The Almighty Dollar - I find it so interesting to see some older americans who are willing to give up their own language, up to 70 or more years of life in their home country, with its celebrations, its culture, give up seeing their children and grandchildren, give up the comfort of their familiar foods, their familiar TV programs in their own language, their neighbors, their friends, the comfort of their climate-controlled homes, give up their Doctors and their health care, give up everything they have held sacred and have worked for for all their lives, to come to a less-developed 3rd world country (that they know so little about), where they can't understand the language, or the culture, JUST to stretch their dollar, and 'get more' for it! I don't get it. Can it possibly be that bad for them up there in their 1st world, home country? If they think that expensive prices are only indicative to the US they are wrong and all over the world, the price of the finer things in life is higher now, so people just have to adjust. But adjusting should not mean the loss of everything in their lives! I know some people who are now moving back, they miss their families! And I could go on and on. They never thought of these things when they relocated.
I felt the urge to write this not only because of the number of older people that I know that are 'relocating' back to the states after a year or a few here in Ecuador, as well, I read a post today by an older woman who posed the question: "...and wondering if it would be a good idea for us to move to a foreign country just to have our retirement money go farther..." She then went on to say that she was 70 years old. Obviously IL and others like them have had quite an intoxicating effect on many people.
Actually the savings are minimal, as some things are cheaper here, like produce and bus/taxi rides, but many things cost much more, anything electronic for example. Fine furniture can cost more, cars cost more.....and most of the foods that they are used to can actually cost more. If they factor in the losses they will suffer with the inevitable thefts that will occur, the losses here and there because of not knowing how to make the right decisions... they are not really too much ahead. I know for myself that quality of life is now much more important than getting more bang from my dollar.
Of course they think that Ecuador is just like the states. They will lose far more money in the long run if they are not prepared for this great life change. They should all come here first for some time. As a matter of fact, they should not be permitted to obtain a visa to live here unless they have spent at least 3 months here! I feel sorry for many of them as they are really misled by companies that have their own agendas in mind, not the trials and tribulations of relocation for a 60-70 year old person to a completely unfamiliar place. They give a false impression of 'paradise' to these people, with a very thin line between embellishment and downright lies, therefore giving these people a false sense of hope. Now I do know that there are a few really adventurous people who are chosing to relocate, but the majority are doing this out of a 'perceived necessity.' I do not believe that all are really that desperate to 'stop living in their cars and eating in soup kitchens.'
If they are willing to embrace such a drastic culture, why don't they look at some of the 'culturally different' places in their own country? There are places in the USA where albeit the towns are depressed because of business-closings, not alot going on, but they could enjoy a less expensive way of life in their own country, in their last years. I know in my last years, I wish to be 'home' and not in some strange place.
So---I would be giving up all these things if I chose to move back to the USA after living most of my life here. Now is the time in life when an older person should reap the rewards of their hard work earlier in life, and smell the roses and kiss the grandchildren. And I didn't even mention the crime here in Ecuador, and the fact that these unassuming and naive people would be the marks of said crime.
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