” WELCOME TO PANAMA!! ” This was music to my ears as I saw the greeter open the door to the “hop on hop off bus” bus loaded with tourists after it pulled into Casco Viejo for a morning of sightseeing in the Old City. Something in the air told me that we were off to another busy tourist season coming up later this year. The hotel’s are filling up and you could see the anticipation of people ready to begin their adventure, some of whom might return soon to live in Panama.
So let me tell you of why I love this country of my birth and why I moved here. Before I do, let me lay the groundwork for my decision to leave the US. A friend and neighbor of mine who moved further south to Ecuador wrote something in her blog that really struck a chord with me on why I left for Panama. “It’s not that we want to leave. It’s that we want to go. . .to see more, to learn more, to feel more deeply. We want to understand how other people live and why they make the choices they do. Maybe it can best be summed up in the words of Mark Twain spoken so many years ago.” “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
My first trip to Panama began in 1954 when a young couple was stationed here with the US Army. My parents lived here for several years and while my first memories of Panama were fleeting, I still remember the place of my birth. Building 124 in Kobe Hills is still there but soon to be replaced by luxury housing in the newly developed Panama Pacifico project. From there I ventured to Korea where I grew up, retuning to the US until 2006 when I decided to return to my roots. Here I am and here I will stay for as long as I can be blessed with this life in paradise.
Thanks Mom and Dad for the first trip to Panama!
When I grew up in Korea, I often traveled to Hong Kong back in the 60s and it amazed me on how the City looked so bright at night with its high rise buildings clustered together and crowded streets full of people going places at all hours. I used to tell my young girl friend, “this city is great and I bet that it will be going places!!” If I had only realized the real estate acumen I possessed in my youth and invested in an apartment there (remember when gold was $35 per ounce). Well, I see Panama City and I feel the same way now. Only this time, I know that it will only be a matter of a few years before this City becomes the Capital of the Americas. For anyone considering a move here as I once did, this is extremely important. Panama’s financial future is secure, and that gives it the stability other countries lack.
When I tell people back home in Miami why I live in Panama they look at me funny, cooler climates? Yes, I live in the mountains, where the weather is kind of like Aspen in the summer. The town is called Boquete and it is in the province of Chiriqui in the western highlands of Panama. Some people moved here to get away from it all and live in a remote area to enjoy that life style. We wanted to move into an area where we could be embedded in the local community, both domestic and foreign and enjoy a full social life with new friends. We found that place in the sun and each day we thank God for leading us to this wonderful country and town we live in. On a typical evening out we head to a nearby restaurant for a gourmet meal before the opening night of a new production at the local theatre where our community players put on plays. After the show, we stop back by for a night cap at the restaurant on the river, the moon and stars are out, a fire is crackling in the fire place (remember we live in the mountains) and we are just ecstatic that we had spent such a lovely evening. We enjoy such good company with friends and we all comment about the better quality of life here, social life where friends regularly gather for a night out. On occasion, we all did this back home but not on such a routine basis and not at the cost of say $60 per couple for an incredible evening of enjoyment. Many of our friends back home would have to graciously take a pass as they are trying to stretch the dollar to cover necessities, and forget about the cost of doing this in a place like Miami where you would spend $60 on the bottle of Argentinean wine that costs $15 down here.
In the United States, Boomers will continue to be respected for their cultural achievements (it’s not a fluke of history that Boomer music and other entertainments are still wildly popular among the young), but will be increasingly ignored in the political debate. While this change will entail a great deal of pain and a reduced standard of living for a large number of people, it will effect a change that I think will benefit Panama. Many people believe, including this author, that we will see the maturing Boomer generation venturing outside the United States where they can have a better quality of life with the limited wealth that they have left to count on in their retirement years. Many will bring with them talents and professions that they can leverage in a new country to insure a continued quality of life and seek out new adventures at the same time. Yes, I am one of those people.
Ex-pats, for those who are unfamiliar with the term, are those who leave one’s native country to live elsewhere. This unique breed may have a few motivational variations for permanently traversing beyond borders, but they tend to share a common character trait – a great sense of adventure in abandoning what is socially, culturally, and geographically familiar to pursue their dream of a healthier, happier, less hectic lifestyle. And, given the current economic state of affairs, perhaps they share the collective desire to avoid a possible catastrophe.
They seek a better quality of life married to a lower cost of living. They’re confident enough to start over in a new environment, making new friends. Ex-pats likely possess a libertarian streak, a do-it-yourself mentality that propels them to create their lives anew, whether it means transforming a piece of property into a model of green energy self-sufficiency, launching a new school for local kids, or opening a new café. And characteristically, they want to integrate into a community of similar-minded souls.
What gives a particular area the gravitational pull for ex-pats? It often starts with a warm climate and beautiful scenery surrounding a charming, affordable city or town. An abundance of fresh water sources, locally grown food and reliable hydro-electric power. Add a big welcome mat to foreigners from the local people, and a government actively enticing you to stay with such incentives as no property tax for the first 20 years, a generous program for newcomers to guarantee permanent residency, equal rights under the law, discounts for products and services across the board, plus excellent asset protection from the banking institutions. WELCOME TO PANAMA, and leave the door open. There’s more coming.
See you on our next adventure and remember, while your health and financial means allow, travel abroad at least once in your life. Then, once you are away from your familiar surroundings, look thoughtfully into the eyes of a stranger and then listen attentatively to the words he or she may speak. You will be exposed to new ways of doing and seeing things. It will be good for you.
Tom Brymer