I simply prefer to be outside more than inside and am often labeled a “nature lover.” Vacationing in national or state parks for over 30 years, I occasionally met a few wild things but rarely veered off a maintained trail. Sadly, I missed many beautiful and fascinating aspects of our planet — the animals on the other side of my secure corridor.
It all changed when I retired. A courage vein tugged and I created a bucket list that eventually included exploring the Americas below Mexico and seeing as many adorable animals as possible. Would these creatures be as adorable closeup as they are on the screen in the nature documentaries I’d seen? I took a deep breath and followed my bird-watching buddies to a primeval rainforest in Panama for 10 days to find out.