Why I Left Panama After Only 8 Days…
Before we address the elephant in the room, let me first start by saying that Panama is STUNNING. It’s super beautiful, nice weather (unless a tropical storm comes through when you go like it did when I was there), and the waters are SO CLEAR you can legit see the ocean floor with no problem. I was in Bocas del Toro, so it was honestly supposed to be giving that cute dreamy island girl lifestyle, which was gonna be SO PERFECT for my wannabe travel “influencer” aesthetic but babesss… lol. I got up outta there in EIGHT f*cking days. EIGHT, HAHAHA. That’s the shortest I’ve ever stayed in a country, and I’m literally posting two blogs in one day JUST so I can tell y’all why…
It’s simple, honestly… Bocas is just very much a vacation vibe and not a “I live here and still gotta work and have a routine” vibe. And that’s the thing… contrary to what it might look like on IG, a b*tch be workinggg… and I be working a lot too.
Like I promise y’all I’m not just hopping from one beach to another sipping piña coladas 24/7. I suck at knowing the true definition of all the Gen-Z terms, but from what I understand, I’m a “digital nomad,” and that mt friend, means I need some kind of structure and comfort if I’m gonna keep doing what I do, ya know?
As a digital nomad, there’s not many things that have to be run on a TIGHT ship, however one thing that doessssss require being on LOCK?… accommodations (rightfully so). And baby… whew. Long-term Airbnb options? Basically non-existent in Bocas. I was staying in a private ensuite at a hostel (which I’m usually cool with), but they legit would party until 4am every night. So like.. not only was I not sleeping, but there was no fridge, no microwave, no hot waterrrr, it was one issue short of being a hot mess. Them ppl had me taking cold showers for 8 days straight, like BFFR!
In addition to the mentioned struggles above, we also have to add in the fact that water taxis as the main form of transportation whichhhh, idk y’all. They’re cute in theory, but very much chaotic in real life LOL. Moral of the story? It was a lot going on which made it really hard to settle down.
Sorry guys, lots of complaining, and tbh I promise I didn’t hate it as much as it probably sounds like I did, its just I knew wherever I was going to be, I’d be there for a while, so comfort was a priority. And it wasn’t giving that at all. It was just too wet, too noisy, and too “eat out or starve.” Plus, it wasn’t thaaaaat cheap either, which ya’ll know I ain’t like, haha. Everything was very comparable to U.S. prices. If I’m living abroad, I at least want it to be wallet-friendly, and the way Panama was looking? I could’ve been at home fr. And in a wayyyy, it kinda did feel like I was somewhere in the States because there was such a lack of culture.
Now, this is a stacked statement because that feeling could have come from the fact that I’m pretty sure Bocas is a touristy, backpacker-y type of place, so maybe if I was in a different part of Panama, I wouldn’t have felt that ways. But unfortunately, I wasn’t in a different part, so I didn’t feel immersed, inspired, or challenged in the way I usually do when traveling, so that was yet another thing that played a part in me making my decision to go somewhere else! I was missing that SPARK inside of me that I love to feel soooo much when I’m abroad, so it was just overall a huge dub. Kinda sucks too because I didn’t get that many pics while I was there, so I barely have anything to show you guys in the post :/ Butttt, being me, of course I got a few, so here… take a look 🙂
Alright, so I want to fast forward to me landing in Medellín, Colombia, and immediately feeling out of place in the bestway possible. That “wow I have SO much to learn here” feeling?? I LIVE for that. So off gate, I already have such a good feeling about spending the next few weeks here.
I’ve been so reflective since arriving in Colombia because originally, I never even wanted to go to Panama. Colombia was always the place that I would say I was going next when people would ask. But FULL TRANSPARENCY MOMENT… I let fear stop me from booking my flight. All the “it’s dangerous” TikToks, “my friend almost got kidnapped” stories, blah blah blah. And I’m actually disappointed in myself for letting that get to me because one.. I’ve been here for almost a week now and haven’t felt unsafe not ONE time, and two.. because that’s so not the energy I stand for.
Of course, be smart. Be safe. Don’t go gallivanting around war zones like Afghanistan or tryna kick it in North Korea. But also in that same breath—do your own research, move with intention, and trust your gut!
If you don’t take anythingggg else from this, please at least take this as your reminder that people will always have something to say. But at the end of the day, you’ve gotta make your own opinion. Don’t let secondhand fear keep you from doing what your soul is begging you to do, because you never know how much you’ll truly miss out on. LIFE IS SHORT SO LIVE THAT SH*T TO THE FULLEST.
Panama is lovelyyyy, no doubt about it. But Bocas del Toro? Just not for me. And that’s okay. There are like 190-something countries (I think?), and every single one is not gonna be for me. If you’re on your solo-travel/digital nomad journey—or if you’re thinking about starting—it’s important to know that every place you go might not be for you either. And that is totally fine. That’s literally what this whole experience is all about!
You’ll know it once you feel it. Just pack your stuff, find another cheap flight, and peace the heck out—just like I did in Bocas <3
Until next time,
-Your digital nomad bestie who now double-checks if there’s hot water a.k.a. Dru <3