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As a new home Panama was so much more than we had hoped for. What we found different from all the other tropical countries we had visited was the huge middle class that lived throughout Panama. The main roads were great and there was good infrastructure throughout the country.

We started a company, Pan Pacific Interiors Corp., a year after moving to Panama that did present many unforeseen challenges. The company is a design and manufacturing company that specializes in residential cabinets and stone countertops. It is a trade-driven business and there is little to no formal training in these areas here. This meant we had to create our own training system and find great people to train from scratch.

Our credit rating from Canada was of no value in Panama and although we invested heavily in equipment to start the new company, we could not get any financial support from the banks and no credit from our suppliers. This meant everything had to be paid for upfront and in full. The early years of the company were tough and through dedication and perseverance we prevailed and built a successful company with an exceptional staff.

There are lots of service clubs and charitable organizations to get involved in and this is a great way to meet locals and expats. For us it was the local Rotary Club that we joined and we are still very involved with. It has connected us with our community and many great individuals and groups in our community.

For us the move to Panama back in 2012 has been a great one. It has been full of challenges, hardships, tears, laughter and triumphs and these things have supported us in growing to become more than we where before leave Canada. We love living in Panama, it is our home now.