What a tremendous achievement to be published in the Wall Street Journal, Lee. I enjoyed imagining your full life and envied you the fresh eggs from your yard and the tuna for sashimi pulled by your own line.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/best-places-to-retire-abroad-panama-1417408063
It is amazing what one can do when one wants to relax and enjoy retirement. As Lee writes:
"My days are a comfortable mix. I work on my farm, grow a small amount of coffee that I sell online, write a blog about Panama , administer a community website, and try to keep our English-speaking community informed about and engaged in their new home. My definition of retirement is to keep working, but at my pace.
I’m also a minor elected official in my community, a member of the local water board. It’s an uncompensated job, but it has given me a greater understanding of Panama—how the government works (slowly) and how immigrants are treated (fairly, for the most part)."
Congratulations, Lee and thank-you for Boquete Ning.
[Lee's story was published on Nov. 30, 2014, but I thought since I only saw it now, others might have missed it over the holidays, too.]
Replies
True.
https://bestracesigns.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/drinkitself.png?w...
That guy's not Canadian, is he? It just makes me suspicious.
I'll bet he associates with known Canadians!
You folks better watch out! I saw things on the interweb that make me a little ......
suspicious!
Wait! Did you hear something?
wryawry
Here are excerpts from Lee Zeltzer WSJ article.
Best Places to Retire Abroad: Panama
The Town of Boquete Has Spectacular Views and a Big International Community
Eight years ago, my wife, my son and I decided to take a trip to Panama. We wanted to visit the Panama Canal and the large nature reserve at La Amistad International Park.
Two days into our two-week trip, we entered the small town of Boquete. We didn’t leave until it was time to go home to Arizona. And before we left, we bought a small farm about 15 minutes from the center of town, on a mountain called Jaramillo—a decision that surprised us all. Two months later, my wife and I moved there.
We had been looking for a place to retire outside the U.S. and find a simpler life. Our search led us to Costa Rica, Mexico, Canada and the Netherlands. But Boquete and Panama’s western highlands were a revelation: a small, inviting agricultural town with a sizable international community.
The weather is ideal (the area has been marketed as the land of perpetual spring); the countryside has spectacular views; expenses are moderate (though not as low as some people think); and Panamanians are gracious and tolerant of outsiders. Some call this paradise.
Open to Change
Some, of course, don’t. My best guess is that many new arrivals from the U.S. end up staying only about six months. Many leave once they absorb how different things are here. They may struggle with the language or culture. Or they can’t find a major shopping mall close at hand. To be happy here, you need to be open to change.
For me, Boquete has been a dream come true (though my wife and I subsequently separated and she returned to the U.S.). And my adopted home is becoming increasingly popular. About 5,000 expats, or about 20% of the population, live here at least part time—many are snowbirds...
Fishing, Farming, Writing
Since arriving here, I have learned how to fish. Picture standing on a boat, having just dragged a tuna from the Pacific, slicing the catch and adding some soy and wasabi. It’s the freshest sashimi you can eat.
Boquete is in the province of Chiriqui, the food basket of Panama. Fresh produce is plentiful. You can grow your own citrus, bananas, coffee and more. I have a flock of chickens, as do most locals, so I have fresh eggs daily and an occasional rooster dinner.
What was primarily an agricultural community now has a significant tourist economy. That development means we have an abundance of restaurants featuring inexpensive local cuisine and more-expensive international options...
In all, I adjusted easily to living in rural Panama, but that isn’t the case for all who move here. To be a successful immigrant you need to slow down and accept Panamanian ways—or hide in an expat ghetto.
My advice: Learn the language, embrace the culture and have patience. If you can make those changes, you can see more shades of green than you knew existed, swim in the Pacific in the morning and the Caribbean in the afternoon, and climb Volcán Barú, Panama’s highest peak (almost 11,400 feet). If this isn’t paradise, it’s close."
"or hide in an expat ghetto."....love it (smile)
May I respectfully point out that there is a middle ground?
And that if one really does "hide in an expat ghetto" (slur intended?) that one is really NOT a very "successful immigrant"...
It was funny to me...and also a slow news day
Thanks for the link but it requires a subscription to the WSJ.
Hi Michael, the link is tempermental, it does not work for me right now, but I asked my husband to copy,paste and send the article, so others here can read an edited version ( by me) under my reply.
Let's hope this works and the WSJ does not get mad at me.