story penthouse apartment (with
weekly maid service) has commanding views of the city and surrounding
mountains. We dine out regularly, attend many of those free symphony
performances, and enjoy going to the gym, yoga and Tai Chi classes.
Later
today, we're meeting friends for lunch at one of the many fixed menu
lunch spots around town. I can already tell you what our total bill will
be for fresh juice, homemade soup, and a healthy entrée—$5. For both of
us!
So while, at a recent International Living
event in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, it was a joy to try on the beach
attire we never get to wear here, after the suitcases were unpacked, we
found ourselves decked out in our "eternal Cuenca" clothing...ready to
once again enjoy all that this city has to offer.
www.internationalliving.com
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