At La Casa Verde Eco-Lodge, linens are crisp, mountain air rushes through open windows, and hummingbirds dance in the garden. Homemade breads warm in the oven as guests begin the day with real coffee in the bright dining room. By 9 a.m., the Greenshields have arrived for breakfast with their guests. Married expats, Rebecca and Doug Greenshields prepare a plate for their four-year-old son, Jon. She spreads Vegemite on thick brown bread as he pours organic yogurt over fresh cut fruit. After mingling with guests, Doug continues construction of the lodge’s new addition while Rebecca tends to business logistics. Each day has its chores and routines, and as an Aussie-Kiwi expat family, they run the best hotel and only eco-lodge in Baños, Ecuador.
Living Overseas with Children
Unlike many expats, Rebecca and Doug are not retirees. They are not teachers or independent backpackers or twenty-somethings looking for a full-moon party. Conversely, they are a young family with a preschooler learning as much Spanish as English and a second child on the way. Rebecca’s background is in finance and Doug grew up on a sheep farm. In their twenties, they lived in England and traveled extensively around the world. Nowadays, they’ve seemingly “settled” into Ecuadorian life and immersed themselves in a small, mountainside culture that allows them to financially thrive while raising their family.
After four years, La Casa Verde Eco-Lodge sits at the #1 TripAdvisor slot for best hotel in Baños, Ecuador. They’ve been featured in guidebooks such as Lonely Planet and Frommers. For good reason too. The Pastaza River borders their backyard, beyond which looms high peaks of the Andes Mountains. In the morning, thick clouds roll past the bay windows and smother the sun in a romantic haze. Limes, tomatoes, and avocados grow in the garden and wood accents create a warm mood in an ultra-clean house. Soaps are organic and hand cut for each room, and rubbish is sorted and recycled accordingly. With every aspect of the hotel executed precisely, the Greenshields toil with one question: Where should we send Jon for kindergarten?
Future Plans for La Casa Verde
Rebecca states that she really has three children: Jon, the one on the way, and La Casa Verde. Like most mothers, her concern for each child affects every life decision. Jon learns his letters as well as Spanish verb conjugation. Rebecca researches natural birth centers in Quito and the hotel extensions continue to bring La Casa Verde to another level of hospitality. But like many expats, the travel bug has begun to itch their feet once more. Doug wants to loop the world in a tricked-out van. Rebecca wants Jon to see other countries. By their sixth year in Baños, the family plans to lease their eco-lodge and travel once more up the Andean spine, over to Asia, westward through Europe and down into Africa. Afterward, they’d come back to their “green house” refreshed and invigorated.
With two kids in tow, the Greenshields seem like travel superheroes. But for them, it’s the next great adventure. A year or two on the road equates to time for learning, exploration, and teaching their children about the world. When asked about La Casa Verde, they grow serious. “We’ve worked really hard to make our hotel just as we wanted it. We wouldn’t just abandon it to anyone. The people who lease it from us would have to share our values. Otherwise, no way.” Spoken like true parents and entrepreneurs.
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