What happens when rising rent makes you rethink not just where you live — but how you live?
Chris worked in construction in the United States before deciding he’d had enough of paying rent. That decision led to four years of van life and, eventually, a journey through Latin America.
Over tea at El Cafecito in Cuenca, Ecuador, we talk about how an unexpected trip to Colombia for affordable dental work opened the door to a completely different way of seeing the world.
Chris shares his experiences traveling through Colombia and Ecuador, spending two months in Guayaquil, learning some hard lessons in Medellín, and discovering how affordable travel can be when you’re willing to get away from the usual tourist trail.
Now he’s thinking about what comes next: perhaps buying a few hectares, building something of his own, and creating a simpler, more self-sufficient life in South America.
This isn’t a story about having unlimited money or a perfectly planned escape. It’s about realizing there may be another way to live — and being willing to go looking for it.
Topics: Van life • Colombia • Ecuador • Guayaquil • Medellín • budget travel • long-term travel • relocation • off-grid living • South America
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