Thanksgiving and 60-day check-back; Nov 26, 2022
Back in the olden days, in September, I had made a list of things we thought we would miss about Seattle and some things we anticipated about moving to Panama. Since Thursday was Thanksgiving, I thought this would be the perfect weekend to review our thanks for the things we had and have.
First, you are a large group of family and friends who have been tremendous support; some for all our lives, some for all of your lives, most by choice, and some by grace. There are many discoveries we are making in moving far away, and among those is how valuable the people in our lives are. The voices that come to mind when problems arise - "What would ____ do here?" or a funny thing said that needs to be forwarded. I see a flower or a bird and think of pointing it out. I see a face that reminds me of a look I know, and smiles exchange because, of course! Thank you for all the experiences that brought me, and us, to this place and time. Thank you for all the adventures to come and all that we will have an opportunity to share, either through these writings and photos, or via visits. There is much yet to come.
After nine short weeks, life in Panama is everything we had hoped for.
We are healthier in clean mountain breezes, eating ripe, organic fruits and vegetables, and the environment is lush, green, and fascinatingly tropical. The coffee is freshly picked and roasted in the neighborhood, high quality, and so low in acid that even I can drink it without problems. My entire gastric system loves ripe papaya for breakfast every day. I had only four migraines in nine weeks, triggered by high barometric pressure before storms broke, rather than losing 20 days a month to migraines as was happening before we left Seattle. Miguel is having similar health improvements and keeps asking me why. Perhaps because he retired on August first and then moved to Panama, where the pace of living is much slower, and mañana really means "maybe later." We sleep well. We have a babbling brook outside our bedroom window that sings us to sleep at night with the frogs, and babbles with the birds in the morning to wake us with the rising sun.
We tripped into a beautiful home to rent with great landlords, Jorge and Luly, and a pretty perfect property guy, Ameth, who takes good care of us.
The climate has been just as expected; even the rainy season is warm and do-able. A cold rainy season is dreary. Warm rainy season is cozier, and all doors can be open to keep the fresh air flowing because the deep overhangs keep the rain out. December is rainbow month - and that is next week! January brings the Flower and Coffee festival, for which people come from around Panama and far and wide. And then it is the not-so-rainy season, better known as summer!
We are thankful for our health, calmness, the beauty around us, and the ease with which we have made this transition so far.
And now, we can check in on what, in September, we thought we would think:
MaryBea thought she would miss:
· Our view of Elliott Bay, across to West Seattle and Alki Beach, and east to the Space Needle. 11/26 I do miss that view. I brought several photos on my computer that I gaze at often. Meanwhile, I have new mountain views with rainbows!
Northwest Native Art - 11/26 I got a new browser face screen that makes me happy.
Good toilet paper – everywhere you might need it. 11/26 I am over this. It is a non-tissue.
Therapeutic showers (hot water for many minutes) 11/26 I miss warm showers, let alone hot showers, more than I expected. It is a great idea to electrically heat the water at the shower head, so you are only heating the water that is needed and at the time of need, but the actuality is so inconsistent as to make me think that technology is missing a significant opportunity to make the world a better and greener place.
Tulip magnolias, iris, tulip fields, hemlocks, and dogwoods – my favorite Northwest plants. 11/26 Yep, I miss these flowers, but I will likely miss them more during the spring months when I would see them in Seattle. Here there are so many new and different flowers that I don't have a moment's eye-time to spare for memories right now! Boquete blooms year-round, and the flower festival that brings people from all over Central America will open in January!
2-day shipping. 11/26 Seattle time is not Panama time. So no two-day delivery, but figure 8-11 days, $4 per pound including the packaging, and a one-pound minimum charge. Any purchase had better be worth the shipping and worth the wait. Better idea: check around town or do without, so establish priorities and cut expenses by just not ordering anything less than vital! Two-day shipping - I'm over it!
Miguel expected to miss:
Fresh, clean Seattle air: 11/26 It turns out Boquete mountain air is at least as fresh as Seattle air unless a diesel truck just passed by - then hold your breath for a moment and re-boot. When we arise in the morning, it is usually 65 degrees outside, and we throw open all 6 doors in the house (two downstairs and four upstairs). The rush of clean mountain air through the place is like a fresh breath for the whole house!
Seattle Shakespeare theatre: (we've had season tickets since 2002). 11/26 At the grocery store, Miguel found a Shakespeare compendium in Castilian Spanish - he is overjoyed. At the grocery store - for $15! No actors, but it is in CASTILIAN!!! Just like Don Quixote and Sancho Panza!
