Like most Americans, I equate the word custom with expensive. I had a custom wrought iron and marble table made 15 years ago, and it was so expensive that I'll probably be buried with it. I thought I was resigned to a life of factory-made, but Panama changed that.

I simplified my life when I moved to Panama, but after a few years in a city with as many malls as Dallas, my stuff had seemingly given birth and multiplied. Stuff like blankets for the 3 nights a year when I'm cold, and thick terrycloth bathrobes for when I travel. 

I don't like clutter, so I thought the answer might be a bed with storage. I had seen functional storage beds before, but they always seemed to be cheaply made. As I looked for a high-quality bed with pull-out storage drawers, I realized that they didn't exist. As a last effort, I thought about having one made. 

I took several photographs to a Panamanian woodworker named Ezekiel. His shop is not a showroom… it’s just a shop. To say it’s not glamorous would be like saying dog food is not filet mignon. Imagine an entire row of exclamation points after "not glamorous" and you get my point.

I had seen Ezekiel's work and I liked the quality. I stopped by his shop one day when I was especially dressed down, and I chatted with him about what I wanted. Okay, "chatting" probably doesn't encompass the wild hand gestures that involve ordering something custom in a language that I don't really speak, but we had a nice charade-like interlude. Within a few days, he came to my home, and I showed him drawings and pictures of what I wanted. He took notes and measurements for over an hour. He left with a 50% cash deposit and a promise to return with a custom teak bed in a month.

I’ll admit that I was nervous. Panama is a cash society, and people here are used to doing 99% of their transactions in cash. But a receipt isn't the same thing as a guarantee from a credit card company. My typical feeling, though, is that if someone needs to steal from me then they need the money worse than I do. I’m happy to say that I've never been stolen from in Panama.

Three weeks after forking over the cash, my husband and I stopped by Ezekiel's shop unannounced. To my great relief, my bed was in various pieces… but it was in progress. At the month-mark, we called to find out the delivery date, and Ezekiel said it would be another week. This didn't surprise me. What did surprise me was that after a small delay, Ezekiel showed up with his teenage son. They spent the day building the bed in my condo from the pieces they had created in their shop.

It was exciting to have a bed built in front of my eyes. After it was put together, I felt like a kid with her first bike. The design was exactly like we had discussed, and the color was perfect. Plus, the freshly cut teak wood made my home smell amazing.

After the success of the bed, I designed a toilet-to-ceiling cabinet for my bathroom. Most bathrooms have several feet of wasted space above the toilet tank, and my condo was no different. I wanted to utilize that space with a super-sized medicine cabinet. As you can see from the photo below, it looks like it came with my bathroom. It is absolutely perfect in every way.

After two successful projects, my brain shifted into full creative mode. I decided I'd had it with the myriad phones and laptops and cameras charging in various spots of my apartment. I wanted an entertainment center with an electronics recharging module that would hide all those unsightly cords. I literally drew the design for this piece of furniture based on items I wanted to include--such as a tower fan that I can't live without, my flat screen TV, and four shelves of a recharging station. 

My next project is a special side table that attaches to my couch. I fell in love with the concept of a "swivel side table" at the VIP movie theater in Panama City. I sit in the over-sized reclining chairs at the movie theater and am able to drink wine and eat sushi without sitting up. It's such a level of relaxation that I decided I had to have a Lazy Swivel Side Table at home. Yes, I just coined a new phrase since I often feel too lazy to move a muscle when I watch movies... but I still want to enjoy my wine and cheese. 

Now here is the best part. If you're wondering what my teak-spirations cost, hold onto your credit cards. The bed was $800 and the bathroom medicine cabinet was only $750. Inexpensive custom teak furniture... just another reason that I love Panama. 

I'm an unrepentant luxury junkie. I like to surround myself with beautiful things. But when I walked into this apartment for the first time, my jaw dropped. I was literally surrounded by the intense beauty of Panama in this apartment. It wraps around you like a sable and sparkles like a diamond.

If you've been following my blog for any amount of time, you know that I specialize in luxury properties in Panama, both rentals and real estate. This two bedroom apartment epitomizes luxury in Panama. It's one of those WOW apartments that was designed to impress. The building is shaped like a large sail, and comes to a point on the balcony. Because most of the walls are made of glass, you get a different view from each area of the apartment. 

But wait... there's more.

This spectacular Yacht Club Tower apartment is in the prime location in Panama City, on the Cinta Costera. It is high enough to have breathtaking views... without being too high. Plus, the large wrap-around balcony is very unique in Panama. Since I suffer from vertigo, imagine how happy I was to not have a tingling spine or wobbly knees during any of my visits. You see, the balcony area covered in smooth rocks gives the illusion of space in a high rise. There are only a handful of apartments like this in all of Panama.

An apartment like this would cost millions in the US. But in Panama, this spectacular apartment with a unique view in a prime location is just $699,000. And here's the best part... it has been granted exoneration from property taxes for the next 17 years. If you've been thinking about moving to Panama, you've got to see this apartment.

You can view more information about this apartment by clicking here. You can also contact me to get more information. 

What is it like to be an American living in Panama? On most days, I feel like a celebrity. But the best part is that I have a front-row seat to the dignitaries and VIPs who visit Panama. 

I live in Casa Bonita, a luxury residential apartment tower located inside the high-end resort of Playa Bonita. We share grounds with the Westin Playa Bonita, and are a short walk down the beach from the InterContinental Playa Bonita.

Because of its dramatic beachfront beauty, innate security and proximity to Panama City, almost every VIP who visits Panama stays at Playa Bonita. Past VIPs include the Prince of Spain, the US vice president, and other presidents. Yes, it's a resort for presidents and kings, and this is where I call home.

As an American, politics can be divisive. I describe myself to most as apolitical. Even though I didn't vote for President Obama, it was very exciting to have him stay at Playa Bonita during the Cumbre Conference of the Americas. Along with a small group of international residents and a few other Americans, we got together like groupies to pay homage to the office of the President of the United States. There may not be another time in my life when I'll get within a few feet of a sitting president.

This video shows the air of expectation as we wait for Obama. Be sure to watch the other videos in this series, as you'll get to share the excitement with me firsthand.

Truly, I'm giving you the inside scoop on Panama. Some days are quiet. Some days are electric. But it's always exciting to be an American expat living in Panama.

The presidential summit is getting set to begin. Helicopters have been circling and swarms of clean-shaven, white-faced athletic men (who even in casual clothes look just like Secret Service) are descending upon our normally tranquil slice of Panama. Playa Bonita Village is housing many of the presidents and dignitaries, including US President Obama during the VII Cumbre Summit of the Americas. Stay tuned for more Inside Scoop from Panama Insider, Melissa Darnay.