Last summer I was sitting in my beautiful San Francisco apartment feeling like I was being held inside by the cold, windy gray summer. That weather went on forever, at least it felt that way. So my partner and I had the discussion about what kind of climate we would like to live in. We decided that we’d like a place where it ranged between 70 - 80 degrees. I didn’t even think there was a place like that, but it was fun to dream it up.

Less than a week later I found out that my cousin was moving to Panama. Not understanding why, I called him and we had a great conversation. He said Panama is 400 miles north of the equator. I said, it must be pretty hot and told him what kind of climate we wanted. He replied that there was a place like that in Panama. Now that piqued my interest.

He told me about the country, that it was stable, had no army, was supported by the Panama canal and that it was very safe. He sent me a few documents that talked about the fiscal state of the country, showed the beauty of Boquete and about Panama in general. He also told me about a tour that he took, the Panama Relocation Tour. He said it was worth its weight in gold because he got so much information from it.

I was pretty interested by then. Initially I thought I would just ask him questions about what he learned on the tour, but one day in my meditation, I got that we needed to take the tour ourselves. So we signed up for the following January.

As we kept researching, every question or possible deal breaker was solved very easily. It felt right to me but I knew I had to go there first to feel it. I wondered if we could bring the cats, knowing full well and good that I wasn’t going anywhere without them. I found out we could take them and quarantine them in our home for a fee. How convenient was that! And it was like that every step of the way.

I recognized at the start that my partner and I made a declaration and the Universe provided - time after time.

We are now living in Boquete, a little town in the mountains, surrounded by rainforest and kind people. The people who live here are so welcoming and helpful. We are creating community in less than 3 weeks.

Getting here was a trip, challenging, stressful and complicated. And we did it. It has all been worth it, even though living in a foreign country is, well, different. Technology here is different than in San Francisco, yet we are figuring it out with the help of our friends.

So think about what it is that you really want and put it out there. Then see what the Universe brings to you. Maybe I’ll see you in Panama!