A Change of Buses Leads to Panama
Gary Gagne is an expatriate businessman who does his business from Panama and loves it. Gary lives in sight of the ocean on the Panama Pacific Coast. His apartment doubles as his office. Gary likens life to a big grid with buses running every which way. “When you get tired of one thing you just change buses and do something else,” he says. The last change of buses brought Gary to the Coronado Panama area in 2006.
Gary Gagne has planned to move to Latin America for about 14 years. He researched his options, being an International Living reader. In the end he chose Panama based its lower crime rate, better infrastructure, and being the best choice that was closest to the USA.
When Gary came to Panama in 2006 he looked around for property and decided two things. He would never find the “perfect place to live” and prices were going up as he was looking. So, he bought an apartment on the beach in 2007 and moved here in 2008.
I talked to Gary about his business and running it from Panama. Gary considers himself a “jack of all trades” who started out in tool and dye work, learned electronics from his father, and has found a number of jobs through having a variety of skills and the initiative to make things happen. Gary tells me that, “I like starting businesses but not running them.” This seemed to me to fit with the “buses on a grid” view of life.
Gary tells me that he can manage orders, billing, tracking shipments, and everything else by email. Consistent with his “jack of all trades” background Gary has programmed an open source VOIP system into his computer and Blackberry so that he can manage his business while on the road too.
“Since you seem to have a bit of initiative, how does Panama impress you?” I asked Gary. I expected the usual view of Panama's culture being a bit too “tranquilo” but did not hear that response. We chatted a bit and since his business has nothing to do with Panama except for the fact that his internet connection originates here Panama culture's has little to do with his business. However, driving is a different matter! “Driving here in heavy traffic is like a demolition derby. It keeps you on your toes,” Gary says.
“What other adventures have you had here? Ever been frightened?” I asked.
“Only once,” Gary said. “I was driving and got lost in a questionable part of town (Panama City) but I saw a group of green uniformed guardsmen. I stopped to ask directions. They seemed threatening to me. It was the only time I ever have been frightened here. I drove away hoping that no one would shoot at me.”
“So, how well do you find your way around here in Panama?”
“I use a GPS,” Gary said.
“You are happy here?”
“Yes.”
“Plan to stay?”
“Yes.”
I asked Gary what he would do differently if he were to turn back the clock and come to Panama again.
“I would rent and take more time to find a place to buy. But, at the time I was looking, prices were going up and buying was a good idea. Today renting first is a better idea.”
Gary continued saying that he believes that even though prices have flattened out or dropped in the last year that he could get his money back out of his apartment. However, he does not plan to leave so it is a moot point. This expatriate businessman loves doing business in the USA from his home in the Coronado area on the Panama Pacific Coast.
