WhyNotRelo

Sorry for the long delay since the last update.

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 19:35:00 +0000

Hi all,

Things have been quiet while we try and finalize everything. Well, as we said before, we have a house and today the container left with what we need to make it a home. We are still living both up north and south.

Not sure when we will stop paying for airfare, but it is fun non the less.

Hurricane Irene in Connecticut

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 14:37:00 +0000

This was an hour before high tide!

Finallly at our new house in Boquete

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 19:01:00 +0000

We are finally here and loving it! Here is a pick of the lime tree in gthe backyard.

This picture is looking at the canyon from our backyard.

This is one of the best locations in town, we are so happy to be here!

More to come!

Our itty bitty house awaits

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 21:09:00 +0000

Hi all,

It has been a long time since we posted. As usual, crap happens and interferes with plans.

We are back in Boquete on the 24th! trying to plan our life.

We will update more once we are down in-country.

Still looking for a great life!

One of the propsals for the new Enrique Malek International Airport

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Sat, 07 May 2011 17:06:00 +0000

If this really happens, it will make life a lot easier to travel to and from Chiriqui Provence.

http://vimeo.com/14459374

Everyone talks about the "Breezes" in Boquete

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 20:31:00 +0000

Hi all,

The winds of Boquete are renown. But that does not mean that that they do not exist in other parts of the world.

This is just a small sample of the beginning of a storm on the east coast! The only propblem with this? The temp is only 43 degress!!!!!!

A very cold wind!!!

All we can say is "See you soon"

PS: the storm has not even reached us yet!!!!!!

Our house!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 21:21:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mst5ln5AAqI

We Have A House In Boquete!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 17:05:00 +0000

Well, we finally bit the bullet and took a house in Boquete. It is in the Santa Lucia area. A nice little house in a great neighborhood.
This is a big step in our journey!

The house is small enough that we cannot have visitors!!!!! Just what we want!

More updates soon as things progress.

Santa Lucia House

The clock is ticking; Part two

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 16:48:00 +0000

Here in Connecticut, the winter is starting to recede and the prospects of selling a house are hopefully better.

We hope to be able to update soon on the timing of our next steps.

So just a word to the wise, you may have a time line in your mind, but reality will always bite you in the ass!

We are going back to our future home in a few months, we will see if this will be the last trip or not.

The clock is ticking

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 21:49:00 +0000

As we sit here in Connecticut watching the snow not melt, a thought came to mind.

With the current real estate market and overall outlook in the US, when will we be able to make our move to Boquete?

If you read Lee's blog, Boquete Panama Guide, the country is changing quickly. For us, we still think that Panama is the best place to retire or if you want to, grow and prosper. Yes, things will change as areas develop, yes things will change since the country of Panama actually has the chance to plot it's own future now that the US has given the Panamanians their country back.

Even with all the changes, we are still looking with great anticipation to moving to Panama and experiencing the wonderful people and country.

For those that know, Amigo's found a new home, but not sure when they will open.

Check back for updates.

Thanks again for reading and keeping up with our journey!

Please oh Please get us to Boquete

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 03:53:00 +0000

This is our latest forecast!!!!!!

Another reason we want to leave

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 20:14:00 +0000

I certainly hope the real estate market improves soon. We really do not want to go through another winter like this.

We just had a BLIZZARD here in the northeast US. The Fifth largest storm in New York City history!

What did we really want for Christmas? Boquete Panama!!!!!!!

Things to think about

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 01:07:00 +0000

There is one thing we all need to understand when becoming an Expat. The family you leave behind still has ills and problems and you have to be ready to deal with these issues, or not deal with them at all.

The question you have to ask yourself is, can you deal with this?. We experienced this a few years ago and very recently, yet we still look forward to our life away from all things close and comfortable. If you never go outside of your comfort zone, you will never know what you may experience in life

You can live life as there is no end. You can live life as if it will end tomorrow. You can live life in a daze. We like them all! It gives one the chance to really have fun and contribute to the world the artistic talent we all have buried deep inside us!!!

"Our advice, AAO". Adapt, Adjust and Overcome!!!! Shit happens no matter where you are Live life, live your dreams and just have fun!

The alternative is boring!

Happy December

Etta and Pats' adventure! everyday a new one!

Panama's Independence Day

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 00:22:00 +0000

We awoke at 1am this morning to the sounds of music wafting up the canyon. This along with the dog's barking and the mis-timed roosters crow, rang in the begining of the holiday celebration!

