Moving to Panama? What part of Panama is Best? Beaches, mountains or a city?

[@banasophia]

Thanks - another great video!

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@banasophia Yay!!! 😆

[@deltablue-cm8ib]

You've done it again Patty!!! Another great and informative video. I really enjoyed it sitting here in my home office on a Sunday afternoon😊!

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@deltablue-cm8ib Awwww, thanks! Sometimes I wonder if this is helpful information 😆

[@elvdell5582]

I've retired early and I'm learning that what you think you want before you actually get to try it, you really don't know. I'm here in Panama City now and it really is not what I thought it would be based on my 1 week visit previously. 2 months in a location can really open your eyes. I'm also realizing that you really have to be intentional if you want to keep your feet in both countries. I'm feeling now like it is an all or nothing type of situation for me. And I'm not ready for all. Many more places to visit before I decide and, being married, I have to also consider my wife's preparedness. Life is full of dips and turns. One day at a time and realizing that it is all part of a larger journey is key.

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@elvdell5582 Yes! I hope the two of you can find a way forward that meets both of your desires. That can be challenging. Perhaps some slow travel might be a consideration for you two. Enjoy the journey 🌟

[@jamesshepherd5805]

So cool! Thanks for sharing

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@jamesshepherd5805 Glad it was helpful ☺️

[@XX2LFEUSNVET]

My wife and I are thinking of Vulcan, El Valle and Alta de Maria, she want to be in San Francisco in Panama :) Great post!

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@XX2LFEUSNVET Cooler mountain climates 😆 You can rent in each area for 6 months at a time and get a good sense of where you’d like to settle down. It’s kind of fun to move around the country.

[@XX2LFEUSNVET]

@ that’s sounds great she’s Panamanian we been married for 37 years I was stationed there in the Navy 1991 :) I told her if she wants a condo in the city no problem as long as I can get a home outside and we can visit on the weekends in the city:)

[@Pattybluehayes]

@ Congrats on such a long term marriage - that takes a lot of effort 💛

[@ronjohnson63]

Merry Christmas Patty Blue! I love your smile and your clear concise explanations. Do you have a guide of step by step process from the us airport to Panama. I need to learn how to do everything necessary including the official legal procedures

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@ronjohnson63 Merry Christmas to you! I don’t have any logistics info but it’s pretty simple, same as entering any other country - fill out the customs form and go through immigration and customs upon your arrival. Don’t bring fruit or seeds. ☺️🇵🇦Enjoy Panama.

[@lyric8006]

I love the heavy rain there. I live in Oregon and our rain is only very light and misty.

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@lyric8006 I lived in CA and never experienced anything like this kind of downpour 😆 sometimes it’s moderate and then all of a sudden it’s like a switch was flipped to pour the buckets.

[@gideonasress7484]

good detailed explanation. Thank you Patty

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@gideonasress7484 glad it was helpful ☺️

[@officialwildcardadventures]

I visited Belize two years ago. Would've loved to keep going further South. 47, retired, motorcycle traveller with a pension, looking for somewhere to land.

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@officialwildcardadventures The world is your oyster!! Be careful on the bike 😬 crazy drivers everywhere.

[@susanrice3033]

Your upper level area is stunning!

[@Pattybluehayes]

Thank you!!!!!

[@calvinbarajas5144]

I like your natural hair color.

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@calvinbarajas5144 Thanks! Me too.

[@anniesshenanigans3815]

What a great video!! I have watched hundreds of expat videos over the last 10 years.. always looking for personal insight on the move and all the details. I hope to land in Panama for the 2nd time next year after I am eligible to get SS. The first time was in 2021 and did the PRT tour. I love all of the areas, but really cannot decide based on a 10 day trip and lots and lots of videos. I have kinda narrowed it down to a few areas to 'hop' around to. I want to be near other expats for get togethers and familiarity, but I also want to travel to some areas where I can live more like a local, get immersed in learning Spanish. I live near the beach now in Florida, but really hate the heat if I am out walking, which I plan to do a lot of there. I have about 6 months to solidify my 'plan'. Coming with a backpack and a carryon. I have some things that I would like to eventually ship, but only after I really find my landing spot. Some medium to large framed art, a couple of keyboard pianos and other smaller things like tools and kitchen stuff. Probably stuff a mattress topper in that as well to complete a pallet. Time will tell. So do tell why you decided that Volcan was not for you? When I toured the area, it seemed to be a pretty far drive from anything, even though it's a great area. Probably more so now that they have put in sidewalks and built up a bit.

