My Move To Panama
Ask About Our
​White Glove Service
US: (214) 431-5235
​Panama: +(507) 6270-4333
  • Home
  • Buy
    • Condos for Sale in Casa Bonita, Playa Bonita Resort >
      • Playa Bonita Resort
      • 24P Casa Bonita Penthouse for Sale
      • 21M Casa Bonita Penthouse for Sale
      • 21P Casa Bonita Penthouse for Sale
      • 20-o Casa Bonita Penthouse for sale
      • 19L 2 Bedroom Condo at Casa Bonita High Floor
      • 18F 2 Bedroom Condo at Casa Bonita High Floor
      • 18G 2-Bedroom Apartment
      • 15G Casa Bonita 1-Bedroom Condo for Sale
      • 11J 2 Bedroom Casa Bonita
      • 10F Casa Bonita for Sale
      • 10i Casa Bonita for Sale
      • 9K Casa Bonita 1 bedroom for sale
      • 9e Casa Bonita 1 bedroom for sale
      • 7F 2 Bedroom Large Apartment at Casa Bonita High Floor
      • Casa Bonita New Apartments
    • Condos for Sale in Panama City >
      • Winston Churchill 3 Bedroom Paitilla
      • Amador 2 bedroom
      • Vista del Mar 1 bedroom
      • Aqualina 3 Bedroom Punta Pacifica
      • White Tower - 2 bedroom
      • Amador 3 bedroom Jr. Penthouse
      • Amador 3 bedroom Penthouse
      • Costa del Este PH Parque del Mar
    • Condos for Sale in Coronado >
      • Royal Palm, Gorgona, Panama
      • Coronado Golf Tower >
        • Coronado Golf 2-Bedroom Apartment
        • Coronado Golf 11th floor
        • Coronado Golf Tower 1-Bedroom
      • Casamar Beach Community >
        • Perlamar at Casamar - 1 and 2-bedroom condos
        • Altamar at Casamar - 3 bedroom condos
      • Bahia Resort, Nueva Gorgona, Panama >
        • Bahia Resort 1 Bedroom
    • Priced-to-Sell Beach Properties >
      • Las Islas, Punta Barco-Panama
    • Houses for Sale >
      • Penthouse in Amador (30% discount)
      • Villamar at Casamar
      • Villamar 14
      • Marinazul at Casamar >
        • Marinazul Masterplan
        • Marinazul #4
      • Vista Mar Villa
      • Costa del Este House
      • Oceanfront Home in Majagual, Panama
      • Oceanfront Home in Malibu Beach, Panama
      • Coronado Farm $1.2 MM
    • Land for Sale >
      • Boquete House Plus 10 Hectares
      • Absolute Beachfront Lots Pedasi
  • Rent
    • Rent at Casa Bonita >
      • FAQs About Renting at Casa Bonita
      • Casa Bonita 7D
      • Casa Bonita 7e 1 bedroom
      • Casa Bonita 7F
      • Casa Bonita 7i
      • Casa Bonita 9b 1 bedroom
      • Casa Bonita 9e 1 bed
      • Casa Bonita 13B 1 Bedroom
      • Casa Bonita 14B 1 Bed
      • Casa Bonita 14J
      • Casa Bonita 15B
      • Casa Bonita 17J
      • Casa Bonita 18e
      • Casa Bonita 18F
      • Casa Bonita 19D
      • Casa Bonita 19L
      • Casa Bonita 23o Penthouse
      • Casa Bonita 24o Penthouse
      • Casa Bonita 24N Penthouse
      • Playa Bonita Resort
    • Renting in Coronado >
      • Coronado Golf 1-Bedroom Golf Course View
      • Coronado Golf 2-Bedroom
      • FAQs About Renting at Coronado Golf
      • About Coronado Golf Tower
    • Renting in Panama City >
      • Villa del Mar 2 bedroom apartment
      • Amador 2-bedroom
      • Vista del Mar 1 bedroom
      • Amador 3-bedroom
    • Rental Terms & Conditions
    • Fun Facts About Panama
    • Resources for Renters
  • Visit
    • Why Panama?
    • Things to Do in Panama >
      • Monkey Island Panama
      • Fish Market Panama
    • Foodie Tour
    • Gift Videos
    • French People Moving to Panama >
      • Porquoi les Français s'installent-ils au Panama
  • Concierge
    • Premium Services
    • Property Management
    • Moving to Panama >
      • Getting Money into Panama
      • Opening a Bank Account in Panama
      • Getting a Bank Mortgage in Panama
      • Bringing Pets to Panama
      • Checklist for Bringing Your Dogs & Cats to Panama from the US
    • Testimonials
    • What Do Renovations Cost in Panama?
    • Redecorating in Panama
  • FREE Book
  • Contact
    • About Us
  • Blog

