• Sinead Mulhern left Toronto behind for a slower, more affordable life in Ecuador. • Last month, she traveled to Esmeraldas, a province with a dangerous reputation, to spend two weeks on a farm. • The trip confirmed that leaving for Latin America over seven years ago was the right choice.

Esmeraldas is a jungle-lined coastal province in Ecuador shadowed by cautionary tales — its reputation for danger keeps some travelers away. Despite that, it was there that I received a well-timed reminder not to let ambitions stagnate.

Last month, I drove 11 hours to spend two weeks in a rural town on my friend's mom's land. I went partly out of curiosity about this beautiful coastal spot and partly because I was tired of routine and ready for a reset.

Shortly after I arrived, I stood inside the

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