Our Arrival in Panama

Our Arrival in Panama

Our morning started off with a continental breakfast; fresh-picked papaya and pineapple, a French baguette, and strong Panamanian coffee.  In the distance, sea-faring vessels are waiting their turn to go through the Canal.  Tropical breezes are pleasant, but in a few hours the billowy clouds will produce refreshing afternoon showers. 

This scene isn’t from a movie; it’s from the balcony of an apartment we’ve rented in Panama City. 

We’ve met some of the neighborhood locals, shopped at the local corner market, and eaten in adorable outdoor French and Italian cafes just a few blocks down the street.  We’ve enjoyed every minute and are finding ourselves in a dilemma as to where we want to settle in and spend the rest of the winter.   

Spoiled for Choice

Just a month ago, we were in Albuquerque where temperatures have been in the chilly 30-some degrees.  We were in the process of checking off our list of things to do to ensure we got everything completed before being gone for a couple of months.  We packed and re-packed our suitcases, knowing that we needed to travel light because we would not be staying in any one hotel, bed and breakfast, or apartment any too long.  We were excited about getting out of the cold weather and heading for a warm tropical climate. 

We had the documentation needed to submit our applications for visas but needed to be in Panama to do so.  We made our airline reservations – yes, even during the pandemic – and flew down the first week in December.  Everything has gone very smoothly and we’ve received temporary visas.  However, now we need to decide where we’re going to spend the rest of the winter. 

Should we rent an apartment in Coronado and live near the beach?  There’s also Boquete, the largest expat haven in Panama and known for its temperate climate, coffee plantations, splendid orchid farms, hiking, and ziplining. 

Or, we could consider Costa del Este, a newer neighborhood that borders Panama City.  It reminds us of a California or Florida beach suburb – modern, upscale, with miles of paved walking promenades along the shoreline.  It’s also conveniently located within a few miles of Tocumen International Airport. 

But why arewe even In Panama, you might ask . . . Did we just wake up one morning and decide to come down?  Or were our plans in the works for a while?

Plans for Retirement

Three years ago, I retired from a teaching career in Phoenix, Arizona.  Ron and I had put most of our possessions in a storage unit and we headed for Albuquerque to spend the summer with our daughter and her family.  At the end of that summer, our plan was to travel for several months before deciding where we were going to get our resident visas which would allow us extended stays in the country.      

But then our grown children talked us into postponing our plans.  Our son needed assistance with construction projects that he was doing on his house.  Our daughter and son-in-law, both of whom work long hours, needed help with chauffeuring the grandkids to school or to their orthodontist appointments. 

I mean, who can turn away when your kids ask for help!?? 

Summer turned into fall and we spent a lot of time traveling between the two cities of Albuquerque and Phoenix.  Then, when winter hit, we ended up staying in Albuquerque with our daughter and son-in-law. 

Their home is large, and we had a corner of the downstairs just for ourselves.  It was cozy and comfortable, and Ron and I adapted easily to the new living arrangements, all the while knowing that this was only an interim situation. 

We adapted to our new living arrangements, and it worked out well all of us.  During that time, Ron and our son completed several large projects on our son’s house, we grew closer to our grandchildren, and Ron completed his book.  We also had the opportunity to make several trips to Europe and Central America.

However, Ron and I never lost sight of our dreams to live in a foreign country.   

Working Towards a Retirement Lifestyle

We first started dreaming about overseas travel almost two decades ago.  We loved seeing famous European cities landmarks and museums, climbing the towers of Notre Dame and the Duomo in Florence.  We’ve hiked Italy’s Cinque Terre, taken jungle cruises in Belize and Costa Rica, and flown in a seaplane to Frazier Island off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.  We loved each place we were fortunate enough to visit. 

We’ve continued our travels over the years but then, about nine years ago, we started thinking about the possibility of living and working part-time overseas.  Maybe it was because our grown children had families of their own or because Ron and I had both simplified our careers.    

But we loved the idea of taking on an adventure that would stretch our minds and immerse us in other cultures.

Two obstacles to this adventure kept surfacing in our minds:  first, we weren’t old enough to retire so we would need to have some sort of online income; secondly, we wanted to minimize our household items so they could put everything in storage when we were overseas.   

Both of these obstacles had to do with finances; one was income, and the other was outgo.  So, with those details in mind, we had a sense of direction for our next steps.

Almost immediately, we began to look at our lifestyle and cut out needless expenses.  Since it was only the two of us, it was easier to downsize our lifestyle than if our kids had still been living at home. 

We started with our home and went from a large five-bedroom home, then to a smaller home, then to a loft, and then an apartment.  It took several years, but each time we moved, we sold or gave away many of our household items and pieces of furniture.  We also downsized our cars. 

Where We Decided to Get Resident Visas

After considerable downsizing our lifestyle, we started looking at where we wanted to live overseas.  Many countries would have filled that bill:  Italy, France, Belize, Mexico, Costa Rica, Portugal, and Panama. 

We wanted to be in a country that had excellent health care, reliable internet, a mild climate, and easy access to the US.  And, over the years, we’ve also put a few other items on the list, such as public transportation and, because every country has similar but still different immigration requirements, we needed to be able to qualify for resident visas. 

We had done a lot of research to determine where we would want to end up and had narrowed our choices to two countries, Panama and Portugal.  But when we made our final decision, Panama came out on top.

Making Our Way Through Travel Distractions

So, here we are; overseas during a worldwide pandemic.  Although the 48-hour COVID testing adds a bit more to the travel requirements, it was still doable.  So, when the opportunity arose for us to travel, we took the leap. 

Since we arrived, Panama City has experienced an uptick in the number of COVID cases so their health department as added some restrictions for this region of the country.  Somehow, though, it doesn’t seem that big of a deal.  Ron and I have our projects that keep us busy, we’ve rented our apartment on the Avenida Balboa, and we’re perfectly content. 

Plus, looking out at the Panama Bay and watching the cargo ships in the distance probably helps. 

Next week, we’ll be exploring the agricultural area of Panama where coffee, orchids, and a myriad of fruits and vegetables are grown.  It’s a region that has eased its COVID restrictions, so we’ll be able to do a lot more exploring.  Stay tuned.