A Family Travel Blog

Solar panel install on our RV

Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:59:00 GMT

We're between coming off a J-O-B in Seattle and hitting the road.

We figured it's probably a good idea to take the time to make some upgrades on PB.

Solar power was a big part of our energy plan on our sailboat down in the Sea of Cortez, so it only makes sense we take advantage of the affordable ways solar systems provide electricity. Once I did the math and saw how little it cost to buy all the parts we needed, it was a no-brainer. Having dealt with, troubleshooted, installed, and maintained these types of systems at sea, we already had the tools and knowledge to do the work ourselves. Your mileage may vary if you've never done this before. I'd at least suggest enlisting the help of a friend who has if you're feeling like taking on the install yourself.

The solar equipment:

We got every item we needed from Amazon, delivered to our doorstep. Some things arrived the same day we ordered them (no trips to the store)! When all tallied, we couldn't believe that the ENTIRE SYSTEM WAS UNDER $1,000. Make that $927 to be more precise. And we have extra cable and connectors left over as spares!

4 x HQST 100W Monocrystalline Solar Panels

1 x Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT Controller 100V | 50 Amp (has Bluetooth built in, so we didn't have to buy extra parts to monitor solar status...it's all viewed on our phone!)

4 x HQST z-Mounting Bracket Sets

4 x MC4 Solar Branch Connectors

1 x Dicor Lap Sealant Tube 10oz

1 x Roof Cable Gland Housing

1 x 30-foot Roll of Butyl Putty Tape

2 x 3-foot MC4 Connector 10GA Extension Cables (1 red + 1 black)

2 x 5-foot MC4 Connector 10GA Extension Cables (1 red + 1 black)

2 x 10-foot MC4 Connector 10GA Cables (1 red + 1 black)

2 x 20-foot MC4 Connector 10GA Extension Cables (1 red + 1 black)

1 x MC4 Crimp/Connector Tool (ended up not needing this, but will be handy to have around if we want to make our own MC4 wire)

2 x 15-feet Flexible Copper Battery Cable 6GA (1 red + 1 black)

10 x Copper 6GA Battery Ring Connectors (only needed 2, but these are always handy to have)

The solar install:

We didn't get all of the parts at once. The major components were ordered first; just about everything but wire and some connectors. We wanted to lay everything out and be sure where it was going before ordering the cable lengths we needed.

Before installing anything:

We set up everything closer to the ground in the back of our truck bed to test each panel independently and then in series/parallel with a test meter to make sure all the components worked. Even sat the controller in the battery compartment of the RV and wired it up to test every part of the system. Once we knew everything worked, it was all moved to the roof of the motorhome.

Putting holes in our roof:

The scariest part of installing ANYTHING on the roof of an RV is the fact we'll be drilling holes into the only thing keeping the rain and other weather out of our home.

The EPDM roofing on PB is showing it's age and needs to be replaced soon. But we're definitely not doing that here in Seattle...it could rain at any time! That job is being planned for a future date when we can replace the entire roof covering under the protection of covered storage.

The z-brackets came with self-tapping screws that were 2" long. We'd place a strip of butyl putty tape between the bracket and the roof, dab on the Dicor lap sealant where the crew goes through the bracket and run the screw through slowly. There was one screw where I think we didn't get a really great bite, but every other one of the 32 screws tightened up, queezing butyl sealant out from under the bracket...exactly what we want.

Wiring it up:

The panels are wired in series/parallel. Each group of two panels are wired in series, creating 24v sections from two 12v panels. Then each pair is wired in parallel to increase the amperage for each pair added. Going up to 24v instead of staying at 12v will give us less voltage drop over the longer runs, and increase the panels we can use before we reach either the maximum amperage or voltage ratings for the Victron Solar Controller. We can add more 100W pairs later and installed the current panels in locations that would give us the space to do exactly this if we want to later without moving any part of the current installation.

The MPPT Solar Controller:

This particular controller has Bluetooth enabled out of the box. While we would normally need to buy and install a separate display unit to see any specs on the solar controller (watts, voltage, amps, errors, etc.) we don't have to do that here. The app on our phone shows us exactly what's going on with the system. It's a little finnicky (especially when firmware upgrades need to happen) but if we're close in or next to the RV, we can see what is going on within seconds. It even tracks the solar history and allows us to change the settings of the controller for equlization stages, etc.

We'll post some updates once we get on the road to let everyone know how the performance is. With any luck (and if we aren't being power-hogs) we may not need to add anymore panels!

Affordable RV lighting is here and we went all-in

Fri, 15 Mar 2019 16:04:00 GMT

New LED electronicals for our motorhome!

