Hola,
So many of my friends back in Canada ask me what I do all day. I think at first it was because, Panama to a Canadian or North American is a tourist destination. A place to spend a week or 2 to get out of the cold. So the question asked of me was, what are you going or what do you do all day living in a tropical country.
Well we are by no means fully retired. I call myself semi-retired as we have found a lifestyle where our whole day is not taken up driving to work, being at work and then driving home from work.
So many of my friends back in Canada ask me what I do all day. I think at first it was because, Panama to a Canadian or North American is a tourist destination. A place to spend a week or 2 to get out of the cold. So the question asked of me was, what are you going or what do you do all day living in a tropical country.
Well we are by no means fully retired. I call myself semi-retired as we have found a lifestyle where our whole day is not taken up driving to work, being at work and then driving home from work.
my previous commute
To illustrate it simply I have included an agenda of our day:
6:30-7:30: Wake up and start the coffee, let the pets out to play
8:00: Open our computers, get online and get to work.
noon'ish: Go for a walk, swim, surf or run errands.
1:00-5ish-work, snack and work.
5pm (6pm in Toronto) - We get out for a 9 hole round of golf, or swim, I sometimes go for a run.
I am a IT Recruiter and a Life Coach. Working from my home office allows me to arrive to work without the stress of traffic, or the stress of arriving on time. I don't have colleagues to chat with, I can spend a solid day networking and staying as focused as possible. So far this recent career change has proven to be productive. My work/life balance is amazing. No more heels, or nylons, or suits.
To illustrate it simply I have included an agenda of our day:
6:30-7:30: Wake up and start the coffee, let the pets out to play
8:00: Open our computers, get online and get to work.
noon'ish: Go for a walk, swim, surf or run errands.
1:00-5ish-work, snack and work.
5pm (6pm in Toronto) - We get out for a 9 hole round of golf, or swim, I sometimes go for a run.
I am a IT Recruiter and a Life Coach. Working from my home office allows me to arrive to work without the stress of traffic, or the stress of arriving on time. I don't have colleagues to chat with, I can spend a solid day networking and staying as focused as possible. So far this recent career change has proven to be productive. My work/life balance is amazing. No more heels, or nylons, or suits.
my lunch hour
Our weekends are ours. You can either find us diving in The Pearl Islands, or golfing at Vista Mar Golf Course. Our social life is very busy. We are always out at someones home for dinner or out spending a weekend with a few couples on some new adventure.
We have Briseada our cleaning lady on Wednesdays for about 5 hours. She does her thing and I hardly notice she is in our home. Our new gardener Luis Jordan has us hopping, making decisions on plants and location of plants and the how to make your garden grow in Panama 101 instruction. Really rain and sun is the recipe here in the tropics.
Time flies, it truly does. Running an errand or quickly running into town to pick something up can take half a day. We need a new garlic press. Well we are going to have to go into Panama City to find one. The few stores here in San Carlos and Coronado do not carry garlic presses, or good can openers, or salad spinners, and sometimes they don't even have bananas.
Our trips into Panama city are usually by plane. Safer and quicker. Allan flies us into Albrook and we will spend a day getting our errands done. We go in maybe once every 3 weeks. We make our list and use our time wisely. If something is forgotten, then we put it on the list for next time. There is no such thing as running out to pick up a new outfit. That does not happen in my part of the country. This is a good thing, as I have come to realize I have enough of everything already. Fashion is not important. Having a good bathing suit, a good pair of flip flops and sun screen is. A few casual outfits and one black dress is all I need. I have not only saved money but have come to appreciate the things I have.
Do I miss the hustle and bustle, the concrete jungle, and the seasons of Toronto. There are times when I get a bit nostalgic for sure. However, right now I would not trade my yellow casa and my life for anything. I laugh everyday, I am challenged everyday, and I am learning new things everyday. It is not making money to have what I want. It is about wanting what I already have. This I learned many years ago is the recipe for gratitude.
I forgot to mention that when I wake up every morning, before the coffee is put on and our 4 legged kids are let out to play....I pinch myself, then I start my day in the life.
Abrazos,
Karyn
Our weekends are ours. You can either find us diving in The Pearl Islands, or golfing at Vista Mar Golf Course. Our social life is very busy. We are always out at someones home for dinner or out spending a weekend with a few couples on some new adventure.
We have Briseada our cleaning lady on Wednesdays for about 5 hours. She does her thing and I hardly notice she is in our home. Our new gardener Luis Jordan has us hopping, making decisions on plants and location of plants and the how to make your garden grow in Panama 101 instruction. Really rain and sun is the recipe here in the tropics.
Time flies, it truly does. Running an errand or quickly running into town to pick something up can take half a day. We need a new garlic press. Well we are going to have to go into Panama City to find one. The few stores here in San Carlos and Coronado do not carry garlic presses, or good can openers, or salad spinners, and sometimes they don't even have bananas.
Our trips into Panama city are usually by plane. Safer and quicker. Allan flies us into Albrook and we will spend a day getting our errands done. We go in maybe once every 3 weeks. We make our list and use our time wisely. If something is forgotten, then we put it on the list for next time. There is no such thing as running out to pick up a new outfit. That does not happen in my part of the country. This is a good thing, as I have come to realize I have enough of everything already. Fashion is not important. Having a good bathing suit, a good pair of flip flops and sun screen is. A few casual outfits and one black dress is all I need. I have not only saved money but have come to appreciate the things I have.
Do I miss the hustle and bustle, the concrete jungle, and the seasons of Toronto. There are times when I get a bit nostalgic for sure. However, right now I would not trade my yellow casa and my life for anything. I laugh everyday, I am challenged everyday, and I am learning new things everyday. It is not making money to have what I want. It is about wanting what I already have. This I learned many years ago is the recipe for gratitude.
I forgot to mention that when I wake up every morning, before the coffee is put on and our 4 legged kids are let out to play....I pinch myself, then I start my day in the life.
Abrazos,
Karyn
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