A Search for Home
A Search for Home
A Search for Home
“Just the Beginning”
During our trip to Peru, we struck up friendships with many people who had relocated from Lima to Cusco. That shift isn’t a simple choice. Lima is the economic heart of the country—often the only place where Peruvians can secure a reliable, good living. Many of our new friends had experienced life in the U.S., and they emphasized how moving from Lima to Cusco felt more challenging than relocating from a city like Boulder or Denver to a smaller town like Durango or Crested Butte.
Why is it harder? Because Peru is a developing country. Moving from a big city to a smaller town often means sacrificing access to things we take for granted—like well-stocked grocery stores, good roads, and quality schools. Yet the people we met in Cusco made that leap. For many, the trade-off was worth it. Life in Lima felt chaotic, crowded, overpriced, and polluted. The slower pace of Cusco—combined with its proximity to outdoor adventures—far outweighed the creature comforts and financial stability they left behind.
Just the Beginning
One of the goals of our trip has been to explore alternative places we might consider living in later in life. It’s easy to be drawn to places like Cusco or Arequipa in Peru—where indigenous culture and world-class mountain biking, rafting, and trekking are right at your doorstep. Or to towns like Cuenca or Vilcabamba in Ecuador, where a decent two-bedroom apartment can be found for around $500 per month, and healthcare insurance might be less than $50 per person per month. Or to colonial Colombian towns like Barichara or Villa de Leyva—where you could build a beautiful home for a few hundred thousand dollars.
For us, though, the decision to make such a move would be even more profound than what our friends experienced. After all, even towns like Crested Butte or Durango are still communities within the world’s richest economy. While our new friends in Cusco inspire us a lot, our search—and our internal dialogue—has only just begun.
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