Several years ago we added some LED lights to our sailboat.

It wasn't cheap. I think we paid between $8-12 for EACH BULB! We needed to save every watt we could while at sea, so we bit the bullet and made the upgrade.

But an RV is on land. If we run out of power, it's not that big of a deal in the real scheme of things. We've been putting off even looking at LED light bulbs for our RV for so long because of this. So you can bet we were jumping for joy when we found some on Amazon for a little over $2 each.

I bought a single 20-pack to try them out. Lo and behold they all worked (though they definitely looked like they were fresh from a Chinese factory where sweat shop workers are vastly underpaid).

See how the LED lighting upgrade in our RV went:

Gotta go!

Need to order a couple more packs so we can replace all the bulbs in the storage bays!

If you'd like to see the exact bulbs we used in our RV: http://worldgoneround.com/go/Amazon-20-pack-RV-LED-1156-1141

Review of our visit to the Seattle Aquarium

Sun, 24 Feb 2019 21:36:56 GMT

We were pretty excited to make the decision to visit the Seattle Aquarium while we were here.

Doodle was especially surprised because he loves octopi.

He loves drawing them, looking at them, watching them in videos, and reading/learning about them.

And the day we were to visit the aquarium was during Octopus Week...BONUS!

As it turns out, this would not be Doodle's best aquarium visit.

First off, the Seattle Aquarium is EXPENSIVE!

It cost us $80 to get in.

After having such a great experience at the free aquarium in Poulsbo that had an octopus, we expected the aquarium to deliver for this insane price.

They did not.

The place was packed [this will be important later]. There was a line just to get in the front door and wait in another line to pay admission. Kids love waiting in lines; especially three of them! ;)

As an unschooling family, we rely on places like this to educate our kids.

Unfortunately it's really hard to explain to your kids what they are looking at when some guy puts his phone in between my face and a tank to take a photo. I'm sure his Instagram followers are all the better for it. This happened twice. Not the same guy. Seriously, people?

However, there were lots of great exhibits. If it didn't cost so much to walk in the door, we'd attempt a visit during the week when it's not as busy (hopefully).

We got to see lots of sea creatures like octopus, sea stars, urchins, salmon, jellyfish, crabs, and more.

And then we LOST Doodle!

Yep. We did the thing parents fear most.

I saw him looking for us, slowly starting to walk to where I was.

Then he turned. And looked the other direction. And then started walking that direction.

So I started after him.

Being so overly packed with people, he was able to get through the crowds faster than I. The next corner I turned after losing sight of him...he was gone.

Gone!

I started panicking. Yana did not see me turn to go get him, and I didn't have time to tell her because I didn't want to take my eyes off of him.

I'm looking everywhere, left and right, as I move through exhibits looking for the short boy in the dark blue hooded jacket.

I couldn't find him.

I reached the main building, passing through the corridor outside. There were so many people in the main atrium area with the touch pools. I still couldn't see that blue jacket anywhere.

I got to thinking, "Would he be able to open all these doors and enter an entirely different building? Was it so busy with enough people that the doors were opening enough for him to keep going?"

Then the worst idea entered my mind. "What if he went out an exterior exit or fire door and now he's walking out on the street?"

I was really fucking scared at that point.

Would someone help him if they found him walking the sidewalk outside? Or would they just ignore him?

We're really good at ignoring our surroundings these days, so I couldn't discount the notion. Those mobile phones are gripping our attention constantly that we miss the world around us. We all know it.

I was worried he may become a statistic because of it.

So I reset myself and thought that maybe I missed him, rentered the secondary building, and quickly tracked down Yana. Two sets of eyes are better than one.

We went through the second building together, still unable to locate the boy in the blue hooded jacket.

We exited into the outside corridor and he came bursting out of the main building door with tears streaming down his face. He bolted for Mom's arms.

I was filled with so many emotions.

I was glad we found him. I was upset that no one noticed a boy walking around alone crying. I looked around to see if anyone was noticing our interaction. No good samaritan appeared.

I was mad at myself. We're fairly attentive parents and have been in many countries where we let the kids kind of run amok. We have been in dangerous situations on sailboats, busy streets of NYC, etc.

And this was the first time I felt like we failed as parents.

In an aquariium. In America.

How messed up is that?

I go home for lunch every day. But not for the food...

Thu, 14 Feb 2019 04:07:00 GMT

We came to Seattle in late 2018 to re-enter the job market.

To save up as much cash as possible prior to our future circumnavigation.

I made two things clear to my new employer:

My family is number one
I go home for lunch every day

Don't get me wrong, Yana is a great cook.

