To celebrate a year and a half in Ecuador, we thought we’d take a look back at what has changed for us since we left our lives in the United States.
| THEN | NOW |
| “On time” meant arriving at the scheduled time or 15 minutes early. | “On time” means arriving 1 hour after the scheduled time. |
| Hot showers were plentiful and taken for granted. | A bucket bath with warm water feels luxurious. |
| There was no one to greet us when we arrived home after a long day. | Max, our biggest fan, shows us just how much he missed us. |
| We ate half of our meals at restaurants or out of take-out containers. | Mari cooks almost all meals and the only delivery option is Palmar Pizza. |
| Entertainment ranged from dinner parties to concerts and art events. | Entertainment consists of watching movies, reading, and holiday parties. |
| Cold meant snow, ice, hats, gloves, and wind that chilled you to the bone. | Cold is any day when the sun isn’t shining. |
| Going to the beach was a novel weekend or vacation destination. | Going to the beach means walking outside our door. |
| Work was a 9-5 (or 9-9) commitment that took place in an office at a desk. | Work means setting our own hours and can take place anywhere. |
| Commuting was walking or taking the NYC subway to work. | Commuting means waiting for a bus that makes stops anywhere. |
| We planned projects for weeks (if not months) in advance. | Projects come together at the last minute and somehow still work out. |
| Food shopping meant walking next door to the Trader Joe’s. | Food shopping means traveling over an hour to the only big supermarket. |
| Lunch could fit into a paper bag and might consist of a sandwich and fruit. | Ecuadorian lunch consists of soup, rice, chicken/fish, juice, and dessert. |
| Rice was a side dish usually prepared with Asian or Mexican food. | Failure to serve rice at every meal warrants comments. |