Finding Joy in Ecuador
Our Crazy Overseas Retirement Plan
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The patriarch sits squarely in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, black felt hat on his head and a heavy woven wool poncho warming him. The women wait on him constantly, checking to see if he has enough coffee, or needs more bread, how is he? Comfortable? The culture shows up again, this time the part where elders are revered, cared for. There is never a thought about putting grandfather in a “home”. He is the foundation of this family. He is the reason they are here, their children love to listen to his stories. He still rules the roost! When someone has asked us a question, he wants to know what the answer is, asks for clarification. He is interested in what these gringos think about his country. His sons and daughters listen to his opinion and convey his thoughts to us in English. In this way, we are having a conversation with him. He is kind and wise. His smile reveals his welcome to us, his pride for his family.
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About the Book
They needed an escape plan!
After losing their business, facing bankruptcy and foreclosure, then being frightened by a vision of their future, in a ratty trailer park watching Little House On The Prairie reruns, Lollie Hoxie hatches an idea—but she doesn’t share it with her husband right away.
In this, her first memoir, Hoxie explains with honest humor what happens next when they take an exploratory vacation to Ecuador, return home to sell everything they own, rent their house, and go back to permanently relocate in the little city of Gualaceo. Her resulting adventure involves the trials and tribulations of living with people who speak no English, negotiating precarious bus rides in the country, and traveling through a strange little town with dirt roads and a drunken immigration official, to name a few. There are side trips to Peru lasting longer than planned with terrific consequences and delicious calamities along the way.
Finding Joy in Ecuador is filled with Hoxie’s sarcastic humor, contrasted with moments of self-reflection that, at times, take her confidence to the woodshed and threaten to end her marriage.
Finding Joy in Ecuador lovingly describes an adventure that taught this couple about themselves and their love for each other. It also revealed to them an aspect of their American culture: the game of accumulating stuff. And, then, how remarkably fun it was for them to live without it!
This memoir is a rollercoaster ride into retirement overseas; a fun and exhilarating, sometimes scary adventure of the way it really is. For people who want to get a true glimpse of daily life in this foreign country, it’s a rare find!
About the Author
Lollie Hoxie grew up in southern Connecticut and, after college, spent most of her working years at the helm of an electronics design and manufacturing company she took over from her dad. There were also forays into raising heritage sheep, designing perennial gardens, and owning a country store. She divides her time between Ecuador and Connecticut with her husband, Cliff, and their Ecuadorian cat, Gracie. This is her first book.