There are few holidays where sound, fun and patriotic fervor like this exist.

This is a great time to be in Boquete!

Back in Country

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 22:21:00 +0000

It has been a wonderful few days since we have returned to Boquete! The people, the sights and the smells are just as great as the last time we were here.

Just to tease you, here are few pics from the Casita where we are staying. It really is a great place to base yourself while searching for that future home.

Bananas in the the back yard!

Not sure what it is, but it is beautiful!

Can we say fresh Avacados in the back yard?

No need to pick, they are at your feet!!!!

This weekend is the celebration of Panama's Independence from Spain. We are looking forward to a lot of great parades and festivities!

Updates coming soon!

The next trip starts

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:25:00 +0000

Well, it has been awhile since we updated. We have been busy trying to get the house back on the market and back we are. let's see what happens this time.

We are starting our next trip back down to Panama today. At the airport, flight are supposed to be on time. Should be back in country around 930 pm.

It is a long day, but we love what we get at the end of it.

We will be back to updating regularly soon.

US real estate market

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 18:27:00 +0000

The latest update on our quest to move to Panama.

We listed the house and guess what, we had no offers! So a good lesson learned, you really need to set realistic expectations on how and when you relocate.

The next listing will be different and hopefully our agent will be much more aggressive.

So the lesson for today from our experience:
Be patient
Be optimistic
Be persistent

It will all work out!

Next update after we re-list the house.

PS: flying back to our new home country in 39 days! Can't Wait to get there!

Be careful out there!

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 19:42:00 +0000

A note to everyone that thieves and just odd people lurk on the Internet.

To help sell our house, we put a link on Expats blog. We can tell you the kind of responses we have received are amazing and then some.

Please be careful!

You can run but you can't hide!

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:27:00 +0000

Some people think Panama is a place to hide from their past, to create a new identity and continue their criminal ways.

Let this be a warning to all, there have been two arrests in Boquete in the last 2 months. Both convicted in the US and then fled. The long arm of the law knows no boundaries.

Here is a link to the latest person of interest that was extradited back to the US.

http://www.amw.com/captures/brief.cfm?id=39704

Recent Health Care Experiences, reposted with permission

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:41:00 +0000

This was posted by Lee Zeltzer, blogger and owner of Boqueteguide.com. It tells a great story from someone who lives and breathes Boquete. The story of being able to receive compassionate, quality health care and have it affordable at the same time, reverberates through the inane discourse in the US that was the health care debate. Read on and enjoy!

Recent Health Care Experiences

Posted by Lee on August 9, 2010

Those who have known me in Panama also probably remember I have had more experience than most people with health care in Panama.

I have had flocks of guests in the past couple of months. In that time two arrived with health issues and required medical attention. I want to share the experiences they had while withholding their names.

One arrived with a problem with his pelvis, a chronic problem of the femur popping out of the socket during exercise. Mayra’s daughter, a doctor, referred him to Dr. Evcilio Barria at Hospital Chiriqui. First bit of amazing, we had the appointment the day after we called. The doctor listened and requested an X-ray at hospital Chiriqui. We walked across the street, and in less then 30 minutes at a cost of $38 we had a pelvic X-ray and we were back in for second consultation. Based on the X-Ray the doctor scheduled a pelvic MRI. The professional fee for the visit was $20. I am not sure what a specialist in orthopedics would charge for an office visit in the US, but I think the $20 might be a copay for good insurance and I suspect we will would still be waiting for the appointment.
I was curious about the cost of the MRI, I suspected the procedure could be expensive. I did some digging on a site called New Choice Health which has prices from around the US. First I looked up the $38 pelvic xray. On this site the range for this in the US was from $210 to $1,600.

On Thursday we went to Hospital Chiriqui for a Pelvic MRI, both with and without contrast dye. The cost was several hours and $600. I used the same site for the US prices in Miami, FL the range was $2,325 to $7000.

Even more interesting was at about 8:30 in the evening, as I was sitting in the waiting room, the doctor came in and sat with me to just chat. He asked about me, asked about his patient, and then went back to see the results with my guest.

My other guest arrived tired, dehydrated and with red urine. Next day I called for a Urologist, Dr. Khayam Arias at Hospital Chiriqui was recommended, and we were in his office the same day. He wanted a urine sample and had it tested, $3. His diagnosis cost $30 in professional fees and resolved with $41 in antibiotics and the passing of some small kidney gravel.