But I didn't come here for the lunch.

It's for the company I keep:

Why?

This is the first time I've ever had to routinely leave my kids.

They have spent all day with both of their parents all of their lives. (big reason we advocate reaching FI to others)

Not anymore.

We made the conscious decision for me to return to work again while they were very young.

I only hope it doesn't negatively affect them.

I know for a fact it takes everything I have to walk out that door.

Not once.

But twice. Every single day of the week.

Spend tons of time with your kids, everyone.

Our snowman all grown up!

Sun, 10 Feb 2019 00:34:00 GMT

Someone messed with our snowperson while the boys were taking a nap!

How bad is the Seattle Snowpocalypse?

Sat, 09 Feb 2019 17:19:00 GMT

It wasn't even 8am yet.

The kids were staring out the window.

A few inches of fresh snow were calling them. We obliged...

The snow didn't pack well.

It would crumble while forming the snow into spheres.

However, we now have this little guy standing guard in front of the house...

And there was an attack...

We thoroughly enjoyed the Seattle Snopocalypse!

How did you cope with the ferocious snowfall?

Selling our soul for cash in Seattle

Sun, 04 Nov 2018 04:47:00 GMT

We put our motorhome (whom we affectionately call 'PB'; more on that in another post) away last month.

We're living in a house.

An immoveable, expensive, exceedingly spacious house.

We conceded that if we really wanted to circumnavigate the world by sailboat, it makes sense to accumulate as much money as possible before we leave. So while the boys are young, I've re-entered the job market.

It's not easy. I haven't worked for anyone other than myself since 2008. I got hired on at a boat yard in Seattle. So I still get to work around boats and see the saltwater of the Puget Sound every day.

The money isn't great, due to the cost of living. But I'm close to work, which means I have a VERY short commute and get to come home for lunch every day to see the family.

The hardest part of my day is leaving in the morning and after lunch. It's the first time I've had to leave my kids every day like this. And the fact that they are getting used to the routine is killing me.

I hope I can continue to do this. There may not be enough money in the world that would keep me giving up the freedom we once had for very long.

[fingers crossed]

Feeling like an octopus

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 23:57:00 GMT

It's early September.

Our contract ends in 4 days.

That means we're moving on to our next destination.

But we have no clue where that is!

I have work opportunities in 3 states. All are pretty awesome for multiple reasons.

I never thought that I'd be so highly sought-after when I haven't been in a regular job-job since mid-2008, but here we are.

It will be nice to more than double our income. Will make it much easier to save for sailing around the world. It's the only reason I would even remotely consider "selling my freedom" for cash money.

And of course, we got our FMCA plates today. One of these jobs means possibly selling the RV, because the work is on an island where we are not allowed to bring the motorhome. =(

Yana said we can't sell it now after we snapped this precious gem:

For now, we have a 3-day "interview" on a small island next week. The week after that, an interview in Seattle.

Stay tuned to find out how they go!

Leaving Panama has a bittersweet taste

Sat, 31 Oct 2015 18:53:00 GMT

We leave Panama for a short stint in the States before heading to the boat and Mexico next week. It's sad to say that Yana and I both are glad to be leaving. The last two months have put such a strain on us that we are washing our hands of them and putting the past behind us.

First off, we have to say that we do like Panama. The people we have met are more than nice and there are a lot of similarities to America while still not feeling like we're in America. The city surprised us in many ways and we found ourselves liking it more than anticipated. We really loved the mountainous region of Boquete in Chiriqui and have every intention of returning there. But here's what killed the last two months for us.

Bureaucracy

Everything we read online about having a water birth at home in Panama said it was pretty straightforward. We were certain that the month and a half after Mouth was born would be enough to do the paperwork to travel, and thus our November return flight would be acceptable. What we did not count on was the “new” procedure for certifying home births and getting a Panamanian birth certificate. They would tell us a date to come and pick it up, we'd show up, and there would be some excuse and another date to return. Rinse and repeat several times. What was supposed to take 2-3 weeks took 5. During one week towards the end I was at the Tribunal Electoral building four times in five days. We got the birth certificate four days ago. Not near enough time to get a U.S. Passport.

The U.S. Embassy in Panama was even less helpful than the birth certificate officials. Without a special written form of the birth certificate (called a Copia Integra; they will not accept the normal birth certificate), they refused to issue Mouth a passport; even an emergency one. So we were left biting our nails until less than a week before our return flight not sure if we would be able to leave. The Embassy gave us a temporary child's passport for Mouth to return to the States. We will have to re-apply for his real one once we get to Mexico and use the U.S. Embassy in Hermosillo, Mexico.