Museums: 11/26 True, but it has not yet been three months, and there are museums in Panama City.
Classical music concerts: 11/26 We stream classical music, continuing our Seattle practices. We are told there will be concerts in the Boquete park, likely quartets started by local ex-pat groups, so Miguel is watching for posts announcing them.
Speedy business transactions, often with short or no lines: 11/26 We haven't had any slow business transactions yet, thanks to the referrals from the Panama Relocation Tours to people who expedited our processing through Immigration. We decided to delay most business transactions until we have permanent residency in late April or May to avoid the extra paperwork of trying to process as non-residents. So we won't get driver's licenses, purchase a car, or establish a Panamanian bank account until our residency is completed. The house accounts, like utilities and internet service, are established in the landlord's name, and they just give us a total to add to the rent each month, which we do via a deposit (cash) to their bank account after we visit the cash machine a couple days in a row. We have no problems so far, and we have good resources to get referrals to solve problems should any arise.
Clean, clear, safe water to drink: 11/26 Boquete has the best drinking water in Panama due to ex-pats with water sanitation experience moving here and insisting on it, setting up the facilities, and training the staff. So, we don't worry about the fact that we brush our teeth, wash our dishes, fruit, and veggies, and do standard stuff with tap water. We do drink bottled water, which is delivered every Friday in 5-gallon containers that are hauled away, sterilized, and re-used. The cost of a 5-gallon container is $4.50, delivered, and we paid $10 for a rechargeable siphon spout that fits the top. The locals drink the tap water, but the ex-pat word is that you should build up your tummy's resistance via small exposures over time before you take that leap, so we didn't take that leap.
Good, well-equipped gyms: 11/26 In the USA, specialized machinery like The Hammer machine ($7000) and genuinely professional equipment is a component of the gym that Miguel would choose, and that is not available in Boquete. Part of the difference is liability and expense. The gym cannot hold you liable if you break a machine while working out. If the machine breaks you in Panama, you cannot hold the gym OR the machine company liable - you have to know what you are doing and do it carefully. Gyms don't have the funds to purchase costly machines here, and they don't have to cover liability. If you get tired because you are lifting too much weight and suddenly drop that overhead bar, the machine doesn't have pneumatic protection to slowly ease itself back down while you collapse and get out of the way. It just crashes down on what/whoever is below. So those machines to really push yourself beyond the reasonable are not available in Boquete. BUT, Miguel has seen the ravages of overworking joints and large muscle groups for long periods. He has found a good gym called The Haven right across the street.
Amazon Prime Video: 11/26 There is probably a more intelligent TV, certainly 60 inches, paired with a Miami-based VPN, that could do it, but not the TV we currently have. Maybe next check back.
Miguel misses but didn't anticipate:
Larger, smarter TVs: 11/26 Miguel has been craving a 60-inch TV that is much smarter than the 40-inch one in our rental, has a more adjustable sound system that he can pick up on his hearing aids, so he doesn't have to dial the volume up to where I object, and a TV that he can control where it is physically - ours is up near the ceiling, which means our necks are at an un-ergonomic angle while watching (that's a deal with the landlord, not a TV capability, I remind him). These glitzy TVs are not common in Panama, more expensive than in the USA, and are not very available. They don't just fall off container ships passing in the night, you know!
Consistent electricity and internet: 11/26 While outages are a given in Central America, it is not yet comfortable for us. This US Thanksgiving weekend is Panama's Independence from Spain weekend, and the population in Boquete has doubled, so the internet is more off than on. The power is iffy just because, but also aggravated by heavy use and heavy rain this weekend, and possibly a gekko in the transformer box (I hear him laughing). For MaryBea, that means firing up the Kindle, and ensuring it always has at least a 30% charge using a battery pack for backup. For Miguel, not having access to the internet is more complicated. Shakespeare and our snazzy emergency flood light might be solace, though.
MaryBea anticipated:
Moderate temperatures – between 60 and 80 degrees, night to day, year-round: 11/26 Delightful! Our lowest temperature, just before dawn, was 61, and by the time we got up at 7:30, it had risen to 65. The hottest we've seen is 78, a cue for popsicles.
New plants, flowers, birds, and animals to meet, learn about, and invite to lunch: Papayas in the backyard! 11/26 No papayas in the backyard, but celery, freckled peas, leeks, and beets. Papayas are available down the street at the fruit truck, along with bananas, plantains, oranges, mangos, and other treasures the birds like. I had 18 species of birds share my papaya and banana for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning, and the flowers in the garden are delightful, even after being beaten down by the rains.
