Our first mistake

Mistake number one: We told the parents our Panama plan. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Look, we know it is way too early for us to even consider moving in the near, near future. But when you say to your folks that you are considering moving out of the country, they don’t take the news too well. At least our parents didn’t.

I thought my parents might be more open to it considering they moved to Maui more than five years ago. You have to understand … these were people born and raised in New Jersey with all of their immediate family living within a 30-mile radius. Maui was a HUGE change, but they did it and I applaud them for it.

However, even though Maui is thousands of miles away from all those they know and love, it is still a part of the United States, therefore, it qualifies as a suitable relocation choice. Our choice does not.

I’m thinking double standard, but they are parents so I know they have reason to be concerned. What they need to understand is that we are not going to make this decision lightly. There’s tons of research involved.

Our summer vacation there is just the first of many steps.

The Plane Tickets are Bought

Finally on Sunday night I was able to get my husband to sit in front of the computer with me and schedule our trip dates. As soon as I hit “Purchase,” I was excited. July can’t come fast enough!

Of course, now the real work begins. Friends of friends know some people who have either moved to Panama recently or who grew up there, so our first step is to talk with them about where to go, what to see, and more importantly where to stay.

We’ll be flying into Panama City and want to stay there for at least a couple of days seeing some of the popular tourist sights like the canal. But as my husband says, this isn’t a trip about only seeing the tourist traps. We want to experience the real Panama.

To do this, we plan to rent a car and drive the 6 or 7 hours over to Boquete, which will be our final destination.

Apparently Boquete is where a lot of Americans are relocating, mostly because of the mountainous landscape and fantastic temperatures. Who wouldn’t love a high of 80 during the day and 60s at night? Sounds perfect.

We could fly from Panama City over to David and then drive another 45 minutes or so over to Boquete, but then we’d be missing the entire countryside. There are beaches to stop at, small towns to see, food and people to experience. We don’t want to miss anything!

Next stop: Panama!

If all of my rambling in my last post left you wondering just what in the world I was going on about, let me clarify for you.

Lately my husband and I have been considering a move. Not just any move, but a complete relocation of body and soul. There’s been a lot of press lately about Panama, specifically U.S. retirees choosing it as a retirement destination.

Granted, we are nowhere near retirement age. In fact, we have at least another 35 years left before we hit that golden time of life. But we’re thinking, why should retirees have all the fun?

So, we’ve done some preliminary research on Panama and we are in the process of planning a trip there this summer.

Of course when I’m asked if we have any summer vacation plans and I respond with Panama, I’m met with looks of confusion followed by the inevitable question “Why Panama?!”

From some, it is almost a look of distaste. I like to believe that so little is known about the country that this question stems from ignorance. Being a fan of the FOX hit TV show “Prison Break,” I know that Panama is not always portrayed in a positive light. But that’s no reason not to visit.

Americans are moving there, older Americans no less, so there must be some redeeming qualities about the country. Panama here we come!

Live Every Day like you’re on Vacation

Every once in a while, when the work gets slow and the brain goes into overdrive, I get to thinking – is life really about working 9 to 5 with the only gratification being a regular, albeit meager, paycheck?

When I go on vacation, it gets more difficult each time to come back to the “real” life of work and oh so little play. Then as I sit daydreaming at my desk, thoughts of vacation mingle with real life. So much so, that I find myself asking, “how can I live that vacation-like life every day?”

Are the days of lazily swinging in the hammock as palm trees sway above only guaranteed to those to win the lottery of life? How else besides being reincarnated as Angelina Jolie can I make this scene my life?

My husband and I dream, more so now than when we were in our twenties. We dream of a simpler life, in a tropical climate, with hopefully less bills. We like to think it is not just a dream, but something we could actually achieve, sooner rather than later.

Since we are not independently wealthy and have not been the recipients of a large inheritance, we will certainly have to work.

Herein lies the quandary. Can you really combine a vacation-like life and work? I like to think so, as long as both are on your terms.

So many of us, me included, relocate to beachfront communities only to find that day-to-day life eventually takes over and enjoying those endless sunny days and walks on the beach become something you do only when out-of-town guests visit. Sad, but true.

Do I have to wait till I’m 70 to stop taking life so seriously and start really living? That is, of course, if I live that long and am still healthy.

Whew! All this thinking makes me want to take a vacation.

Here's Lysh ...

My brother jokes around saying I’m one of the most ambitious people he knows. Taking into consideration that my brother doesn’t really associate with that many people, leaves me skeptical of his comment, except when he follows it up with “it is exhausting to talk to you.”

My husband just laughs and says I’m obsessed!

I admit it. I am obsessed. Obsessed with writing.

For the most part, I’ve always been on the writing path. I have the degree in mass communications with an emphasis in print journalism. I went on to do the weekly newspaper and magazine thing holding positions of reporter, editor, and managing editor.

That was all cool, but I still hadn’t found that elusive job that spoke to my inner writing child. Then, as if a coconut hit me on the head, freelance writing presented itself and suddenly I had all the ambition in the world.

And, now that I am in my mid-30s, I have the confidence in myself and the drive to say “Yes, I can do this!” So I am.

If you need writing services, feel free to visit my website at www.alysiashivers.com or email me at alysia.shivers@gmail.com and let me know how I can help you.