We used to have a quote on our fridge which read, “I like nature. I just don’t want to get any one me.” With our housing dilemma last week, I was worried that we would end up homeless and attempting to find shelter in the Panamanian jungle. Lucky for me we just signed a lease to ensure that all the dreaded nature surrounding us here in the tropics will in fact be kept to a well-manicured minimum. But that doesn’t mean that we didn’t want to interact with it a bit before moving to the 'burbs. In between teacher training, immigration paperwork, and other cultural adventures, we've managed to dive into the Panamanian wilderness a few times; the kiddos and I have hiked Ancon Hill and the Parque Natural Metropolitano while Sarah took the kids to Gamboa on the canal (while I planned 9th grade curriculum!). Wanting to take advantage of our last few days living in the thick of the Panama City, I jogged over to Casco Viejo via the neighborhood of Calidonia, where I found a lively group of dominoes players. Casco Viejo is full of beautifully restored mostly 19th century buildings. As well as some not quite as restored gems. It's a hip-happening jumble of fancy bars and not-yet-gentrified bones of buildings waiting for what's next, and the neighborhood borders a very working class area which I'm sure causes no tension at all. And finally, with only a few days left before the first day of school, we successfully moved out of the hotel in the city to a beautiful place just across the corredor (freeway) from our school. The house we chose ended up not being one of the two we thought, and indeed was the happy medium we were looking for. It's big enough for us to be able to take care of our kids and any visitors who might come our way (hence the "nuture" part of the title. Get it?!?!), and we're relieved that the housing search is over. We're settling in, and our shipment may arrive as early as this week. More pictures of the house after we unpack and decorate a bit. Whoopee! We're still exploring our new space and excited to begin the new year of book learnin'!
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It's the Schnacks!Just a Californian family lost in Panama. Carry on. Archives
July 2018
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