No-Stress, Low-Cost Living by Panama’s Diamond Beach
By Erica Mills
By Erica Mills
"We
don’t have white-sand beaches—we have a black and white one," Ellen
Cook says. "When the sun’s on it, it looks like diamonds, the sparkle on
the black sand."
The
beach Ellen is referring to is Coronado beach, located just two blocks
from her house in the resort town of Coronado, Panama.
This
beach is one of the biggest perks of her life here, Ellen says. And
with temperatures in Coronado averaging 85 degrees, she frequently takes
full advantage of having the Pacific Ocean on her doorstep. Though a
recent leg and knee injury curbed her visits for a little while, she was
itching to get back to the beach as soon as her injuries were
sufficiently healed.
"I’m
out there again," she says. "I’m swimming in the ocean three days a
week... I just climb out of the car, take what we need, go in the ocean
and then drive back."
It’s a far cry from
the hectic life she and her husband, John, had before they retired.
Running two businesses between them, the couple often found themselves
working 16-hour days.
Though
they enjoyed what they did, it began to take a physical toll—especially
on Ellen. But in that way that life has of making you slow down and
take stock of what’s important, being diagnosed with cancer forced Ellen
to make some drastic changes.
"I
had some medical problems, dealing with lymphoma. We owned a bed and
breakfast in Florida and we were over our heads. The insurance was
killing us; the taxes were killing us..."
She and John, anxious to get out from under the pressure, sold the B & B quickly—without making much of a profit.
"We kind of gave it away—but it was worth it because I couldn’t have a lot of stress and deal with cancer."
From
there, they began to consider a new life overseas. Having already
visited and having been enamored with the laidback lifestyle they found
in the increasingly popular expat town of Coronado, the couple decided
to buy a three-bedroom house close to the beach—which came with an
above-ground pool.
And,
after paying $135,000 for the house, Ellen and John are by no means
living on a lavish budget. Though Ellen receives $850 a month in Social
Security, John has another two years to go before he is eligible for the
same payment. Currently, he has an income of $250.
Despite living on
just $1,100 a month between two people, Ellen says they have a good
life, affording to go out for dinner once a week and enjoying the
occasional splurge.
The couple also avails of the pensionado
discount, a program offered by the Panamanian government to qualifying
retirees. This discount program gives them 25% off both their water and
electric bills, as well as money off flights and meals out.
The couple can even afford to pay others to maintain the property.
"I
never cleaned!" Ellen admits. "I haven’t my whole life. John would
clean if we needed to. But now a cleaner comes for $15. She comes for
the day. And she does everything top to bottom—porches, outside
areas—once a week. She’s a sweet girl. She’s like part of our family."
They also employ a gardener regularly.
"The
gardener’s $20 and we have a big landscape. We don’t really have to do
anything besides watering out there... I grow my herbs and I’ve started
growing spinach on my back porch."
Three years on,
Ellen has no regrets about making the move—and has no plans to ever
return permanently to the U.S. It’s just a short three-hour flight to
visit her son and daughter in Florida and from there, another daughter
in New York... but she still finds it hard to leave the beautiful
weather in Coronado.
"We’re originally
from New York and it used to be dark, like, horrible for at least seven
months. We don’t miss it. In fact, I don’t even go and visit in the
winter any more. I can’t take the cold. And you know, after you’ve lived
in a climate like this, it’s very hard for you to go to a cold clime."
Though Ellen can just about tear herself away from the 85-95 degree days, John has yet to manage it.
"It’s
been three years and my husband vows that he won’t even go back to
visit—ever! He loves Panama," Ellen explains and then corrects herself.
"We love Panama," she says contentedly.
No comments:
Post a Comment