After a month in Cuenca, we said goodbye to friends, played our last pickleball match, and headed for the beach and our worldschooling meet-up. We stayed in a hosteria on the beach, in a small town called San Jose near the bigger towns of Olon and Montañita. We opted to hire our friend Jon to drive us to the beach…
Many of our worldschooling friends tell us to say yes when opportunities arise. An opportunity arose when our pickleball friends Rick and Sharon invited us at the last moment to go with them to Shell, Ecuador. Shell is a small town on the edge of the Amazon where Rick and Sharon lived for 23 years. They are missionaries, and they…
Being with our kids 24 hours a day, seven days a week can take a toll. We love our kids, but every once in a while we like to get away for a few hours to spend time together, just the two of us. Michael and I went on a date to Piedra de Agua thermal spa. The spa is…
I chose to stop posting on social media for a variety of reasons, but we do use Facebook as a way to get to know a city before visiting. It is also a great way to meet people in the places we visit. Through Ecuador and Cuenca-specific Facebook groups, we met people and families that live in Cuenca. This allowed…
Ecuador has 24 provinces. Cuenca is the largest city in the province of Azuay. The city’s full name is Santa Ana de los Cuatro Ríos de Cuenca. It was given that name because of the four rivers that run through Cuenca. The Rio Tomebamba flows through the center of town, and it is a great place to walk or have a…
On our second day in Ecuador, we took a bus from Guayaquil to Cuenca. It was a small 12-person bus that cost $12 per adult and $10 per kid. The ride to Cuenca is usually 3 hours, but because of road closures, the ride took more than 5-hour. The hotel recommended a specific bus company, but our taxi driver decided…
Watch out! The Watkins are on the move. We took off for Ecuador for the start of our South American adventure. We are excited to be traveling again. The Flights We flew Spirit Airlines from Atlanta to Guayaquil, Ecuador. We had a layover in Ft. Lauderdale. We chose Spirit Airlines because it is considerably cheaper than other airlines. It is…
The decision to uproot our family and start a worldschooling journey was not easy. We knew we wanted to travel long-term, but doing it has been fraught with doubts and fears. We still carry those doubts and fears with us, but going out on this journey, despite those fears, has been rewarding. We are glad we pushed through our worries…
It has been a year since my step mother Lois passed away. It seems recent and a long time ago all at the same time. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about her. Songs remind me of her. Washing the dishes and folding laundry reminds me of her. Hugging Lucas and Henry reminds me of her. Talking…
Traveling is exciting. Researching and planning the trips are fun. Packing for trips is not as much fun. It is easy to pack for a week at the beach or a weekend getaway. Packing for several months should be just as easy, but it is not. Packing for a longer-term trip requires some advance planning a lot of ‘would you…