No stuff. Light and breezy! 11/26 Rentals and purchased houses almost always come furnished in Panama - we only brought clothing and personal necessities. We have acquired so little that we could move to a new house in one car trip (so far). Our acquisitions are mostly towels, plastic wrap, cleaning products, clothes pins, - consumables, or things we would leave here, mostly. We set aside six 30-gallon bins of treasures in Seattle that we intended to ship later, and I am not sure where we would even put those things here since there is very little storage. But not having stuff is freeing, and not feeling inclined to collect things is lightness! Note that I say this buoyantly only 9 weeks into this adventure.
Bright, saturated colors: 11/26 Got 'em! Colors are bright, even when the overcast sky is promising rain. The overcast deepens the colors, but they just wait for the sun to return to burst brightness! Not a lot of maroon or burgundy here. Flame orange. Fire engine red. Cobalt blue and 457 shades of green. Yield sign yellow! The sun will be out in a few minutes - get ready!!! My standard black attire is only suitable as a backdrop for brilliant color.
Small town, mountain living with coasts 30 miles to the east and west: 11/26 We're here! Everyone knows everyone in Boquete's 14,000 population, and when we describe the grey and white house with Julieta balconies on the south side of town, everyone knows the house. We can walk from one end of the town to the other in 30 minutes, and when Miguel walks up to the deli counter at Romero's grocery, they ask if he wants one pound of sliced turkey or two.
I look forward to having a car in May or June to travel around Panama and see things we haven't had an opportunity to investigate yet: Bocas del Toro, cross into Costa Rica, Santa Fe, Colon, and visit more of the Azuaro peninsula - we have much to see!
What will MaryBea do? Anything I damn well please! 11/26 I left behind a mountain of ideas and products to do the jewelry and handwork I said I would do when I retired - my hands don't do those things well anymore. I have my Kindle and read two or three books a week, but I tend to read for distraction and not for information gathering or intellectual stimulation; I am in detox mode from my tendency to overthink. I work in the garden for an hour or two a day and spend an hour with the birds; I walk, weed, and cook. This is only week nine of our Living in Panama Adventure, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to take lots of time to decide what I want to do when I grow up!
Miguel looked forward to Panama's:
Fresh tropical fruits and vegetables, picked ripe daily: 11/26 Yes! Fresh, picked-ripe tropical fruits and vegetables are the mainstay of our diets, along with chicken and occasionally frozen salmon or beef. Yuca instead of potatoes, chayote grows on unmonitored cyclone fences and trees, and plantains and bananas grow at the side of the road. Miguel fries up plantains in olive oil for breakfast every morning and serves them with local honey to build up our tolerance for local pollens. Mangos we share with the birds - cut the skin in quarters, peel the skin and eat the fruit, then toss the skin and the seed to the birds to clean up the remains, and everyone is happy. We have a garden on the property from which we can grab leeks, celery, freckled peas, and whatever else is ripe (Ameth helps determine readiness), and the corner fruit truck comes from the farm each morning at 7:00. Healthy feels better when served fresh, daily.
Spanish as his first language, English as his second, and starting a French club to advance his third language, then working on Portuguese: 11/26 Great progress! Miguel is asking me for the correct English words because he is thinking in Spanish, and he has collected 5 French speakers who want to trade conversational French for conversational Spanish. Thanks to the gym he attends daily, Miguel has met a wide variety of people who speak various languages and have interesting backstories. After his French/Spanish club is firmly in place, he will work on Portuguese, perhaps by convincing our friends from Brazil to visit and start things off.
Gym-chat in Spanish: 11/26 Accomplished! The Haven gym is also a hotel and spa, so it caters to tourists and well-to-do Panamanians. Gym chat in Spanish, German, French, English, and whatever language walks in tomorrow!
Books in Spanish where a paperback won't cost $35 - $40 because Spanish isn't the first language - books will be paperback cheap because Spanish is the first language in Panama! 11/26 Yes and no. The Shakespeare book Miguel raved about above was only $15, but Mr. S. is no longer copyrighted. Isabelle Allende's most recent paperback, Violeta, in Spanish, was $30 at the grocery store. There are few book sources in Boquete outside the library, so it is fantastic to find good books at the grocery store.
Inexpensive dining out: 11/26 True. Our landlords, Jorge and Luly, introduced us to a great Peruvian restaurant last night, and the total cost for four of us to finely dine was $115, including tip and a pitcher of sangria. I think the most we've spent on fancy dining for two is $75, and that was at the hotel. The typical cost for us to dine out on Panamanian food is less than $20 for both of us, and we usually take home enough for Miguel to have another meal.