Emergency Surgery

Doodle has never been sick. Ever. As of this post his total cost for healthcare is $75, which we paid for a well child doctors visit a couple months after he was born. Having a sick child is never fun for any parent. Having a child that needs emergency surgery to save his life while in a foreign country is absolute terror. Thankfully, once we found out Mouth had pyloric stenosis, it was a little more comforting. Yes, he would have surgery and that would cause some anxiety. No, we don't have insurance in Panama so it's all out of pocket. But I also had the same surgery when I was an infant (it's genetic; I told Yana to blame me), so we knew it was a problem with a well-known solution.

In the end he came home, with a scar that will likely imitate the one I've grown up with. His $12,000 hospital bill put a dent in our funds that we'll have to replenish. So this next year we are nixing a few big ticket things we were considering (WSOP for Yana and an Alaskan cruise). He can pay us back in extra boat chores. Everything is going to sparkle for the next 15 years!

$$$$$$

Living in Boquete was manageable and it looks like we were spending a few hundred dollars less there than we were in Mexico (this of course includes things we aren't paying for in Panama right now like a sailing yacht in its marina slip). Living in Panama City is wildly expensive. We've paid more each month in rent here than any other housing we have ever had in any state in America. This 3-bedroom apartment on the sixth floor costs us $1,350 per month. Because we eat natural foods, the grocery bill was also the highest. We rarely ever left the store for less than $100, going every 3-4 days. We could afford to live here if we didn't have a house in the States and a boat in Mexico, but it would be tight. For that reason we don't think we will be spending long period of times in the city when we return to Panama. Other areas like Boquete, Bocas Del Toro, as well as the San Blas and La Perla islands have much more to offer our family without the luxury pricing. We have no idea how the poor people who live in the barrios of PTY are able to eat and live in a healthy environment. We assume they don't. They are the ones we see at the grocery store carting off giant bags of rice, beans, and shelf-stable cartons of milk. No meats or veggies. We are surely counting our blessings.

So we will return to Panama. Maybe not next summer (gotta get some summer sailing/snorkeling/fishing in), but definitely within a year or so after that. I am having serious conversations with the wifey about sailing the boat down and possibly even transiting the Panama Canal and she is actually conversing back on the topic. (Progress!)

Until then...Panama...hasta luego!

Homebirth in Panama City

Wed, 23 Sep 2015 19:34:00 GMT

So why did I have my baby in Panama? A little history...

I wasn't always a proponent of homebirth, and honestly before I was pregnant I never paid much attention to it. When I became pregnant with my first child Doodle, I had good health insurance through a national law firm. I initially called the hospital for a prenatal appointment. The lady scheduling the appointment was so rude to me, that I thought “if this is how they are acting now, how will I be treated during labor?” It was also during this time I watched “The Business of Being Born” which opened my eyes to the birthing practice in America. I don't like being told what to do, even my husband telling my I'm using the wrong knife to cut onions gets on my nerves, the last thing I want would be told that I'm not progressing through labor quick enough and I need to stay laying down in a bed with ice chips to munch on. No thank you! I quickly came to the conclusion that I didn't want a hospital birth, so I found a birthing center that claimed they catered to the individual needs of each patient, and that appealed to me.

My family for the most part lives a primal lifestyle and often that is not in tune with Western medicine practices. All was going well with the birth center until...the midwife asked if my husband and I were going to get the whooping cough vaccine before the birth of our child, and when we politely declined, the midwide stated “so you want to kill your baby” --scare tactics--not cool! Then secondly when it came time to test for gestational diabetes, I was told I HAD to drink the nasty syrupy drink or go to nutritional counseling. Ummm..ok so #1 we already eat paleo (which is basically the diet recommended if you do go to nutritional counseling, so chances of me having gestational diabetes was pretty low) and #2 I have heard from other paleo women that drinking the syrupy drink can lead to a false positive for gestational diabetes because your body is not used to that much sugar at one time. It was after these events and the “awesome” attitude of our midwife that we decided to leave the birthing center. Third-time is a charm. I called a midwife who was used by two of my friends, and the rest is history! I had an amazing home waterbirth with Doodle..and yes..he was even breech! We still joke about it today, because after Doodle was born, I leaned back in the pool and said “that was easier than running a marathon” which it was!

