Not Looking Back


Not Looking Back

(5 votes)

Written by Administrator

Tuesday, February 14 2006

Panama is an undiscovered paradise that I almost don't want to share with others. I fell in love with this country on my first visit nearly a year ago. I knew almost immediately that this country would soon be my new home. The people are really what made the decision for me.

I grew up in Canada, which is usually considered a friendly country, but Panamanians really put us Canadians to shame. I also really enjoyed how people live here. Regardless of their economic status, Panamanians are very happy, fun-loving people. I returned for another vacation about 2 months after my first visit. I almost hoped I wouldn't love the country as much this time. If I had lost my love for this small country, it would have made my life easier in the short term, as I would have just stayed in Ontario. Well, I ended up falling in to a deeper love with this country. After my vacation I returned home, quit my job, sold my car, and got rid of my apartment. I was on a plane 4 weeks after my second visit. My family and friends all thought I was crazy. I had never imagined myself leaving Canada in such a way, especially for Latin America.

My Spanish at that point (and still to this day) leaves a lot to be desired. I knew some people in Panama, but I certainly was not heading to a comfort zone of good friends. My mother was especially worried about my safety. I was moving to a third world country, by myself, at the age of 25, with limited knowledge of the language, and obviously sticking out with a head full of blond hair. My mom accompanied me on my very first visit to Panama, and though she really loved the country as well, she couldn't figure out why her only child would want to move here by herself. I knew all of these factors could be a problem in some people's eyes, but I also knew that Panama was the place I HAD to live.

I had very few problems adjusting to Panama, and I credit most of that to having a very open mind and knowing that I was here strictly by my own choice. I quickly made many friends and probably have more of a social life here than I did with my lifelong friends back in Canada.

I hated Panama City when I first moved here. The constant honking of horns, the crazy driving, the heat. I decided to live in the interior in Anton in the province of Cocle. Anton is a great, quiet town with very friendly people. I now love Panama City and spend at least a couple of days a week there. The nightlife is fabulous, the food is unbelievable and the diversity of neighborhoods is incredible. Some of my favorite places to spend a night with friends in Panama City are the Amador Causeway, Calle Uruguay and Casco Viejo. The day after I moved here I bought a car in Panama City and honestly considered paying someone to drive it across the Bridge of the Americas for me, so I didn't have to drive in Panama City. I now drive just like a local. There is an organized chaos to the driving in Panama City. It is similar to a video game, and once you know the rules, you will have no problem.

City life is very different than country life in Panama. There is not as much to do in the town I live, but it is very friendly. The police and shopkeepers wave at me when I drive by, beacuse I stick out as the only blond in the town. Prices are even cheaper than in the city. Embarrassingly, I don't even own a stove in my house in Anton. I would much rather pay 40 cents every morning for my coffee and pastry, $1.50 at lunch for a meal from a fonda (a small restaurant serving local cuisine), and $2 for a dinner of chicken, rice and beans.

As a single woman living in Panama, there are some factors that I had to get used to. I get strange looks driving around the countryside sometimes, because they are often not used to seeing a woman independently driving herself around. Or worse, seeing my male friends as passengers in my car and wondering why they are not driving me around. Women from North America are generally more independent than women my age in Panama. It's also very different for me that all the men here are very chivalrous. They open all doors for me, and they refuse to let me pay for anything when we go out for dinner or drinks.

I spend much of my free time exploring other parts of the country. There is so much to be discovered in Panama, and I know I have just seen the tip of the iceberg. I feel very safe living in Panama by myself. I often say I feel safer walking alone at night in Panama City (in the populate areas of course) than I do in my hometown in Ontario with a population of 340,000.

Panama may not be for everyone, but it is certainly the best decision I ever made.

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