Expat Community > Ecuador

seoulguy
Joined 2015
Posts: 166

"Should I Stay Or Should I Go"

2 years ago

It's a song title from the 1982 album "Combat Rock" by The Clash. But it's also my question as a would-be expat -- stay or go.

I'm just wondering how many out there are asking the same question, weighing the pros and cons, and willing to gamble that going one way or the other will all work out. If you're still working and don't depend on a handsome annuity or other independent income, you might have a better "feel" for this. Maybe you're in-country and still asking.

I boil it down to this as a 78-year-old, single, reasonably healthy renter (13 years in the same house) in
Tucson, AZ, a place, like many others, where COVID won't quit. Two drivers for going: (1) huge price increases from ridiculously high rents to Medicare hikes to grocery store items and (2) what I will call here, to avoid hot button problems, political insecurity. You can interpret it any way you wish. I'm risk-averse, so the drivers for staying are (1) age, (2) ease of maintaining my online business with no connection or other problems, and, the biggie, (3) the upfront investment of hard cash associated with a transition from the US to South American on the 50-50 gamble that it is any better or that it will work out. I have done my homework, and I have overseas experience with no language problem. A realist would say that it's more like 60-40 against.

It would be helpful to sort it out with others facing the same predicament.

If anyone is familiar with Joseph Guznay in Quito, he has thus far been very helpful and informative.

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