Fast forward a little over two years and I am pregnant with Mouth. We were living in San Carlos and I figured there has to be someone who would do a homebirth. But to no avail we couldn't find any local practicing doctors or midwives that performed homebirths. There were sailors who were midwives that periodically came to San Carlos, but there was no guarantee they would be in San Carlos for Mouth's birth and they didn't have any connections with the medical community in case of an emergency. I actually had a dream that I should have my baby in Costa Rica. I knew Chris mentioned he wanted to go to Panama...so I did a little research comparing both homebirth in Costa Rica vs. Panama and just the overall lifestyle and internet availability (which I need for work) and Panama won.

The risky part was there is only one doctor in Panama that practices homebirths. So if for some reason, he or his wife (who is also a doctor) weren't available you were SOL. But we decided to take a chance and go to Panama. I had two ultrasounds in Mexico, met Dr. Aybar in May and then again one week before I went into labor, and then of course he was here while I was in labor. I didn't have much prenatal care (in terms of doctor visits) and I didn't really need it. There were doctors available in Boquete (where we were staying from May-August) but I was healthy, baby was growing and moving and I didn't feel the need to see one.

Dr. Aybar brought us the pool about two weeks before my due date so we had it at the house if we needed it. I went into labor around midnight, and little Mouth was born after eight in the morning. For the most part the contractions weren't too bad and I'd just walk around or lean on the chair. It was as labor progressed that I got in the pool (which by the way by hubby blew up with his mouth because we didn't have the right hose to connect to the pump). As you can see I had my little helper by my side, who kept saying “agua, agua”.

During labor I had iced tea, chips (not primal I know) and dark chocolate. I needed the fast energy after hours of labor. The hot water does a wonder on back labor and made it that much easier. I know labor isn't “easy” exactly, but I just tried to relax, not fight the contractions and let them do what they had to do--which is move the baby along. Little Mouth was born at 8:50 am and weighed 7.8 pounds.

The actual birth of Mouth was pretty simple, straight forward. Dr. Aybar and his wife were great in that they let me do my own thing during labor. I wasn't in Panama City for most of my pregnancy, so I didn't see Dr. Aybar that many times, but the times I did see him all went well. I don't regret coming to Panama to have a baby, I regret not knowing or being able to find out about the actual process/length of time it takes to obtain a birth certificate for a homebirth in Panama. Stay tuned...

We're enjoying the city more than we thought we would

Mon, 07 Sep 2015 18:00:00 GMT

We've been in Panama City, Panama for about two weeks now. From May up until then, we were in the mountain jungles of Panama near Boquete, which is very quiet and, well, jungle-y. Before that we were in San Carlos, Mexico which is a small sailing/expat town. Boquete and San Carlos are relatively quiet and peaceful, allowing one to keep to themselves for as much as they'd want. We like keeping to ourselves. In preparation for having our second child in Panama City (which is where our Doctor/Midwife pair is), we were expecting to hate it. Traffic, crowds, standing in line, and high cost of living is not our cup of tea. We like it simple.

Having said that though, we are both actually enjoying Panama City. It is actually nice to be able to find things you need to buy. The major drawback to our previous locales is that if we wanted to find something special such as maternity clothes for Yana or parts for the boat...we were either out of luck or paying tons of money for international shipping. In San Carlos, getting special items normally meant a special 5-hour drive to Tucson in the States, some nights in a hotel, and the trip back. Fun! We are now on the 6th floor of a 3 bedroom, 3 bath apartment and while it's the most we've ever paid per month for a place to live, it's really close to things that we normally don't enjoy.

I actually think that the laid-back "mañana" attitude of both Boquete and (especially) Mexico, prepared us for this. Yes, we still have to wait in line, pay more than things really should be paid for (did I mention that a $6 Thickburger from Carl's Jr. in the US costs $10.29 here in PTY?), and hear sirens and horns honking all the time. But the mañana life has helped us deal with those things a little better...I think. We aren't content to stay here long term or settle down in Panama City, we will definitely be back in Mexico in a couple months. But it really lets us appreciate how those two different lifestyles can be beneficial and can work together. We are looking at the option of maybe sailing the boat down next summer as opposed to leaving it in Mexico, and alternating our time between Panama and Mexico. They are both lovely and so different that it makes sense to enjoy the benefits that both can bring. If we had never come here, Doodle would have not yet had the experience of moving about the city using the subway (which is super-handy and inexpensive, by the way).

I'll leave you with the view from our balcony, which probably helps us not feel so much like we are in the city. This is in the Albrook area, which used to be part of the Canal Zone and where people working with the canals lived when working with the US. It's probably as "suburban" as you can get in Panama City living in a high-rise.

Why Panama?

Thu, 21 May 2015 05:19:00 GMT

A relative asked me on social media, “Why Panama?” I gave her the short answer “Why Not?” as well as mentioning a longer answer if she was so inclined. She was, so this giant post is the answer.

