Editor’s Note:
This is the first article from our newest contributor, Joseph Kennedy. You may know him from his YouTube Channel ‘Capture Joseph‘. We’re very excited to have Joseph covering stories and topics related to digital nomads because I strongly believe Cuenca has a lot to offer this community and we want to help grow this market in Ecuador.
When I arrived in Cuenca just after Christmas 2021, I never imagined I’d be putting the finishing touches on my first documentary less than three months later. This city has not only welcomed me with open arms and truly shown itself to be home, but it’s been the place where my YouTube channel has taken off.
After over a year of research about where would be best for me to emigrate to as a remote worker, I ultimately settled upon Ecuador. The city delivered on its promise. Clean drinking water, stunning architecture, and a feeling of safety that is not so common in South America. Once I’d got settled (which meant buying new clothes, partying for New Year’s Eve, and investing in an Xbox One), I set about looking for a co-working space. I needed to spread my wings and get out of the apartment.
A quick search and redirect to Google Maps alerted me to IMPAQTO, about a 7-minute walk from my rental. I was very pleased to find a high-standard co-working space so close to home and at a fraction of what I had been paying in other countries. Once I’d signed up on an 80-hours per month deal, I couldn’t help but wonder, ‘What are the other spaces like?’. This was at the same time my YouTube channel started to blow up.
Then, the lightbulb moment struck. I felt I was well-positioned to make a series or documentary about Co-working in Cuenca. Nobody had done it, a real shame for a city with so much potential as a digital nomad destination. So, I reached out to all of the co-working spaces that I could find on Google. There were ten. Four had closed down. Four replied. Two never replied. The project grew legs.
Soon after, I posted in the Digital Nomads Ecuador Facebook group, asking the community what they would like to ask any of the co-working spaces in Cuenca if they had the chance. These questions helped to form the in-depth series of interviews and tours that I performed with each office (that responded to my request).
From there, the project grew very organically. I made new friends in the city through language exchanges or friends of friends. YouTube subscribers reached out to me and ended up as guests in the documentary. At that time, I was going through my immigration process for my Professional Visa and both my facilitator and health insurance agent showed interest in the documentary. Martin & Gracie were strangers who recognized me from YouTube and have since become guests on my channel as well as my friends. I introduced Jason (Yapa Tree) to David (La Ofi) and now you can enjoy this great deal.
Along the way, I received so much support, and there are several people I’d like to thank who for logistic and personal reasons, couldn’t make the documentary.
This is the first documentary of my life here in Cuenca, but it won’t be the last. As my channel grows, with your support, I will be able to do bigger and better things.
Co-Working in Cuenca 2022 – The Documentary
Learn about:
- Cuenca’s Best Co-Working Spaces
- Budgeting and Finding Accommodation in Cuenca
- Being a Digital Nomad in Ecuador
- The Immigration Process as a Remote Worker
- Why Cuenca is so Popular!
Thanks to all of my guests:
- Rafa Idrovo – Coworking Cuenca
- David Ordoñez – La Ofi
- Juan Espinel – Selina Hotel
- Angie Mogrovejo – IMPAQTO
- Guillaume Normand – French Digital Nomad
- Daniela Cordero – Insurance Agent
- Ayngelina Brogan – Food Blogger and Popular YouTuber
- Jodie Mansfield – Visa Facilitator
- Moises Dutan – Cajas National Park Nature Guide
- Martin & Gracie – Chinese Immigrants & Owners of Gracie’s Naturals
- Asya Bagdasarova – Kyrgyz Digital Nomad & Voice Coach
A huge thank you to Jason Scott too (Yapa Tree’s owner), not only for his great interview, but for his contacts, his friendship, and for giving me a platform to be heard.
Capture Joseph.
