My New Journey: Building a Thinking Home in Loja (and Beyond!)

For those who follow our adventures here on Loja.Living, you know that retiring to Ecuador has been about embracing new experiences, learning about a vibrant culture, and finding joy in simpler, more intentional living. As many of you also know, a significant part of my life, even before we settled in Loja, has been intertwined with technology. Today, I’m thrilled to announce a new chapter in that journey: I’ve written a book!

My new book, titled The Thinking Home: A Practical Guide to Planning and Building a Reliable and Private Smart Home, is now available. It’s a culmination of years of hands-on experience, learning from both successes and, yes, plenty of frustrating failures, all distilled into a practical guide.

From Frustration to Intelligent Sovereignty

Like many, my first steps into the world of smart homes were a mix of disconnected gadgets and unreliable apps. I recall my early attempts to automate lights in our Florida home, a losing battle against three energetic children and instinctively flipped switches! That experience, and many others, taught me a crucial lesson: a truly “smart” home isn’t about collecting devices; it’s about building a unified, intelligent system that genuinely serves you.

This is the core of what I call “Intelligent Sovereignty”—a philosophy that empowers you, the homeowner, to take full control of your home’s technology. It champions the principle of “Local Control,” meaning the “brain” of your smart home operates entirely within your own walls. This isn’t just about speed and reliability; it’s fundamentally about safeguarding your privacy, ensuring your personal data remains

yours.

Here in Loja, where internet reliability can sometimes have its moments, and privacy is valued, the principles of local control resonate even more deeply. Our home, The Panorama, as Randy and I affectionately call it, serves as the ultimate testbed for these ideas. It’s not a collection of gadgets, but a cohesive system that anticipates our needs, protects our data, and simplifies our daily lives – often without us even noticing. From shades that adjust with the sun’s position to security cameras that identify visitors and instantly alert us, “The Thinking Home” works tirelessly in the background, a silent partner enhancing our comfort and security.

More Than Just Gadgets: Intentional Planning

One of the biggest takeaways from the book is the emphasis on Intentional Planning. Rather than impulsively buying the latest trendy smart product, the guide encourages designing a complete and cohesive blueprint before making a single purchase. It’s a proven methodology that ensures every component has a purpose and contributes to your overall vision. This methodical approach, laid out with practical Project Planning Workbooks, is what truly differentiates a Thinking Home from a digital junk drawer.

My hope is that The Thinking Home provides a clear roadmap for anyone ready to move beyond the hype and build a truly smart, secure, and private home. It’s the guide I wish I had when I started my own journey into home automation.

Find Out More

If you’re curious about how to create an intelligent environment that serves you, protects your data, and can be depended on day in and day out, I invite you to learn more.

You can visit the official website for the book at https://XeazY.com. There, you’ll find more details about The Thinking Home, a constantly updated blog with insights into the smart home industry, new automation ideas, and a vibrant community forum where you can connect with other readers. You can also read and sign The Thinking Home Manifesto, a declaration outlining the core principles of intelligent, sovereign home automation.

Thank you for being part of our Loja.Living journey. I’m excited to share this new endeavor with all of you.