Hola, everyone! Today, we’re thrilled to embark on an exciting journey with La’Asha, a vibrant expat and remote worker from Dallas, Texas, currently making her home in the heart of Cuenca. Join us as La’Asha graciously opens the doors to her cozy haven and shares her experiences living in this beautiful Ecuadorian city.
Apartment Tour
Kitchen Delight
La’Asha kicks off the tour, showcasing her kitchen with ample cabinet space. The stove, strategically placed on top, adds a functional touch.
Living Room Bliss
Navigating to the living room, La’Asha points out a delightful nook with plans for cushions, offering a scenic view of the mountains. Her balcony, a favorite spot, provides an even better perspective of the stunning landscape and overlooks some key parts of Cuenca.
Restroom
The tour continues into the restroom, where La’Asha highlights her unique washer-dryer combo—a space-saving and convenient feature.
Comfortable Bedroom
Entering the bedroom, La’Asha expresses gratitude for the thoughtful furnishings provided by her landlord. The comfort of the bed and the abundance of cabinet space make this area a true sanctuary. The high ceilings were a key factor in La’Asha choosing this apartment.
Interview
The interview starts with Esteban, YapaTree’s rental facilitator, expressing gratitude for getting to know La’Asha better. La’Asha, in turn, shares her motivations for choosing Cuenca for a new adventure.
Seamless Remote Work
La’Asha, working remotely as a CRM administrator, shares her seamless transition to working from Cuenca. The stability of her online work allows her to manage administrative tasks without disruptions.
Factors Influencing the Move
The decision to move to Cuenca was influenced by the friendly people, pleasant weather, and the cost of living. La’Asha highlights the stark contrast in weather between Texas and Cuenca, making the move a refreshing change.
Coping with Blackouts
Discussing the current electricity challenges in Ecuador, La’Asha shares her strategy for dealing with blackouts. A nearby coffee shop becomes her refuge during these situations, ensuring continuity in her remote work. Note, the drought that was responsible for the power shortages has since ended and there are no more power issues in Cuenca.
Transition for La’Asha’s Mother
La’Asha reflects on her retired mother’s positive transition, particularly enjoying the mercado experience and the cultural shift in grocery shopping.
Apartment Selection Criteria
La’Asha explains her preference for tall-ceilinged apartments, reminiscent of her previous living spaces in the U.S. The central location in the historical center and the quiet ambiance contribute to her enjoyment of the space.
Living Close but Not Too Close
La’Asha shares the rationale behind choosing apartments just a block away from her mother. This decision strikes the right balance between closeness and maintaining personal space – a balance they’ve previously struggled to obtain.
Value and Cost of Living
Discussing the value and cost of living, La’Asha acknowledges her bias as someone coming from the U.S. However, she emphasizes that the cost of living in Cuenca aligns with her expectations and provides a fulfilling quality of life that aligns with her expectations.
Favorite Features
Apart from the high ceilings, La’Asha expresses gratitude for the brand-new washer-dryer combo, a seemingly small detail that significantly contributes to her daily comfort.
Positive Living Environment
The abundance of light and an open layout create a positive living environment for La’Asha, making her space inviting for guests and conducive to remote work.
Cultural Experiences
While adjusting to the local food has been a slight culture shock, La’Asha appreciates the uniqueness of Ecuadorian cuisine. Learning Spanish remains a work in progress but adds to her cultural immersion.
YapaTree Real Estate Experience
La’Asha, having been a leasing agent previously, commends Esteban for his thorough knowledge and assistance beyond the usual scope. She values the seamless experience in securing her apartment.
La’Asha’s Recommendation
In closing, La’Asha wholeheartedly recommends Cuenca, emphasizing its amenities, friendly community, and the absence of unnecessary hassles. She invites others to explore this wonderful city.
Thank you, La’Asha, for sharing your Cuenca experience with us! If you’re considering a move to Cuenca, check out YapaTree’s listings for your perfect home. Ciao for now!
Ciao!
Further reading:
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Cuenca Expat Apartment Tour & Interview with La’Asha (Transcript)
Esteban 00:00
Hola. We are here with an apartment tour and interview with La’Asha, an expat and remote worker from the United States currently living in Cuenca. Thank you La’Asha, for showing us your place and for sharing your experience here living in Cuenca. Let’s do this.
La’Asha 00:27
Hi, I’m La’Asha. Thank you for joining me today. I am from Dallas, Texas and I wanted to show you my apartment here in Cuenca. I have been here for the last five months.
La’Asha 00:40
Ok, so here we have my kitchen area. It’s really great with all of the cabinet space and the oven, sorry where the stove is on top. I have a lot of space up here.
La’Asha 00:59
So in my living room area, I really enjoy this little nook area. I have plans to put like cushions and stuff here, but it’s really great because you can see out to this range of mountains here. And I also really enjoy my balcony and it’s a really great view because you can see the mountains from here.
La’Asha 01:37
Yeah, so this is just my main area, but then I also have my restroom. One thing I really like about in here is my washer and dryer it’s like a combo. So it’s all in one. That’s a pretty cool feature that I really enjoy.
