Moving to Panama, A Great Decision...I Think


Moving to Panama, A Great Decision...I Think

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Written by Andrea Maizel

Wednesday, September 03 2008

Moving to Panama

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Growing up in the United States I, along with an astounding number of others, had no idea that there were other countries besides the US. And that these others countries actually could have something to offer besides malaria and other third-world ailments. As many others in the US, I grew up with the "American Dream" embedded in my subconscious.

While it is comforting to hear the phrase, "Andrea Maizel, You can do anything" it is also intimidating to believe that the opposite is true outside of the utopian society that is the US. Fortunately, college knocked some sense into me, but there is still that all pervasive mentality that to survive one has to be in the United States.

It was at this crossroad that I found myself last year trying to "figure out" the rest of my life. I could stay and do what I was supposed to do and pretend that nothing else existed or I could pack up and make a conscious effort to experience the world.

When I finally sat down to make the decision whether or not to move to Panama I too had visions of apple pie and Lady Liberty running through my head. This, by the way, can lead to some very interesting dreams. Being a recent college graduate, I had to think about a career, graduate school, and everything else that comes along with being a "good girl" after college.

When the topic of picking up and moving to a foreign country made its way into the mix the response was less than enthusiastic from my friends and family, the ever present peanut gallery of my life. Some of the interesting responses I got included, "Oh!, Panama. . . that's near Italy, right?" and "I hear Florida is really nice this time of year," or my all time favorite, "Why would you want to move to Mexico?" I can only assume that all the hype over the US is really only a collection of misinformation about the rest of the world. I decided that it was time to step out of the bubble that is the United States and venture into the "unknown" for the sake of breaking the mold, and here I am in Panama City, Panama.

For the record Panama is nowhere near Italy and is not some little-known town in Mexico. From what I can gather from my three short months here, Panama is exploding with opportunities. All my fears about a career and graduate school have been put to rest because the US is not the only country where one can pursue these interests. Instead of keeping the blinders on and following the crowd, I decided to venture out and I can only recommend the same for all 20 something's back in the States.

Do not be afraid to go against the grain. Panama has arguably everything the US has and more.The small differences for me were easy to overlook, based on the quality of life. And of course there are huge discrepancies such as you will not experience a heart attack/burnout at the age of 30, which for me was a huge plus.

All in all I think that moving to Panama was the right choice. Unlike the retirees or the rich developers I am just a regular 20 something college graduate trying to fit in here in Panama, and I know my experiences here will only enhance a life in the US if I end up back there again.

Image: www.pewclimate.org/docUploads/images/airplane-takeoff.jpg

Comments (1)

Davin Coleman: Sounds Great

Please tell me. How has job searching worked out for you? Is it possible to enjoy beautiful Panama and be employed as well. I always thought that if you want to move to a country such as Panama, you should be well off. However, after reading your story you are breaking the norm.

September 03, 2008

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