The Explanation

Time and time again I have learned to never say never. I remember in college, I would jokingly say that I would never move to a landlocked state...primarily out of my love and admiration for the ocean. Where did I move for graduate school? Go figure. Arizona. I remember saying that I will never work with children in foster care. Guess what I'm doing? Yep, working with kids in foster care.
So as it may be no surprise, I said that I had no real interest in going to Panama; and I would never enjoy it. When Robert and I took a trip to Panama, we didn't enjoy it. We loved it. We loved it so much that after some research, we have decided to begin the process of moving to Panama and starting a new adventure for our family.

What is there to love about Panama? Isn't it an underdeveloped country? Is Panama safe? Good questions; ones that both of us have been asked by people. Yes, you can find small cinder block houses with tin roofs. There are other parts like Panama City that rival any other city. There are very poor areas, communities where cookie-cutter houses thrive, and areas where wealthy people have weekend beach homes. There are areas where people live completely off the land; and there are areas, like in Panama City, where night life and entertainment thrive like anywhere else. The reality is that Panama is not completely unlike the United States as far as having a spectrum of socio-economic statuses, it just tends to be more visible.


Robert and I quickly fell in love. Perhaps it was because we were on vacation and we were caught up in the bliss of it all. But there is so much more as to why we are moving. First off, the job opportunities are endless as an entrepreneur. Industries are growing and so is Panama. The economy is booming and the cost of living is a lot less than the U.S. If you avoid the areas that are catering to the tourists, one can easily live a comfortable life making $12,000 a year.

The population of Panama is roughly the population of Los Angeles, California; so the government in Panama is a lot smaller. I am not sure there is any perfect government. I will be the first to admit that. However, right now Panama's government seems like something both Robert and I value. Back in the 80's there was a dictatorship. That is no longer the case. Panama has a parliament and a president that serves one term of five years. Also, the president cannot run two terms in a row. 

These are some of the very basic reasons of why we are considering packing up the dogs, shipping our turtle, and packing our lives into several very large suitcases. The house is going up for sale soon. It will soon be time to say goodbye to things like spare coffee tables, board games, and our cars. 

Saying goodbye is hard, but so is opening a new chapter in our lives. This is our perspective of saying goodbye to what we know and hello to a world of culture shocks. Bring it!

~Natalie