First of all, the basic question of why are we in Panama can actually be two questions, and I want to answer them both. The first question revolves around the fact that we were in Mexico for a year and a half and are now in Panama, so why are we here and not in Mexico anymore? The second one is basically, “Why are you not living in the United States?”

Why are you in Panama instead of Mexico?

We arrived in Panama in May 2015 because in April 2015 my wife piped up one day and said, “I want to have the baby in Panama.” I was shocked, but also excited. I said yes immediately. I have mentioned Panama as a destination for years, but she never took the bait. When we found out we were due for a second child, she started searching for midwives that oversaw home births in the area of Mexico we lived in at the time. We found out through locals and expats alike that there were no midwives. Everyone lined up at the hospital for their c-sections and then it was back to work. We had several gringo midwives who vacation and/or live in San Carlos offer up their services, but this was less than desirable. If there were problems and medical intervention was necessary (unlikely, but nice to have a backup plan) then it would be total chaos, that midwife not having any contacts in the local hospital or medical fields in Guaymas. Not fun. There was also the issue of citizenship and if the child was born male in Mexico, he would have to choose between being an American or being Mexican since Mexico has mandatory conscription for males. Dual citizenship is a blessing, having to lose it sucks.

We knew we did not want to go back to the States...traveling and living in other places is way more enjoyable for our family. So Yana, without mentioning it to me or anyone else, began looking into other Central American countries like Nicaragua and Costa Rica. She found them to have the same problems that Mexico has: hard to find people practicing midwifery. Then lo and behold she looked at a map and noticed that Costa Rica and Panama were neighbors, that Panama City is a HUGE world banking center and transportation hub (thanks to its famous canal), and she found a husband/wife team who were medical doctors in a hospital, but have also performed hundreds of home births for Canadians and Europeans. A few conversations later with them and she settled on their services, telling me about so afterwards. BAM! A month later we are in Panama.

Why are you not living in the United States?

Ahhh, this question. Americans living in other countries is not a new or rare thing. Hundreds of thousands do it every year. But most of those people are older, retired, and enjoying their Golden Years. The couple in their late twenties-early thirties with a kid in tow while still reproducing are indeed a very rare sight to be seen abroad.

True. We get around like a politician in primaries. Doodle is two and a half at this time and as a family we are in our eighth country. He has lived outside the States for longer than he has lived in it. There are a lot of reasons for this. Some of the reasons below are things we learned AFTER moving abroad. Most are things we decided beforehand.

