The driving force of your expatriation in Panama

Hello. I have been living in Panama now for 22 years which is a good part of my life. I haven't been back to the US for over ten years now. So what happens over time is that life here in Panama has become normal whereas the life I used to have back in the USA has faded into the past. Over time people and places change so I wouldn't be comfortable if I were to go back. Lots of people know me here. Anyway I had always wanted to live in the tropics because of my interest in tropical plants. I had considered Mexico and Costa Rica but in the end I decided on Panama partly because we use the US dollar as our currency and also because it had a good residency program. Since coming here I have become a Panamanian citizen. Nobody in my family can speak English so I have become fluent in Spanish. . Very few of my friends can speak English. I have a Panamanian daughter. Everything I own is in Panama. I didn't exactly plan the life I have right now. It is just the way it turned out. I live on the same property I purchased in the year 2000. There were no improvements on the property when I bought it. The closest electricity was a kilometer away. So everything I have here is my own doing. Some people want to say that Panama is a third world country and that it is difficult to adapt to the culture. I don't find that to be true. Once you learn the language well any cultural differences tend to disappear. You can have a very comfortable life here. One thing nice about the tropics is that if you choose the right elevation you have a comfortable climate year round. You won't need air conditioning nor a heating system.

Helll ..Thanks for  your response. I am happy to here Panama is  a good place to come.. my most worry is to get a job but I will try all  I can to come.

@Diksha i moved 20 years  ago at age 55  . i had traveled 5 or 6 countries weekend trips in search of a destination . coming from a bad marriage and needed a place with prospect of a new wife and reasons to move there , the dollar , got tired of trying figure out if i was paying 35 cents or 3.50 for a beer , dollar was a factor . cost of living as i love to cook , fish , walk ,swim,  snorkel , dance found it all in panama city . women , ok colombian women are so frigging hot , but they will say anything to get to the states  BUT i wanted to live in panama and the women here are so family oriented that they do not want to move away  BUT be warned you will marry the family . but that's ok to as i am still married  same woman for 19 years , they are loyal . our marriage vows were hers love ,honor and push your wheel chair . she was 21 i was 56 . climate , i had bad knees and was looking at surgery as i could not walk up and down stairs had to walk side ways , i weighed 186 . got a 4th floor walk up and started taking herbs and vit quit living on celebrex for the pain . aug til feb i dropped to 152 and 3 inches on my waste where i am today still walking 2 to 3 hours a day at 75 years old ,, i could go on and on about the weather as the heat and humidity takes getting used to most dont try want to live in air conditioning me no never turn it on as i have 8 ceiling fans in my house in la chorerra , i also have a home in the country at lake gatun over looking the lake on the carribean side of the canal i am forced to sale 5,000 meters  overlooking lake gatun with constant breezes blowing south across the lake from ocean 21 miles away . FLIGHTS  panama being a hub i could fly much cheaper back home cheaper than any place except mexico which i went 3 times to areas and decide against mexico . i could write twice this must as i had a guide service for 2 years when i lived in the city before i moved to the lake and became a fishing guide .. cost of medical , medications , herbs . wine , rent and the pensianado program i got before i ever even moved . so many discounts and tax free home ownership . more ..

New member here. The driving force to consider Panama for me is primarily political. Searching for a community with conservative values, minimal wokeness,and good weather.  Am I in the right place?

I really hope not!  I came here seeking a liberal community, elimination of people trying to control my thinking.   One of us will be disappointed!  LOL

It's best to leave all the politics behind and just enjoy a peaceful of life here.

@Shona7228 - Maybe neither will be disappointed. We seem to agree on independent thinking.,

@Krisc99 - You are right, political talk usually doesn't end well. I'm just looking for some honest feedback to better understand the culture and whether or not this community is a good fit for me.

I can't say if this is a good fit for you. So much depends on where you are and who you hang out with. For me personally, weird as this sounds, I feel more at home here than I ever did anywhere in the US. But, I spend very little time with other expats. I've found the Panamanians to be very kind, friendly, fun, respectful, and not inclined to involved themselves in your politics or other personal choices.

What do you consider good weather? I hope you like rain  😁  Right now it's rainy season as we've been getting a lot. But it never snows and thank goodness, the hurricanes don't come this far south.