[@Pattybluehayes]

So glad you found it helpful! You will have fun staying in different places. I loved being at the beach for a few months. It was amazing to go for beach walks. It was only after maybe 6 months or so, that I realized the heat was doing me in 🥵 I enjoyed Volcan, I liked that it was more laid back, quieter than Boquete, but a few reasons made me decide it wasn't the place for me. 1, it was actually cold! lol - so funny to say that, but I wore socks and long sleeves and even turned the heat on in my car. 2, a horrible natural disaster happened while I was there, 11 people died, mostly children (landslide/debris flow) and I think that energy just stayed with me. 3, pretty far drive from a beach if you wanted to go for a day. I believe it was a few hours to get to a beach. But, I liked having David there for bigger shopping trips to stock up on stuff. And there are some amazing hikes in that area. Chiriqui province is really beautiful.

[@stevel6420]

I'm glad someone else is having difficulties deciding where to live in Panama. I don't feel so bad now.

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@stevel6420 😄For such a small country, there are so many varied places! And truly, there's a honeymoon effect that happens because you imagine beach life or island life, house life or condo life and then after 5-7 months you get a better sense of what you really want 🙂

[@stevel6420]

Decisions, decisions.......aargh. After hearing about your car insurance hassles, living in Panama City where there are good transportation choices, and no car needed is sounding better and better. That plus the availability of local city health care. And I'd like to travel around all of South America so living in Panama City and its closeness to the airport is another plus for me. In a month or two I will have most likely changed my mind......again!!

[@Pattybluehayes]

You might want to check out Cerro Azul. It's in the mountains above the city, cooler temps, lot's of nature. You would need a car though. It's not that bad. You just have to muster up some New York driver energy😆

[@russelllloyd6374]

Thanks

[@Pattybluehayes]

Thank you so very much, truly.

[@1Vagg1Shovel6Beers]

Pattys cute , and informative double threat here !💪🏻

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@1Vagg1Shovel6Beers ☺️🙌☺️ but old 🤣

[@1Vagg1Shovel6Beers]

@ pfffft We can agree to disagree , hope your day is great down there , god bless you Patty ! what a fun channel

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@1Vagg1Shovel6Beers 😉😎🌞 I think summer finally arrived, trade winds picked up!

[@1Vagg1Shovel6Beers]

⁠@@Pattybluehayesyour a dam doll, true .. i have to catch up on your story more , Im 48 and someday i will move to Panama , i enjoyed my time there , so your channel is very useful to me, thank you for these tips !🧉

[@judithvilla6026]

Great details and thankful for all your info! Was wondering what aspects of Volcan were not to your liking? I'm from the most sunny city in Canada but we do get snow. I know I can't deal with the heat in the 'Beach' areas but not sure I can deal with constant rain and overcast conditions for weeks on end...I hear Volcan has been affected by global warning in the last 15 years and the rain and overcast conditions are a consideration.

[@Pattybluehayes]

It was very rainy there when I was there. And grey, but it was a non-typical rainy season apparently. Even the grey and rain here in El Valle get to me in October and November. I try to get down the mountain for a dose of sunshine. For me, Volcan was a bit too cold! And there was a landslide/debris flow that killed around 11 people and it just weighed my energy down. It was also a bit of a far drive to get to the beach. But, great hikes, close to Costa Rica for trips, closer to get to Bocas, day trips to Boquete, reasonable prices. There can be some internet issues there - but that was a few years ago, so I don't know what it's like now.

[@judithvilla6026]

@@Pattybluehayes Thanks for sharing!

[@PeterDavila-mx9ni]

Patty, great video. Lots of great information. As always, thank you for such enjoyable and useful videos for us future expats. On your discussions about what we may want to bring as part of relocating to Panama. You mentioned tools. I wondered about that. That is something I have lots of, tools. Chop saws, miter saws, air compressors, etc. Then, all kinds of electrical system work tools. I have spent a lifetime renovating old homes, while I was also working a regular 9 to 5 job in the US. I just enjoy doing such projects myself. It's something I would love to continue to do in my own future home in Panama. I even have my own setup for a solar system, panels, batteries, wiring, and the tools for such work. Anyways, just wondering why it would make sense to ship a container full of my own tools instead of buying them in Panama?

