In today’s video, I am sharing how I prepared for my move to Ecuador! Yes, I am finally here and settling in so I thought I would share my moving abroad experience with you. I hope the things mentioned in this post will help you navigate your move to Ecuador or abroad. If you are not looking to move abroad, I hope this video at least inspires you to do so one day. If I can do it, so can you!
— TABLE OF CONTENTS —
↳ 0:00 Start Here
↳ 0:31 Ecuador: How I Prepared
↳ 0:41 Travel in the USA
↳ 2:27 Appointments
↳ 4:02 Passports and Visas
↳ 5:27 Things I purchased for my move
I am excited to finally be sharing how I prepared for my move to Ecuador. The list may seem quite long, but what I mention in this post is important and helped make my preparation more manageable.
Over the last year, you’ve seen me traveling back-and-forth to Colorado through my series of Colorado-related videos and posts. About a month before moving to Ecuador, we went home to say our goodbyes to family one last time. We flew into Colorado to see everybody we could (pandemic permitting), we took a mini road trip, we did some excursions here and there, and we just enjoyed the company of our loved ones. For future expats moving away from their home country, I recommend exploring your home before leaving it. It will give you a sense of closure as you move on to your next adventure.
One of the non-home-related trips we took was to New York City. The trip was excellent, especially during a time when things were starting to open up again. It was a great getaway from regular life and it allowed Gozie and me to spend time with each other without family, which I think is important too.
We did some practical things while still in the States like making appointments to see our dentist and doctors. Although there are probably pretty reputable dentists and doctors here in Ecuador, I did not want to engage in research to find specialists early on in my transition. It’s easier to do all of your preliminary work before arriving in your new country so you can settle in without having to worry about these things immediately.
We needed to get our passports renewed on time before moving to Ecuador. Unfortunately, our passports expired, and we did not realize this until about four weeks before departing the USA. Getting our visas was another headache. We first had to wait for our passports to be returned to us, and then we had to give them to the attendant that processes international visas. Both procedures took a long time. We did not receive our passport book with our Ecuador visas inside until the day of our flight. After this post, please check to make sure your passport is valid. Here is your reminder.
Before moving abroad, I also like to shop for things that I love and items I do not think I would find in my new country. For Ecuador, I purchased things like braiding hair, foundation for my complexion, natural hair products, and specific things my family enjoys. We bought a mattress for the first time, and it was a pretty significant purchase for us (cost and size). We’ve lived in two countries now where we have had less than quality sleep. So we thought it was time to invest in ourselves and get a mattress that would improve our quality of life and sleep. If we learned anything from the pandemic, we know we stay home more than we travel, so having a comfortable home is a priority for my husband and me now.
Check out the links below for more posts and videos:
Everything I Ate In New Orleans: Food, Itinerary, and Travel Tips
Life In India As An American Foreigner: The Expat Tag
Travel the World With Me
My Life As An Expat Living in India
Day in My Life Videos
ADORABLE TINY HOUSE Tour
Link to this Adorable Home on VRBO
My Life Living in Morocco
7 Solo Female Travel Fears and How to Overcome Th
2 comments
Hey Jazzy, this was a great video on things to do prepare! Wow can’t believe your visa arrived only hours before you were about to leave. I didn’t think about getting the makeup before you leave( it’s hard enough to be matched properly here let alone a different country!) Would have never thought to buy a mattress but it makes total sense! Enjoy your new home ???? in Ecuador ????????
Hi Tiffany! Thank you for stopping by the blog and leaving a comment. I am glad you like the video. Yes, the visa situation was ROUGH lol. I cannot believe we made our flight. Yes, getting color matched is key before moving abroad. Yes, I will give a mattress update when it arrives. Thank you again!