I’m long delinquent in writing this post — it’s now just after Thanksgiving, three months after returning from Panama. I suppose Thanksgiving may actually be the perfect symbolic time to do so?
As we contemplate a month in Ecuador next summer, it’s worth reflecting on our trip to Panama. All in all, we had a great time, but its complicated. We learned a ton, broadened our world view just a bit more, and saw America from another perspective.
Confidence Building
Traveling Panama on our own, without guides, tour groups, or major hotels, in an unfamiliar country where we don’t speak the language — and having success — was a huge confidence boost. We negotiated inter and intra city bus systems, walked miles through cities, and leveraged Uber when needed. We negotiated housing with Airbnb, shopped for groceries, and found places to exercise. These experiences helped us build confidence for our planned life of slow travel to come.
Panama Gifts to the World
We learned a ton about the value of the Panama Canal, rainforest systems, and the isthmus between North and South America (even gaining a visceral understanding of the word “isthmus”). We experienced the melting pot of Panama City with the influence of French, American, Afro-Caribbean, Chinese, Indian and of course Columbian culture.
We glimpsed how varied the population and living conditions are from Panama City, to Boquete, Gamboa, and indigenous populations in very (very very) rural parts of Panama. Along the way we had a chance to observe and talk to various locals, learning a small bit of how they lived, their thoughts of the country and its politics.
Global Impacts on Panama
Our experience in Panama challenged our view of the world in some ways and reinforced it in others. As a country, we (America) have meddled greatly in Panama, both building infrastructure and invading the country in 1989 – scars seen to this day. Of course, if America didn’t do this someone else would have (indeed the French, Spanish, and many others left their marks here too).
We see a great many American retirees in Panama — taking advantage of a poorer economy, yet bringing valuable capital to it as well. We see a taste of what happens to a country if large cohorts don’t have access to education or see future opportunities (parallels that we see in many parts of the United States by the way).
Impact on DJ
Our son added to his world view as well. Building on experiences in Vietnam, China, and Western Europe, he has an entirely new perspective of Latin America. His time with Amigos International left a huge mark on him. He was “deprived” of his phone and social media, air conditioning, and indeed fresh water at times. However, he connected with people in remote parts of Panama while working on service projects high in the mountains and along the coast. Indeed, he came away from the trip wanting to learn more Spanish, more about Latin America, and even explore what a career as a Foreign Service Officer might look like.
Will we return to Panama?
That’s a strong “maybe”. We loved our time in Panama and are very happy with the decision. However, we are excited to see so much more of the world. Most likely Southeast Asia will be our starting point of long term travel in 2027 and for who knows how long.
We’re looking at Ecuador or Spain in 2024 for a month and perhaps Argentina or Chile in 2025. But it’s unlikely we would return to Panama for a decade or more.
As Hillary and I look ahead to our own self-directed humanities education (more on that later) I suppose it’s important to be thankful. We’ve been supremely lucky in so many ways. We had great, if imperfect public school educations, followed by undergrad and advanced university degrees. We’ve had a safe and prosperous life to this point. And by all measures we have an outstanding son.
In the near term, I’m trying to dive deep with Dreaming Spanish so I don’t feel quite so inadequate in either Ecuador or Spain this coming summer. And we continue to slowly work to wind down 26 years of accumulation. I’m supremely thankful for all that has led to this point and the afforded luxury to even contemplate the next radical shift in our lives.