[@Pattybluehayes]

Thanks and I'm glad you enjoyed the information! I would post on some of the expat FB groups and get a consensus about the tools. But I recall seeing many people post that the quality of tools just isn't the same here. I have found that just with simple garden tools. Since that is a big shipment to consider, if you haven't decided on where you're going to settle down - maybe look into having the container stored at the port for a month or two while you travel around to decide? I'm not even sure if that's a thing, but if it were, might be a good plan.

[@PeterDavila-mx9ni]

@@Pattybluehayes Good to know. The issue with tool quality. Absolutely, I'll store everything in the US, while I travel and explore Panama.👍

[@francinel.1606]

Hang in there, I'm sending infinite possibilities and prosperity to your heart from mine

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@francinel.1606 ❤️🧡💜💚🤍🙏 Thank you!!

[@enriquegutierrez1902]

Natural Look Lady Be Bless thank you for great info

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@enriquegutierrez1902 thank you!

[@kimberlyoliveira7430]

Just curious what didn't appeal to you about Volcan?

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@kimberlyoliveira7430 I was there when there was a horrible debris flow from a landslide in Bambito, 11 people died. So that kind of hung over me emotionally. It happened within the first few weeks of my being there. Also, a bit too cold for me and far from a decent beach.

[@kimberlyoliveira7430]

@@Pattybluehayes Thanks for your reply ❤️ I was curious because my husband and I are planning on locating to Volcan mainly because of the close hospital and the flat infrastructure due to our achy aging bodies lol. I originally fell in love with el valle, but was concerned about having a hospital close by.

[@txhomeschoolmom5706]

We're binge watching your videos and noticed you utilized Estes Shipping services for your move to Panama... please share your experience with them 🤗 Thanks much!!

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@txhomeschoolmom5706 I think that was just one of the sub contracted providers. The company I used no longer serves Panama 😕

[@txhomeschoolmom5706]

@@Pattybluehayes Ahhh gotcha... thanks much for responding... truly appreciated!

[@pixelizedneko]

Hi Patty! I read your story in MSN. I hope you're doing great. I wonder if you want to try working in the Philippines since we have lots of call centers in here and you might get a role in training or so. Best of luck to you!

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@pixelizedneko Thanks for the idea. Can I do it remotely?! I’d love to do some training for people who deal with agitated customers. There are ways to communicate to calm people - that has to take a toll on the reps.

[@Crysco.mp3]

Very interesting. You're very lovely ma'am. I bet it's amazing hearing those wonderful jungle sounds. Do you ever walk around your land barefoot? I bet grounding is great there.

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@Crysco.mp3 I love the jungle sounds ☺️ last night was a party/concert sound til 3 😵‍💫 I don’t go barefoot on the grass - too many things that bite.

[@livingintheright]

We did!! No previous visit, no tour, Just celebrating our 4th year!!

[@Pattybluehayes]

@ Wow!!!! That’s adventurous!! You must have watched videos? How did you decide where to live?

[@livingintheright]

@Pattybluehayes We moved 5 times already. We live in El Francis close to Va +Ven my Los Molinos. We like cooler. Boquete is too expensive. Love El Valle. Dislike the road. Beaches to hot. But love to visit. We like the are so far. Will remain a renter. We travel light. No desire to own. Time to travel

[@livingintheright]

Yes, we watched many videos. I still do. I like your channel.

[@EricCantori]

Hey Patty. Just got here from the article in MSN. I'm thinking about the same but I'd like to wait til I have a partner to share the experience and split the costs. What do you think about that? Should I just do it instead?

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@EricCantori Well, I’m very biased toward single life 🤣 Can you visit Panama and see if it’s even a country you like? And I’d suggest meeting with an immigration attorney to understand the visa requirements. And, it can be challenging enough to meet someone let alone adding the criteria, ‘we’re going to move to another country’ 😉

[@EricCantori]

​@@Pattybluehayes I've grown accustomed to single life as well!! I've visited Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Panama is next prolly an Airbnb etc. Financially I am in good shape so maybe I'll wait and meet an already landed ex-pat to share experiences. Best of luck Patty - I will keep an eye on your channel.

[@edypanama7221]

Hey beautiful I hope you’re doing fine🌺🌸🌼

[@Pattybluehayes]

@@edypanama7221 Thank you ☺️