Officially TEFL/TESOL Certified!

Still having difficulty calming down from the excitement of visiting Cuenca Ecuador and renting an apartment.  I just cannot believe how easily things are falling into place.  Seems this was meant to be.  And, to top it off I received my TEFL TESOL certificates!

Thanksgiving day was fun.  My mother, sister, and nephew came to visit and we enjoyed ham, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, roasted okra, peppers, and brussels sprouts, chicken strips, biscuits, and dessert.  Yummy! 

Great news!

We got the apartment we wanted in Cuenca!  3 bedrooms, 2 baths, balcony, patio, and the best roof top views of the city. Everything is falling into place as planned. I promise to post more details about the trip when I get home Wednesday.

Cuenca, Ecuador

We left Atlanta Thursday evening and flew 5.5 hours to Quito. Then, we took the one-hour taxi ride to The Bonanza, by the equator, where we spent Thursday night. Friday morning we met with our residency advisor and then flew to Cuenca late Friday afternoon. Arrived here around 8:00pm. Staying in a Hostel, La Casa Cuencana, only $12.00 per person per night. Room is comfortable with plenty of hot water for showering. The Hostel offers a complete breakfast for $2.50. It includes eggs, ham, toast, yogurt, granola, coffee, juice, and bread. Plenty of food to get me thru the morning.  Explored Cuenca by foot and then boarded a double decker bus to tour the city. Absolutely beautiful!

We walked around the city after the bus tour and stopped for lunch at Cafe Austria. Enjoyed typical Ecuadorian food...lentil soup, salad, baked chicken breast, rice, and pineapple for dessert. All for $6.50 per person.  We walked a bit more and explored the local Mercado. That was an interesting experience. Fresh fruit and meats. They also had eggs, rice, and pasta. It was sort of like a farmer's market. We then stopped at a coffee bar, had a few drinks, and watched the local youth enjoy what appeared to be a local talent show.  It started sprinkling rain so we headed back to the Hostel and took a 30-minute nap.

After our nap we headed back out and had pizza at a local joint. It was great. Good food and service. Walked a little more and returned to the Hostel. Now, getting up to date on email and writing this blog.

One thing I must keep in mind is that the sun is fierce here. Must wear long sleeved shirts, jeans, and a hat at all times. I wore a short sleeve polo shirt today and my arms are burned a little bit.

For some reason I am unable to upload pictures from my iPad. If you want to see pics before I get home please friend me on Facebook. I will be uploading my pics to my Flickr account too.

Yesterday

The closing on the house was a success yesterday.  It took only 15-minutes!  The buyer's agent said it was a record.  Being an all cash transaction contributed to the simplicity of the process.  We can now move forward with the plan to retire in Ecuador.  Will be travelling to Quito Thursday to meet with the guy getting our residency status and then will go on to Cuenca for a few days to see what it's like there. 

No other news at the moment.  Will keep you updated on our trip to Ecuador next week.

Almost done!

The move from Monroe Drive to 26th Street is almost complete.  Should be finished tomorrow.  Now I have to start going through boxes to decide what to sell, donate, or give away. The apartment looks like a storage unit. However, I am sure it will be worth it to start a new life in South America.  Plan A for my pup Scooter did not work out. Still need to find a home for him. Let me know if you or someone you know is interested in meeting him.

So far so good...

It's been a few days since I posted anything so I thought I better get you caught up.  The past week has been nothing but packing and moving to the temporary apartment.  I never knew how much stuff I had until I had to go through it all.  I have moved a lot over in my MINI but each time I go back to the house it looks as if I have done nothing.  Oh well, I will keep at it.  Will move the big pieces over this weekend.  Closing on the house is 11/15 at 9am.  Excited and ready to move forward.

Got the official word from the International TEFL Academy that I am all done with my certification and that I received an "A".  It was a lot of work but it is all behind me now.

Thought about observing "Movember" and growing a beard and mustache.  My facial hair was so white that it made me look older and tired.  So, this morning I thought I would try something different.  A pic will be posted below. 

I have already met a few of my new neighbors at the apartment complex.  They all seem nice.  I just wonder what type of work they do since they are always here...no matter what time of day.  Maybe they are all retired too???

Gotta get back to unpacking now.  Just wanted to check in to let you know all is well.

As promised, here is the pic... (forgot to mention that I cut all my hair off too)!

Beautiful Day!

It was a perfect day for a drive to NE GA to visit my family.  I was able to spend time with my Mother, my Sister, and my Nephew.  My mom cooked fried chicken, rice and gravy, turnip greens, macaroni & cheese, quinoa salad, roasted carrots, and rolls.  And of course for dessert we had delicious cookies and cream cake.  Yummy!!!

We made a quick trip to Wal-Mart and then I headed home.  Went to the apartment to hook up the TV, phone, and Internet but was unable to activate.  So, I came home and did an on-line chat with Comcast.  Found out I will have to call tomorrow for assistance.

Retired!

My first official day of retirement.  I slept until after 8am and walked around in my undies until noon.  I think I'm going to like this!

The party last night was awesome!!  I will not post pictures in order to protect the guilty!!

Missing my former co-workers already.  Wondering what they are up to today.  That's LaSandra in the white shirt and Vickie is in purple.  LaSandra asked that I post something juicy.  I promise that I will.  Just keep checking back here.

Make sure you enter your e-mail address over on the right side of the blog so that you will receive a notice when I post updates.  Gotta run!