meet your neighbor
The Johnsons
Interview By Staff Writer
Photos by Johnson Family
Dave Johnson is the founder and President of Cuenca Expats
Magazine. He came to Cuenca last September to do market
research and to see if an English-language, communityfocused magazine was a viable idea here. After spending
three months here, he decided it was and in February of
this year, he moved to Cuenca full time to fulfill his dream
of bringing his positive community magazine concept to
Cuenca’s expat community. He lives here with his 17-yearold son and his wife, Sherry, visits every 2-3 months until she
can be here with them full time.
like the ideal place to live. After two years of researching the
country and the city, I decided I would venture down and see
if my unique business model for publishing magazines would
work down here. Once I arrived, I fell in love with the city, the
Ecuadorean culture and their lifestyle. I liked it so much, I didn’t
want to leave.
Now that you’ve been here for 9 months,
do you still feel the same way?
Absolutely. Actually, I love it here more and more every day.
Of course waking up and seeing the beautiful mountains every
morning doesn’t hurt. Life here is so tranquillo compared to the
United States. If there is a “rat race” it isn’t as evident as it is in
other parts of the world. Plus, the people here are so kind and
genuine, what’s not to love?
Is there anything you don’t like about
Cuenca?
Where in Cuenca do you live and why?
I live about four blocks north of “Gringolandia” on Nicholas
Crespo Ordonez. The street is on Google Maps but it isn’t
labeled so it is hard to find. I tell cab drivers to take me to Del
Tejar cerca Imprinta Montsalve. From there I guide them in with
my limited Spanish.
I did everything you aren’t supposed to do when I chose
the house I am living in. I was in the US when I found it on
Craigslist. I had been looking for a while and, by the pictures,
it seemed to be exactly what I was looking for. I called the
number in the ad, had a friend look at the place and wired the
first month’s rent and deposit down here. Everything worked out
perfectly and I love my house and neighborhood.
Like anywhere, there are things that are less than desirable, but
for the most part, I find Cuenca to be as idyllic as one could
hope for in a place to live. In researching Cuenca, I was led
to believe that there are things that you can’t get here, which
made me a little nervous. I had read that cheese was hard
to come by, and being a cheese-aholic, that concerned me a
great deal. However, I haven’t found anything that was a part
of my life in the United States that isn’t available here. If such a
thing exists, I haven’t missed it.
So, you just packed up your family and
moved to Cuenca?
I wish it had been that easy. Our move to Cuenca is a process
that is still ongoing. We have a publishing business in the
States that is affording me to be here while we get Cuenca
Where were you living prior to moving to
Cuenca?
I am originally from Maine and have spent the majority of my
adult life there. Seven years ago, we moved to North Carolina
and most recently, we lived in the small town of Asheboro,
which is known for being home to the North Carolina Zoo.
Of all the places in the world you could
have moved to, why Cuenca?
We have a friend in Asheboro who is from Quito. Prior to
meeting her, I wouldn’t have been able to find Ecuador on a
map. I knew it was in South America, I just didn’t know exactly
where. Anyhow, I started doing some research on Ecuador,
discovered Cuenca and from everything I read, it sounded
page 6 | cuenca expats magazine
Sherry and Dave