We don't have to live anywhere in particular. We worked hard. Really hard. Yana and I have been married since 2006. We didn't have Doodle until 2012. Those first years we both worked at increasingly demanding and prestigious careers. We had positions and work experiences in our early twenties that others don't get until their forties, if ever. We made ourselves indispensable in our areas of expertise where it got to the point that the people who gave us money didn't care where in the world we worked as long as we would keep working for them in exchange for money. Part of this is luck that we have skills that can be applied remotely over the internet. Had I remained in hospitality management, even when I was at the corporate executive level, I could never do that job remotely. But now we can live anywhere that has internet and fits within our budget. Period.
We know how short life is. There was one pivotal event that earmarked our decision to never give up on our goals, which includes traveling and experiencing other cultures/languages abroad. My cousin, Hanna, passed away as a teenager months after giving birth to her first child from an aggressive disease. Probably the shittiest thing that could happen to a person. We had discussions over the next few days that we didn't want to waste our lives. I want to swim the English Channel. Our family should be multilingual. We want dual citizenship in order to more freely travel the world. We want our children to grow up not seeing what other people in the world live like solely on the news or in books, but by being their neighbors and experiencing what they experience. We have already clarified that if we ever circumnavigate the world in our sailboat (not the one we have now, but one better designed for such), it will be named Hanna G. A constant reminder to not take life for granted. An ever-present force that will destroy fear of the unknown and venture into that which may harm or end us. If our lives are short it will be because we are out here living it, and not making sure the demise we all eventually attain is delayed unnecessarily and uneventfully.
Retirement is not all it's cracked up to be. All our collective lives we are told to be sure and save for retirement. “You need X amount of dollars in order to live after you stop working.” Having lived in a few places outside the US that are pretty famous for being retirement meccas, this is a load of crap to us. A few people in retirement are having a great time, but most of them are too tired, hurt, aching, or sick to do anything with their retirement. They are old and traveling is simply not that simple. Basically we decided that we wanted to live like we were retired while we were young and could enjoy it. If we want to go ride the zip lines above the tree canopy this weekend here in Panama, we can do that and not worry about our knees or health while doing it. We can jump off the side of our sailboat in the middle of the sea to swim with some sea turtles because we are fit and able to do so. I doubt we would have the ability to do that when we are 70. At least not with some extensive planning and several helping hands. So we are living like young retired folks now. Doing all the world has to offer while we have the time in our lives to enjoy it. And the best part is we get to bring our kids along for that ride.
We aren't impressed with the way we see kids being raised in the States. This one is a before AND after thought. We knew bratty, spoiled little kids, tweens, and teens being raised by others. A bunch of whiny, self-entitled munchkins that thought everything was owed to them and hard work was for poor people and immigrants. That was what we thought before leaving the States (and still do). But AFTER living in Mexico and Panama with Doodle, the US is the last place I would ever raise my kid. They treat kids like kings down here, but still hold them to standards. You get a phone if you get a job and buy one. If a kid is whiny, the entire staff in a restaurant checks on them to see what's the matter. Grown men blow kisses at babies and toddlers, giddy the whole time about the exchange. The village really does try to raise the child down here. We've seen young kids working their tails off doing simple things like drying cars in parking lots and opening and closing the bus doors for people as they get on and off...just in the hopes of making a little coin. We remind ourselves constantly that we don't know any young people in the States that would do such a thing for just the HOPE of getting some money. It's not a guaranteed thing.
We want to learn multiple languages. The US is the only place that doesn't have multilingual citizens as a regular occurrence. Other countries at least learn their language and English. A lot of countries, especially in Europe, have citizens who speak several languages...rather fluently. America likes to talk about their dominance in the world, but it's jokingly false simply by looking at an American traveling in a foreign country. They don't have a clue. We've seen them expect locals to speak THEIR language simply because they are there spending money. We know people in Mexico and Panama that have lived there, full-time, for decades. A good portion of these people speak very little Spanish. And what they do speak is terrible. We want our family to be able to easily communicate with people they meet whether they are in the US or not.
Schools suck now. We are going to teach our kids. We realized that we are pretty darn smart and when compared to some of the people that are in the school systems, we are geniuses. In Albuquerque, where Doodle was born, the public school children are not allowed to take their books home. THEIR BOOKS THAT THE SCHOOL GIVES THEM TO LEARN WITH MUST STAY AT SCHOOL. And they still have homework! What kind of ass-backwards moron thought that less access to books would be better for students to learn? Teachers are paid crap for the importance of their jobs. So how can we expect them to perform well if they are worried about the mortgage.

I went to school at a university with a huge teaching program. I think some order of 40% or so of students there were in teaching programs. I know many of the people who graduated those programs. I know some of those people have terrible grammar and don't know how to spell, yet have jobs teaching junior high and high school students now. Unfortunately, it is very easy to get a job teaching in a rural town as long as you were able to hang in there and get that teaching degree. Sad.

Our kids will get a good education. But they will get it through much more than books. Our kids

will know about marine life by not only reading about it, but interacting with it in their natural habitat. They will learn economics and be able to compare living in one country or neighborhood compared with the political and financial climate of people living in a different country or neighborhood. The same can be said of weather, biology, political science, and history. We will also be able to individually cater to learning needs and styles of our children based on their individuality instead of a cookie cutter system aimed at the masses and testing regimens. That school system is not for everyone.

I don't think what people call the American Dream is accurate. The idea of the “American Dream” (having a mortgage, kids, two cars, and a yard) is so silly because on what planet do any two people have the same dream. People find it odd, sometimes crazy or dangerous, that we live the life we do now. They do not see our big picture. And that's okay. The other day Yana and I talked about how people back home treat us. I said, “They think we're the Jonses.” half jokingly, but probably surprisingly accurate.

But we are not wealthy. We make good money, more than average; but we don't live life like most Americans. Most of our friends stateside see our life and think we have it so easy, but fail to realize the sacrifices we made to get and stay here. They don't see the sacrifices we still make every day. We don't have a smartphone anymore. We have no clue what Twitter or Facebook is doing unless we are at home in front of our computers or in a cafe with wireless (and felt like bringing the laptop along). The electricity over the last couple years goes out a lot. We have felt small earthquakes here in Panama three times since we arrived a week and a half ago. Everything we own is either in the four suitcases we brought to Panama, or stored on our sailboat in Mexico. We no longer have any furniture. We have one vehicle, which at the moment is in the States, unused. We walk down a mountain (a dormant volcano, mind you) waiting for a taxi or bus to come by, hope they have room, and let us on. We've waited up to an hour and a half for a ride like that. We go to the grocery store and have to sometimes not get certain things we want because we don't have room or because it would make things too heavy to carry what we do need.

