So, I have been seriously remiss in keeping this up to date! Upon arrival here last year, I was informed that the entire regional unit would be transferred to Panama this summer-well, summer is just about here. When I signed up for this gig, I know rotation was a requirement but, I just didn't think it would happen this soon. On the positive side, regional offices of other UN agencies are located in Panama which will make coordination easier. Additionally, the cost of living in Panama is about 25% less than here so, more play money! It helps that K is still young in terms of changing schools so hopefully, his integration in a new one will not be too challenging.
We will miss our home here especially the wide space, the garden and the lack of neighbors peeking in over our fence. We hope to find something similar but in general, we're excited to move for additional reasons including the ease of living in Panama which has been a challenge here given the absolute monopoly on almost everything. For example: having only 1 state owned phone company means only residents/citizens can own a cell phone and, there is an 18 month waitlist. It took us 3 months to get our internet hooked up and we have weekly outages. Visiting here is great but living for long periods of time can be draining. I am sure Panama will have its issues but, still excited to move.
The moving agency comes in packs and loads their trucks-this makes it easier since all we have to do is point them towards the things. Still planning on recruiting my siblings to come help under the guise of seeing their favorite nephew!
K and I were recently in Argentina and Uruguay. He got to meet my Peace Corps family and they took to each other instantly. I find it cool that before his 3rd birthday, he has been to 10 countries even though his "memory" of them may just be via pictures.
Rainy season is just about starting here which means all the bugs and stuff previously hidden (don't quite know where) are coming out of the wood works. K has taken to chasing the huge beetles around trying to catch them and well, mash them since that is what he sees us do. J is going to try to undo all that by teaching K a love of bugs.
