Editor’s Note: We’re excited to share an inspiring article from Rick Snyder, former editor and longtime friend of YapaTree. After seven years of retirement in Cuenca, Rick has channeled his experiences into Things To Do In Retirement Playbook – a 192 page guide that goes beyond surviving retirement to truly thriving.
Drawing from his journey from Chicago to Cuenca’s cobblestone streets, Rick offers practical advice for making retirement years truly fulfilling.
As a special bonus, we’re offering readers a free chapter from his book focused specifically on retiring abroad – packed with real-world insights from someone who’s actually made the leap.
I hope you enjoy it.
Thinking about retiring abroad? You’re not alone — and Cuenca might be the place you didn’t know you were looking for.
When I left Chicago at 60, I wasn’t running from anything — I was running toward something better – a more engaged, lower stress lifestyle.
Happily, I can report that since arriving in Cuenca in 2017, I’ve found exactly that. I’m surrounded by mountain views, charming Cuencanos, colonial beauty, and a welcoming expat community. I’ve directed plays, written a book, volunteered, traveled, mangled some Spanish, and consumed my share of chancho (juicy roast pork).
But my friends back home keep asking:
- “What do you do all day?”
- “How do you make friends?
- ”How do you communicate?
- “How can you live on your Social Security?”
- “Why move to a dangerous place?” (Ans: It’s way safer than Chicago. And no guns.)
Those conversations inspired the 192 page Things To Do In Retirement Playbook, launching this month and available on Amazon. It’s an irreverent but practical guide for anyone who wants to make retirement their most rewarding chapter yet. With 7 years of retirement under my belt at 67, I am excited to share an extensive diversity of experiences.
Obviously, you don’t have to move abroad post-career. You can find joy and satisfaction in the U.S. and elsewhere but it still requires some changes in your outlook and how you spend your time. And the book covers hundreds of ways to help you ease into those changes without breaking the bank.
But this isn’t a penny-pinching guide to squeezing by. It’s 16 fun to read chapters each focused on a specific topic for living fully — hobbies, travel, learning, connection, volunteering, travel, downsizing and even earning a little side income. It also includes a dedicated chapter on Retiring Abroad that explores the real stuff: making friends, steering through culture shock, and building a second act that expands your social circle, activities and spirit in enjoyable ways.
You’ll also find plenty of true stories of seniors who have reinvented themselves in the US and other parts of the world, including Cuenca.
I rediscovered my purpose by moving to Cuenca. The trick was to shed financial and time stress and more than 20 pounds from walking its enchanting streets. It has affordable healthcare, a lively expat scene, Ecuadorian culture, charming locals, art, nature, and hallelujah — world-beating chocolate. All those things create an environment that helps me view my life through a different lens so I can focus on what I love.
More than anything, retiring here showed me that you don’t have to go big to live well. You just have to go where life feels full again.
Curious about retiring abroad? I’d love to give you a free copy of the chapter: “Retiring Abroad.”
Learn more about the book and download more free chapters at the official book website.
Enjoy it and use it to propel your idea of retirement in new and intriguing directions.
About the Author
Rick Snyder is a former sales and marketing exec with a 40-year business career and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. These days he hangs out with friends, writes books and articles, directs plays at Azuay Community Theater, and is bossed around by two Cuenca rescue cats, Negrita and Panchita – who refuse to learn English or pay rent. His book, Things To Do In Retirement Playbook, is available on Amazon.