La’Asha 02:27
And then I have my loft, which has additional cabinet space up here, which is excellent for like my suitcase and stuff, so I may want to put that away. And then I have my bedroom, which is quite comfortable. The person that I’m leasing it from, furnished everything for me, which is great so the bed was very comfortable, and then I have all of this cabinet space for my clothing.
Esteban 03:18
Thanks for the tour, La’Asha. I’m really looking forward to getting to know you a little bit more. For those who don’t know me, I’m Esteban. I work as a rental facilitator for Yapatree. Welcome, La’Asha. Do you mind telling us a little bit more about yourself and what brought you here to Cuenca?
La’Asha 03:37
Thank you, Esteban. I am here in Cuenca because I wanted an adventure, so that’s really why I thought it would be a great place to bring my mom to settle down and I really have enjoyed the city.
Esteban 03:54
Awesome. I understand you work remotely as a CRM administrator. Could you share with us your role and how working from Cuenca has been for you?
La’Asha 04:07
Working from Cuenca has been great. So it hasn’t been much different than it was when I was in the US because I work online, so I’m still able to manage all my Power Query stuff, which is a lot of my administrative system stuff that I do. So it’s been really smooth. There hasn’t been any hiccups.
Esteban 04:30
Right, so choosing a new home is a big decision. What factors influence you to choose Cuenca, especially considering your work online for a US company?
La’Asha 04:44
I chose Cuenca because I knew about the people here, that they would be friendly. I knew about the weather here, that it would be different than in Texas. Texas is very, very hot. I think we were averaging 108 degrees Fahrenheit this summer, so it’s very hot. So here the weather was a huge factor. And then the cost of living.
La’Asha 05:16
Yeah, sure. So let’s talk about the electricity situation in Ecuador. So it’s quite frustrating for remote workers right now. What has been your strategy to deal with all these blackouts?
La’Asha 05:35
So there is a coffee shop that is close by, about a mile from my apartment. And so I just recently had a blackout the other day and I just went to the coffee shop they were very kind, I bought a bottle of water it was…
Esteban 05:50
The first blackout that you experienced?
La’Asha 05:52
It was. It was the first one.
Esteban 05:55
That’s interesting.
La’Asha 05:56
I’ve been here since August I think, and it was the first one I’ve experienced and it didn’t last that long it started at noon and ended at 3:00.
Esteban 06:09
So it was OK, it hasn’t affected that much your remote work.
La’Asha 06:12
No. It hasn’t.
Esteban 06:14
That’s cool. So tell us a little bit more about your mother, Margaret. I understand she’s retired how has the transition been for her and what led you both to choose Cuenca as your new home?
La’Asha 06:30
So the transition for her has been really good. She’s really enjoying the… Oh, tell me how to say it, because I’m going to say it wrong.
Esteban 06:39
What?
La’Asha 06:44
It’s Mercado, right? Or Mercado or…
Esteban 06:48
Yeah, the open market
La’Asha 06:49
Yeah, because she and I say it wrong all the time. But anyway.
La’Asha 06:55
Ok, she’s really been enjoying the mercado and how just how it’s different than US grocery shopping.
Esteban 07:04
Ok, how is that different?
La’Asha 07:06
Well, like in the US, you just go in and you pick up your stuff. Like no one’s interacting with you, but you just go get it. And this is more of like a market-type feel.
Esteban 07:16
Exactly so it’s more about the relations that you have with people in the market.
La’Asha 07:21
Yes, yeah.
Esteban 07:21
And how’s that for you? I mean for your mother is…
La’Asha 07:23
It’s good. She always is telling me, “Oh my lady, she got this and that.” So she’s like, she really enjoys it, you know? So that’s good.
Esteban 07:32
All right, awesome. So let’s move to the apartment rental selection. What are the main features of these two apartments that appeal to you and your mom?
La’Asha 07:44
Ok, so this apartment appealed to me because of how tall it is. In the US, most of the apartments I’ve had, have had vaulted ceilings and that is something that’s always been important to me and I like being very high up. So that’s one thing about this apartment, I really like it’s kind of high. It has a great view of the mountains and everything and the ceilings are incredibly tall.
Esteban 08:13
Yeah, I mean, it’s a loft, so that helps a lot.
Esteban 08:17
Cool, so living in the historical center is quite unique, right? Can you share what are all the interactions that you may have with your neighbors or the people in the central area?
La’Asha 08:32
So I like living in the historical areas, especially being so new to Cuenca, because it gives me access to a lot of little shops and just all the things that I need. Like mercado is very close, grocery stores are very close, the restaurants I like to eat at are very close, and my coffee shops are very close. So I made it very comfortable to transition from the US to here. I’m not having to try to figure it out because everything is so close together.
Esteban 09:05
Exactly, yeah you have a very busy street right here with a lot of coffee shops.
La’Asha 09:10
Yes. But the good thing, though, is, especially the way that this apartment is situated, even though I’m in the heart of the city, I am back from the street so my apartment’s very quiet. It’s very quiet, so it’s really nice.
