Panama Expats

With over 30 years’ experience of globetrotting, courtesy of the U.S. Navy, Dusty decided it was time for a change. Retiring from the Navy, Dusty next became a professor for the Ventura Community College District before going to work with a big box retailer. Repositioning to Hawaii he anticipated living out his retirement years in paradise. The downturn in the economy prompted Dusty and his wife Carolyn to seek new opportunities and new adventures overseas. In 2013 they became full-time adventure seekers residing in Chitré, Panama. 

As an educator, writer, traveler, mother, sister and friend, Shaunette, an expatriate from Jamaica found her second home in Panama. She met her husband and started her journey of building a life for herself and her family in the Central American country where she enjoys nature and outdoor activities. She also loves reading and participating in cultural activities. Since Panama is the hub of the Americas, her life has been augmented with experiences, which make her ability to work with various international and national organizations quite suitable. Such exposure has brought about immeasurable growth professionally. 

As a tween, Lyndi walked miles to borrow books from the bookmobile and found quiet places to read them. Now she writes stories for young readers and helps other writers with their writing projects. 

A retired high school teacher, mother of three adult children, and community youth volunteer, Lyndi moved with her husband to Panama where she hosts writing workshops, tours and retreats in nature and at Tranquilo Retreat. Often ideas come to her as she walks the beach and hikes in the mountains. 

While stargazing around a campfire, many children and teens shared the grief they carried. Lyndi was struck by how challenging it is to help youth who grieve and was inspired to write the Summer Triangle Trilogy. 

John and Becky Gaver are originally from Houston, Texas, but are now living in San Carlos, Panamá. John is a retired businessman, former electronic engineer, and the author of “The Rich Don’t Pay Tax! …Or Do They? — Second Edition – Revised and Expanded”. Becky is a retired title abstractor and former insurance executive. 

More than 20 years ago, they began looking at Central and South American countries, as possible retirement destinations, as well as considering several Caribbean nations. At that time, Panamá was not even on their radar, but, as they eliminated potential destinations for a variety of reasons, they began to take a closer look at Panamá. That was about 15 years ago. They became members of the Live and Invest Panamá Circle in 2010.  

Over the next decade, they made more than a dozen trips to Panamá, both to attend Live and Invest conferences and to just look at real estate in various areas. As it turned out, all those trips paid off, because as they learned more about Panamá and what was available, they were looking for a change. 

Their initial plan was to buy a single-family home, in one of the mountain communities. But after one particular Live and Invest conference in Panama City, they chanced to spend a week in an Airbnb condo, at Royal Palm, in Nueva Gorgona. They got a taste of the Panamá beach life and condo living and everything changed. Among other things, they realized that Panamá beaches were not as hot as U.S. beaches. 

But after a few more years of looking specifically in the City Beaches area, they seemed to be no closer to finding their Panamá home, than when they started. So, after returning from a trip to Panamá, just after the country opened up again, following the virus shutdown, they decided that short stays were probably not going to be enough. After making that decision, John announced on Facebook that they had decided to do short-term rentals around Panamá, while they narrowed down their search. That post led a Panamá realtor, with whom they had not previously spoken, to contact John and ask exactly what it was that they were looking for. As it turned out, that realtor had exactly the right unit, in exactly the right area, with exactly the right amenities, at exactly the right price. The next day, after a video walk-thru, with the builder and the realtor, a tentative commitment was made. Another quick trip to Panamá sealed the deal. That was just over two years ago.  

Since then, they sold their home in Houston, shipped a container full of personal belongings to Panamá, along with a full-size pickup truck, acquired their permanent residence, cedulas, and driver licenses, transferred their US phone numbers to international service, and have become a fixture at Picasso’s, in Coronado, on Wednesday nights. 

Greg Kitzmiller was born and raised in the United States. He attended primary school in Mattawan Michigan and obtained his Bachelor of Science in Management from Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

He is a lover of God, husband, father, expatriate, blogger, and newly published author. In 2016 God blessed him with the ability to retire from corporate America at the age of 56. His amazing wife Jen joined him in retirement about 14 months later. The two of them knew that enjoying retirement in their Michigan home did not fit into either of their ideas of the perfect way to spend their golden years. Greg began researching the possibility of retiring as an expatriate.

With eternal summer, a relaxed laidback lifestyle, and a cost of living that would not break the budget priorities, The Republic of Panama kept coming to the top of the list. After a couple of due diligence trips, the couple officially made the move to Panama in 2018. The lower cost of living in Panama allows the couple to travel and enjoy the beautiful world together.

From the very beginning of the retirement adventure, Greg began publishing a very well-received blog, https://2RetireInPanama.com. The passion to write and the popularity of his blog led him to write and publish his first book titled ‘’2 Retire In Panama?’’. Greg and Jen currently live in Coronado, Panama.