Looking for an expat to chat with about their experiences

I'm also looking for someone to chat with about Panama, I live in Florida but thinking about retiring to Panama

I moved her with my Husband and two young children in Sept. and would be happy to chat about our experience.  I don't know of an art supply store but could research and let you know if there is one nearby.

If anyone is still interested in chat about Panama, we are thinking of visting to checking out retirement options.

Thanks
Clyde & Christy

There's a small art supply store called Artec (I think that's the way they spell it). It's in an area called San Miguelito. It's the only art store I've seen around. I stopped in there once to buy my wife an easel. I just tried to find them online and couldn't find a website for them.  It's pretty easy to find.

I need to chat with someone. Do I rent unfurnished or bring my stuff. Do I bring my car? Want to live renting while I find something buy. How do I find out about health ins? We are comming to Panama in Jan & we are trying to find out about these things ahead of time. We will move in Sept 2013 for good.

fl keys mary,

I'd be happy to chat with you about living here in Panama if you want.

We sold everything before we moved.  Our house, two cars, furniture, years worth of art work I had been collecting, etc.  We each brought two suitcases of clothes and are renting a fully furnished home with no intention of buying anything.  It was very freeing to sell it all and move on.  The daughters took the stuff they wanted and the rest was sold.  It was a good decision for us.

We live in Boquete.  You didn't say which part of Panama you were moving too.  Every city will have its little quirks so if you can tell me where you are going to live it will help me and others on here answer your questions.

Ask away. 

Best,

Florence

We were thinking about boquete. Living in the fl keys we are use to hot weather & tired of 90 degree. Everything is flat here. Tallest thing is a bridge. We are ready for a new adventure in our lives & are simple to please. We were going to move to Costa Rica but find Panama very interesting. It was hard to part with your stuff? I look around our house and is overwhelmed. Good advice. SELL!!!!

Well then Boquete will be a very pleasant surprise.  We are at 4000 feet elevation and it is lush and green here.  We are in the middle of our summer and its very windy and dry here at the moment.  Not as hot as it gets in David, where everyone needs to live with the AC on.  I have no heat or AC here in Boquete.  We are a 30 minute drive from David.  And I have to say, it's one of the prettiest drives I've taken.  The road between the two cities is filled with scenic vistas and mountain ranges.  You will see when you come.

Actually, once we knew we were retiring to Panama it was easy to get rid of it all.  We thought about storage and realized what a huge waste of money that was.  And we looked at shipping things and realized we were talking upwards of $10,000 for moving around some stuff.  It just wasn't worth it.  Not to us.  And it was so awesome during our garage sale to tell people that everything had to go because we were moving to Panama.  So many people wanted to come with us! 

But, first, come and visit. Stay as long as you can in a short term rental and see if you really like it here.  Don't sell anything until you are sure.  There are issues with being here.  But if you can deal with those issues you should be okay. 

Come, interview lots and lots of folks.  Read as much as you can about life in Panama.  Ask all your health care questions.  Visit the local hospitals.  Let me take you to a pharmacy to see how to just buy all your prescriptions from the druggist.  Come and see every day life and then decide.

I also like Costa Rica.  We were just in San Jose for a few days.  Very nice place.  And they have great coffee!    LOL.  But we have good coffee here in Panama as well.  In fact Boquete is the coffee plantation region of Panama. 

Being here I have local connections to realtors and tour drivers, etc.  If you want to do a real estate tour, to see what is open to be rented let me know and I'll send you his contact information.

You can also look on viviun.com and boqueteforsale.com to see places to buy.  There are lots of houses open and more coming on the market daily.  People, who unlike you, didn't do their homework and are now leaving Panama after building these great big homes here in the hills.