Esteban 09:25
Cool. So it’s interesting that you and your mother chose apartments just a block away from each other. Can you share the thoughts behind that decision and how it has worked out for you and your mom?
La’Asha 09:40
Yeah so prior to arriving in Cuenca, I had recently moved in with my mom because my lease was up, etcetera, etcetera. So we wanted to be close, but living together is just a little too close, you know what I was saying? So we wanted to be close. And so it was really important that we weren’t too far away because before that we were like 2 hours away from each other so that was like, too far, right?
Esteban 10:13
Here is just a block away.
La’Asha 10:14
Right and now it’s like a block away and we finally got it just right.
Esteban 10:19
Exactly. That’s very interesting. So how would you rate the apartments in terms of value and cost of living in general?
La’Asha 10:31
Well, I would say, I don’t know, I’m kind of biased, right, because I’m coming from the US. But I would say like for me it’s amazing, like the cost of living versus like what that I’m able to get is really… it makes me know that I made the right decision coming here and it provides the quality of life that I thought that I was going to get.
Esteban 11:00
Ok, so it really matches your expectations and all of that. So let’s dive into your apartment. What are some of the favorite spaces or features that make this place feel like home? You mentioned the high ceiling, but is there something else?
La’Asha 11:21
Well, one of the things this is silly, but one of the things that I was like preparing myself for before coming here, right? I had just bought a washer and dryer right before I came here to my previous apartment. And I had to give it up, obviously. And it was brand new and it was like nice and so coming here is really nice to see the washing and dryer and that it was brand new. And like, I know that’s like a small thing, but yeah.
Esteban 11:52
I mean it’s crucial, for your daily living it is. It is a combo right, a combo unit?
La’Asha 11:59
It is. I’ve never had a combo unit, but it’s great.
Esteban 12:02
Working fine?
La’Asha 12:03
Yes, fine, perfect.
Esteban 12:05
Oh, that’s interesting. So how does the design layout of your apartment contribute to a positive living environment for you, especially considering you have remote work?
La’Asha 12:19
Yes, well, I like it because there’s like a lot of light and stuff that comes in and that’s like really important to me to be able to look out and not be like in a square, you know. So and then the layout’s fine it’s really great having people over or visit and da da da.
Esteban 12:41
How do they like the apartment?
La’Asha 12:44
They like it, it’s really good. It is.
Esteban 12:47
Cool. So as an overall living experience, living in a new city often provides unique cultural experiences, right? So how has living in Cuenca added to your cultural experience, both for you and your mother?
La’Asha 13:03
Well, I would say that it has…
Esteban 13:08
Any culture shocks probably?
La’Asha 13:10
The food has been a culture shock. That wasn’t a real answer. That was fake. Ok.
Esteban 13:20
But you like the food, right?
La’Asha 13:21
I do but like.
Esteban 13:22
Do you miss something?
La’Asha 13:24
Pizza. Like, where’s the tomato sauce on the pizza? Like, where is it?!
Esteban 13:29
All right, cool.
La’Asha 13:30
And there’s no pepperonis. No, so.
Esteban 13:34
Ok.
La’Asha 13:34
But I don’t know how to answer that question though for real.
Esteban 13:38
Yeah, but it’s been OK, I mean the culture?
La’Asha 13:40
Yes, it’s fine. It hasn’t been… I mean, coming from Texas, we have a lot of different cultures in Texas.
Esteban 13:48
Ok.
La’Asha 13:49
So I didn’t feel like it was so different. It is different, not… I’m still learning how to speak Spanish properly so that part is a bit of a hindrance. But that’s like my own, that’s my own thing that I’m working on, so.
Esteban 14:09
Oh, cool. So turning our attention to real estate. So how has been your experience working with me as your real estate agent and finding and securing this apartment for instance?
La’Asha 14:23
Well, as a matter of fact, in one of my previous jobs, I was a leasing agent. And so when I looked you up, I was very critical because I’ve been a leasing agent before.
La’Asha 14:40
And the experience was superb. You knew everything about the layout of the apartment and all the positive features and even helped with stuff that didn’t necessarily come with the apartment, like setting up my Internet and making sure my utilities were together. So I’ve had an extremely positive experience.
Esteban 15:02
That’s awesome. so you were very critical through the entire process without me knowing that. Ok, that’s cool.
La’Asha 15:10
I was. I was watching you closely. You did a good job, you did a good job.
Esteban 15:14
Thank you. Thank you very much.
La’Asha 15:15
Yeah.
Esteban 15:15
I really appreciate that. So thank you. Thank you very much for sharing your experiences with us today La’Asha, before we wrap up, is there anything else that you would like to add or just mention for our audience?
La’Asha 15:30
No, I highly recommend coming to Cuenca. It is a very nice town it has all the amenities that you’re looking for, but none of the things that you’re not looking for, so.
Esteban 15:43
Ok, cool. Thank you. Thank you very much. So if you are currently in the market to buy or rent in Cuenca, feel free to check out our current listings and website or just provide your preferences to us and we’ll do the the searching for you. Thank you very much. Thank you for watching the video and we’ll catch you next one. Ciao.
La’Asha 16:05 Ciao.