California Versus Panama

11/7/2017

0 Comments

 
PictureMy husband, Kleriston, sitting in my favorite chair.
I was reading an article this morning about a man’s daily life in Silicon Valley. Growing up in California, I was intrigued.  

​In his daily life, he pays $24 per hour for a non-English speaking nanny, he commutes several hours each way to a job at a start-up whose future is uncertain, and he can only dream of one day owning a condo because real estate prices are ridiculous. He’s too busy working and commuting to go to the grocery store, he never has enough time for the gym, and he can only dream of true relaxation. He ends the article by saying it was a beautiful drive home in paradise. 

I had to laugh ... not a polite chuckle but a holding-my-belly-until-tears-roll-down-my-face type of laugh. Yes, it was that funny.
 
California is beautiful but the intensity of life in the Bay Area is insane. Paradise is more than just a pretty sunset; it’s a way of life. 
 
I should know. As a former Californian, I moved to Panama because I wanted to live in Paradise. Notice I didn’t say I wanted to be in Paradise. Living is about quality of life, not just longitude and latitude. 
 
Let me give you an example. As I write this, I am currently sitting in 75-degree weather on the balcony of my luxury condo, watching a container ship as it glides into the mouth of the Panama Canal. My husband is in the hammock next to me, swinging lazily in the breeze. When I look up from my laptop, the vivid greens of the jungle contrast with the sparkling blues of the ocean. I can hear hundreds of birds singing in the jungle canopy, and I can now distinguish the difference between parrots and toucans.   
 
I have a sense of urgency as I type because I have an important appointment—a rendezvous with the ocean before the tide goes out. 
 
After my daily swim, I’ll pay $35—per day, not per hour—for my maid to cook, clean and wash. Later, rather than going to the grocery store, I’ll get in my Mercedes E350 that I paid $14,000 for (and another $200 per year in car insurance), and I’ll drive to the local market where I’ll buy fresh fruit, veggies and fish for nothing more than pocket change. At some point today, I’ll walk to one of two gyms where I live and catch up on my Netflix as I tone my muscles and clear my mind. Then this evening, we’ll meet friends for a drink. We've been invited for cocktails by our French friends. Yesterday was our Brazilian friends, and tomorrow will be our Belgium friends. 
 
Yesterday, I met with an investor client who is younger than I am. He made a comment about how young I am to be doing the job that I do. I kept a straight face while inside I was rolling on the floor laughing. My age is a closely guarded secret, but many people think I’m a decade or more younger than my birth certificate says. It hasn’t always been this way. My youthful face is a gift from Panama. After all, why should I turn fifty when I can stay thirty-five?
 
Am I spoiled? You bet. But let's be clear. I didn't inherit my life or win it in a lottery. Living in Paradise was a conscious decision. I wanted a better quality of life, and I chose Panama. 
 
The Silicon Valley blogger and I might both live in Paradise, but I’m the only one whose life is idyllic. 

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Melissa Darnay is a marketer, a serial entrepreneur, and a relocation concierge in Panama. Learn more... 

    Archives

    July 2020
    May 2019
    April 2019
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    August 2017
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Copyright 2015-2019 Choose Panama Inc. All Rights Reserved.