My reason for airing medical history should be clear by now. I am not sure how this would have played out in Canada or Europe or anyplace else, except here and in the US. In the US we would still be waiting for appointments for specialists, then we would be waiting for test results, all the while paying far more in medical and lab fees.

If you can afford private health care in Panama, it is first class at coach prices

We are very worried about our freinds sailing through the French Pacific

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 02:35:00 +0000

Ron and Kathy are two of the nicest people you will encounter in life. This is the last update from their blog. We hope everyone is OK, our thoughts and prayers are with them and hope it is only a comms problem!

Their Blog starts;
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS

Atuona, Isle Hiva Oa, Polynesie Française, Friday, 04 June 2010

Even cruising life can encompass both good new and bad news. The bad news has been the TIAs while at sea some 400 Nm and quite a few days still from land, the emergency air trip after arrival here after 37 days at sea to the big hospital in Papeete on Tahiti, and the ten-day stay there, part of it flat on my back. All of that could have been a catastrophe.

The good news, however, is that we made it without me experiencing a major brain-stroke at sea, that TIAs are well-known to neurologists, that the situation was dealt with in time, that the French and Tahitian medical staff were knowledgeable and competent and that I am back on the boat with Kathleen and well on the way to recovery. For a week after returning here I was still getting ‘spells’ (sudden double-vision, paralysis in legs, arms and my tongue; tingling in left extremities; and loss of my sense of balance; etc.), but provided the dosage of the anti-coagulants is correct (they are still trying by trial and error to find what the right amount should be), I am all-in-all getting along quite well, thank you. I am still not able to undertake long cruises, heavy lifting or other physical work. The French doctor told me to avoid banging my head hard or climbing trees. Sic! I am sticking to this, but I do manage to do a little boat work in the mornings and take it easy in the afternoon. My road to recovery is at least due as much to Kathleen’s ministrations. In time I shall be eating a well-buffered daily time-release aspirin and leading a quite normal life, say the neurologists

This can be one of the issues that can arise when traveling or living abroad. Best wishes to Ron and Kathy!

It's about time

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 22:20:00 +0000

There comes a point in everyones' life when you ask the question, why, what, where and when?.

This July, the house went on the market. We will see what happens over the next few weeks, months or years.

As we prepare to leave, if anyone is interested in buying property in Connecticut, here is the link. We will not need it anymore! If it sells quickly, we are planning on moving to an apartment until we are ready to make the next move to Panama.

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3-Leonard-Street_W-Haven_CT_06516_1120239412

We started this blog so you could experience the transition to retirement. This is our next step. Still enjoying the ride, big time!!!!

Change can be sad

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 16:53:00 +0000

We recently learned that one of our favorite places in Boquete, Amigo's, has lost their lease. Amigo's was a fantastic gathering place that fostered friendships around the world. We hope that Jennifer and Mark will be able to reopen in a new location soon.

On our first trip to Boquete, we stumbled upon Amigo's purely by accident! It was the best accident that ever happened. It became our home base before jaunting off to explore the area, it was our classroom on how to retire in Panama and it was a place where great friends were made and lasting relationships formed.

We hope the staff, who were the best in the business, will find employment soon. Enrico, Mary and Maria, we miss you and look forward to seeing at the new Amigo's where ever that may be!

Climate change is real

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:42:00 +0000

I never thought we would see this. 8:30 pm Monday June 21st. West Haven CT temperature 85, Panama City Panama temperature 83! Boquete, as usual is perfect at 63!!!!!

Now we have another reason to move to Panama.

Enjoy the summer

Update Jun 25 2010: It is confirmed we had a tornado come through the area on the 24th. The good news no one hurt, the bad news, we had a TORNADO!

To use Southwest Airlines tag line: Wanna get out of here????

Yes!

We have begun International Banking 101

noreply@blogger.com (Etta and Pat's adventure) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 18:57:00 +0000

For the last few weeks we have been looking into the best way to set up an international banking presence. It is quite an interesting quest, with all the new US and Panamanian laws.

One very important thing to remember is that when living overseas, US banks can close your accounts if you are not careful. This is due in part to the Patriot Act and other wonderful laws. We have found it is best to work with a bank that has a presence in both places and also facilitates opening new accounts in the country of your choice..

Now this is not a commercial, however HSBC Premier seems to fit the bill. We will have a concierge banking rep here in the states and in Panama. They will work to have the account opened before our next trip down and this way, we will have access to local ATM, bank branch and other banking services while we are in Panama.

We will be starting the process soon and will update everyone on how things go.

Wish us luck!