This Is the Time I Was Made For: Reframing a Move Abroad

A trans athlete and advocate whose keynote inspired this series went through a very hard night. The next morning, she arrived at a sentence that changed everything for her: this is the time I was made for.

Nothing outside her had changed. The news was the same. What changed was the story she told herself about it, and that story decided what she did next.

The athlete’s first tool

As an endurance athlete, she knows what carries her through grueling workouts and the toughest races. The first tool in her kit is the positive reframe.

A reframe is not pretending things are fine. It is choosing which true story to focus on. Mile 20 of a marathon hurts no matter what you tell yourself. But “I’m falling apart” and “this is the part I trained for” lead to very different finishes.

Reframing a big life change

I see the same choice every week with clients planning a move to Ecuador. The facts are identical; the framing changes everything.

• “I’m leaving everything behind” can become “I’m choosing what to carry forward.”

• “I don’t speak the language” can become “I get to learn a new way of seeing the world.”

• “I’m starting over at this age” can become “I have the experience to start well.”

• “I’m running away” can become “I’m running toward a life where I can be fully myself.”

None of these erase the difficulty. They give you something solid to stand on while you face it.

Let Ecuadorians help with the reframe

Here is something I love about this country: the people help you reframe. Try ordering lunch in broken Spanish at a family-run comedor in Quito and you will rarely get impatience. More often you get a patient smile, a slower repeat and a word of encouragement: ¡Muy bien, ya está aprendiendo! Very good, you are already learning.

A client I will call Jordan, a graphic designer from Seattle, told me their biggest fear was being the awkward foreigner who could never say anything right. Six months later, what Jordan talked about most was the taxi driver who taught them to say “hasta mañana” with an Ecuadorian lilt, and the neighbor who corrected their pronunciation with a laugh instead of a sigh. The language barrier became the bridge. (Jordan’s story is a composite, with details changed.)

Purpose over panic

The people who thrive after a move are rarely the ones who had it easiest. They are the ones who found a reason bigger than the fear. Sometimes that reason is safety. Sometimes it is a lower cost of living, a slower pace or simply the chance to wake up somewhere you can breathe.

Whatever yours is, write it down. Read it on the hard days. That is your reframe.

Turning purpose into a plan

Purpose also needs practical steps. In 2026, most of my clients qualify through one of a handful of residency paths, such as the pensioner visa, which requires a lifetime pension of at least $1,446 per month, or the investor visa, which starts at a $48,200 investment. Knowing your path early turns a vague hope into a concrete timeline.

Maybe this is your time too.

Planning a new chapter in Ecuador? Book a free 15-minute consultation and let’s find the right first step for you.