That’s exactly what happened in 2021 when Brittany and Blake Bowen took the plunge. They sold or divested from everything they owned, packed up their lives, and moved to Ecuador with their four kids—Aurora, Sebastian, Conrad, and Truett. This family of six set out on an adventure inspired by the universal search for a slower, more intentional life. The Bowens settled into a new, quieter way of life. They traded the hectic American lifestyle for a slower-paced, more community-oriented life in the mountains of Ecuador.
Their children were 11, 9, and 6 when they moved. Brittany, having become fluent in Spanish while studying in Argentina, saw an incredible opportunity. Just as much, she wanted to plunge her children into a rich new culture and language. Her family spent their first year in Ecuador constructing a three-bedroom house and settling into life in their new country. They purchased a five-acre parcel of land featuring fruit trees and coffee plants through Facebook Marketplace—an experience that highlighted Facebook’s pivotal role in Ecuadorian life.
Brittany and Blake were amazed that the fruit trees all bore fruit for their table during every season! They’ve put an incredible amount of passion into the land that they cultivate. They have a dream—to export their homegrown coffee all around the world. For the Bowens, bilingualism is an important gift to give their children, who are now fluent in Spanish.
Their choice to move was driven by safety factors. Brittany noted:
“I really wish I had reached out more to the immigrant kids at school and their families.” – Brittany
“Because we’re benefiting from people reaching out to us. And it’s just that realization that I could have done better.” – Brittany
The Bowens were also driven by fear for their offspring’s future in America. Brittany expressed:
“One thing we do say is that in the United States, we would watch for exits in grocery stores. You look for hiding places.” – Brittany
“Crime is random, and that scares us. Whereas here, it’s kind of a jaded statement, but there’s a logic behind the crime.” – Brittany
For the Bowens, deciding to relocate was not an easy choice. Today, they are surrounded by the grace and beauty of joy and fulfillment in this new life.
“Statistically speaking, up until these last couple of years, Ecuador actually has been one of the safest countries in South America, generally.” – Blake
“Even our province, the statistics are always incredibly low. It’s a very safe area. And then we moved here, of course, and things start to ramp up post-pandemic.” – Blake
The Bowens were also motivated by concerns about their children’s futures in the United States. Brittany expressed:
“I think that goes with the region… And you accept that… So we don’t know what’s going to happen. And we have plans. We’re prudent. But we also don’t live in fear… We weren’t confident that our kids would enjoy the same sort of potential trajectory that previous generations had shared.” – Brittany
“Do we even want them to be on a fast track to the American Dream?” – Brittany
Blake shared his thoughts on their previous lifestyle:
“All those usual problems… I was working in a career that was very time consuming, and took me away from home a lot. So we didn’t want that anymore.” – Blake
The decision to move was not taken lightly, but the Bowens have found joy and fulfillment in their new life.
“We could go on forever about the Ecuadorian people and how they’re just the most compelling people we’ve ever spent time with.” – Brittany