Cultural Return: 11/26 Miguel forgot to include this in his September list, but one of the first things he noticed as we settled into the Hotel El Oasis, and even more so as we moved into this house, is that his ability to relax into the culture of Central America as well as the Spanish language has calmed him and given him a level of comfort he hasn't felt for the 50 years he lived in the USA. Even when he made his trips home to Guatemala for 6 weeks at a time, he knew he was returning to Seattle, so he never really settled into Guatemala. This time, he is home, and anyplace outside of Central America will be a visit, so he is relaxing. He is comfortable making decisions about cultural responses, such as responding to dinner invitations or how best to tell a story to a specific audience. Miguel bubbles when he talks to a muralist, Jorge, taxi drivers, or anyone about their experiences or to share stories about their lives - he says it is because in Spanish, he "feels the language"; he is not always trying to be understood, as in English. He feels at home, safe, and calm - and he smiles for no good reason, often!
Gratitude Awakening: Miguel told me on Thursday night that he is undergoing a "gratitude awakening," realizing how easy his life has been compared to so many others. I also notice this when I travel, breaking out of our Queen Anne Cocoon - but Miguel coined the Gratitude Awakening phrase so nicely.
Miguel says that this move to Panama has made him aware of how protected and supported he has been all his life. Even though his family had very little when he was a child, he was always the center of attention and received anything they could carve out to meet his wishes. When he wanted to learn English, they found a way to purchase a wind-up Motorola and Berlitz records, and one of his aunts wound the machine while he practiced English. When he didn't want to work in the gardens, they supported his academic efforts and encouraged him to further his studies. When he came to the USA, he found nurturing programs and relationships like Seattle's El Centro de la Rasa that kept him from the struggles many immigrants from Central America went through. His childhood emphasis on studies and English helped him to transition to office environments rather than manual labor. He made liveable wages, put away money for retirement, and to get a college degree, retired healthy, with solid friendships, and made this move because he chose to.
Now we are in a country with a minimum wage the government supports through the income that the Canal provides - a country doing much better economically than most of Central America. Every day, we see how people like taxi drivers, utility workers, and fruit sellers struggle to make their pay stretch enough to live in a town where the rents are rising because ex-pats are moving in and raising costs. Miguel and I take coins with us when we leave the house to give to immigrants from Colombia and Venezuela who came through the brutal Darien province jungles from Colombia, intending to keep going up to the US border only to have the border closed. Now they are begging for change to eat in Panama, or Guatemala, or Nicaragua, trying so hard not to turn around and go back. Even for Panamanians, when we went to Porton, Ameth's town of 600 people on the Costa Rica border, we passed so many poor households whose husbands left looking for work, and the wives and children are struggling to make ends meet until things get better.
Gratitude Awakening is a perfect phrase for being aware of our privilege and how our conscious decisions affect lives. Stopping the ice cream man with his handcart to stock up our freezer with popsicles can make his day while saving me a trip to the store, then add a tip for saving me the taxi fare back from the store with frozen goods. Between the two of us, we can think of ways to focus on regular people when spending our money, and how we can make their day better while letting them know they are improving ours, too. And we always carry small bills and change (Balboa coins are equal to $1) - we may not always need the plastic bags or lollipops that someone is offering, but sometimes we give them a dollar and say they might meet someone that needs a lollypop but doesn't have the change. Sort of a random-acts-of-kindness thinking style, but directed at the everyday people on the streets, sharing the taxi, or outside the clinic, waiting for someone to notice.
Gratitude awakening turns into gratitude in action. We're on it!
Thanks for giving your time to this extra-long update from Panama!
MaryBea y Miguel
My idea: This is the 60-day check-in with our September lists, then we will check again in May when our permanent residency paperwork is completed, and again in September or October at the one-year mark to see how accurate our guesses were; what we really miss, what we enjoy most, where we now have rainbows in our eyes, and where we find Panama joys we didn't anticipate. Between each, I will work on designing a more compact means of delivering the update!
How to find us:
Replies to blog postings via email: If you hit "reply" to this email and get a "no reply" address, use the x to knock it out, type in MaryBeaGallagher@gmail.com, and I will get your response. Quirky.
Email: Use our Gmail accounts for email - for some reason, my Comcast/Xfinity doesn't work consistently in Central America.
WhatsApp is the best route for texts and voice calls, but it is uncertain for video calls. We are officially in the Outback of Panama now, in a valley with mountains and extinct volcanos around, and the added interference of lightning and thunderstorms in the afternoons, so there are periods where transmissions will not get through. Find WhatsApp for your phone or computer at your favorite App store.
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