Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Continuing the Breakfast With Don series...
After five years living in Ecuador, I finally answer a question I get all the time: am I happier here than I was in the United States? From my IT career in the U.S. and the friendships that came with it, to the loneliness of the pandemic and the decision to retire abroad, this is a real, unfiltered look at what changed—and what I miss.
I talk about culture shock, homesickness, the reality of living in a third-world country, health concerns as you get older, and the biggest regret I didn’t expect: selling my condo and starting over. Plus, a little slice of daily life in Manta—breakfast on the balcony, construction noise, ocean views, and even a strange plume of smoke on the horizon. If you’re considering moving overseas or retiring abroad, this is the kind of perspective you only get from someone living it.
Links to know:
Facebook - Manta and Manabi Expats and Amigos - facebook.com/groups/323275021650751
My Channel Video Index - docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-f4Wv3uBMulCX9OK6oNqS5a9wrS84cbUBYXzoq24JNA/edit?usp=sharing
The ultimate checklist (always subject to change)
docs.google.com/document/d/1ySNcEa6_ffaKutXgMdlhdwAoD46lkwqKvd_H7DlEYGY/edit?usp=sharing
#ecuador
#retireabroad
#expatlife
Continuing the Breakfast With Don series...
After five years living in Ecuador, I finally answer a question I get all the time: am I happier here than I was in the United States? From my IT career in the U.S. and the friendships that came with it, to the loneliness of the pandemic and the decision to retire abroad, this is a real, unfiltered look at what changed—and what I miss.
I talk about culture shock, homesickness, the reality of living in a third-world country, health concerns as you get older, and the biggest regret I didn’t expect: selling my condo and starting over. Plus, a little slice of daily life in Manta—breakfast on the balcony, construction noise, ocean views, and even a strange plume of smoke on the horizon. If you’re considering moving overseas or retiring abroad, this is the kind of perspective you only get from someone living it.
Links to know:
Facebook - Manta and Manabi Expats and Amigos - facebook.com/groups/323275021650751
My Channel Video Index - docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-f4Wv3uBMulCX9OK6oNqS5a9wrS84cbUBYXzoq24JNA/edit?usp=sharing
The ultimate checklist (always subject to change)
docs.google.com/document/d/1ySNcEa6_ffaKutXgMdlhdwAoD46lkwqKvd_H7DlEYGY/edit?usp=sharing
#ecuador
#retireabroad
#expatlife