Aside from our boat, we have no actual home. We rent. The cabina we are in now is a studio, and we only have it for a month before moving to another place for a couple months. The kitchen sink, counters, and stove/oven are outside. We cook, eat, then clean outside. After Boquete we are off to Panama City for the birth of our second little one. We still do not know where we will live yet. We haven't really started looking. But we are okay with all of this. We have lessened the “stuff” in our life and replaced it with living through experiences that most people in the US will never know. They have too much stuff to take care of. George Carlin hit the nail on the head with that one...

We are happy though. We are not alone. There are others we have met living the same life we are. Some of them by choice, some not. Some live and travel with smaller budgets thane we do (in some cases WAY smaller) and there a few that do it with a lot more. But we don't do it because of what our family thinks or how dangerous it may or may not be. People always tell us to send them pictures of our travels and experiences and we tell them we don't really take that many pictures. It's not because we don't want them to see what we see. It's not because we think that if they want to see the cloud-covered mountains of Boquete then they should get their asses down here and do it (which they should, by the way). We don't take pictures because the camera gets in the way. We want to see the world without looking through the lens. No distortion. No zooming. No click. It's just us and the place where we are right now. And that is how we live our life...based on what we see right now.

Why Panama? We are in Panama because we stopped gathering stuff and sold everything. We are in Panama because we can see a new country, meet new people, qualify for another citizenship, cook outside in the weather, hike trails on a 120-yr-old coffee farm, and anything else the likes of which we have no idea is around the corner. Panama is part of our “American Dream” and we chase our dream in the hope that you are chasing yours. Don't try and keep up with the Joneses....BE the Joneses.

One Little Monkey Jumping on the Bed

Sat, 31 May 2014 15:55:00 GMT

Doodle shows off his monkey impression

Jamming to "Proud Mary" by CCR

Sun, 04 May 2014 14:52:00 GMT

Doodle dancing to "Proud Mary" on Playa La Posada in San Carlos, Mexico at the San Carlos Paddle Battle 2014.

Guess we're renting...for now

Sun, 10 Nov 2013 20:50:00 GMT

We have put ourselves in a time crunch. I am trying to get to Mexico for the winter so that I can take advantage of the cold waters and aim for a 2016 English Channel swim. On a longshot, we made an offer on a 3 bed, 2 bath house in San Carlos last week. It's a little smaller than the house we have now, but it was just two blocks from restaurants/downtown area and just four blocks from the ocean.

We got a counter offer back that was a little iffy for our situation since our house in Albuquerque won't be on the market for a while after we move and who knows how long until it sells. Being in a hurry, we are just going to rent for a while so we can look around some more and see if we can find something that will work out better for us long term. We will be staying in a 2 bed, 1 bath duplex for the next few months, but at least we are doing it.

I know a lot of people will wonder why we don't just take our time and find a place to buy. We thought of that. But what rings out to most of us is all of the people that we know who have given us so many accolades for making such a big move and shooting for such amazing travels. I have business associates (many of whom are very successful and could live just about anywhere in the world they want) who tell me that they wished they could do what we are doing. Yana's grandmother told us that she was proud of us for moving and that we are doing the right thing at our age. The only person so far who has expressed fear for our lives on more than one occasion is Yana's mom.

So why wait if it feels so right? There's also the part of us that will never go if we don't pull the trigger because of one small inconvenience or other hindrance. One of the benefits we are going to get by making such a giant change is that Doodle will not grow up surrounded by the elitist, entitled mindset that Americans have towards...well, just about everything. If something does go sour, it will only make us stronger as a family and teach us more about ourselves in the process. So our start in San Carlos will be in a small rental, not near the beach, and a little further from where we want to be. But I will be able to start training and we can learn some pretty neat lessons that can't be shown off by wearing a Boy Scout patch.

X Marks the Spot....in San Carlos, Mexico!

Thu, 17 Oct 2013 07:19:00 GMT

Last week we traveled to San Carlos, Mexico. After a lot of research online it seemed to offer the most to warrant a visit. The winter ocean temperatures there are the same as the summer temperatures in Europe when I swim The Channel, homes and rentals aren't too expensive, and it's a very small town that includes Mexican culture with a large population of U.S. and Canadian retirees. After this trip, we have decided to make that our home for the next few years.

Yana, being a bit of a Negative Nancy, got a little anxious the night before we left. She can't help but cycle through all of the scary news stories when trying to search for “is Mexico safe?” on the internet. I'm just glad she got in the truck to leave and off we went. I think she's now glad she went. She has been defending our decision to move with her mom by using all of the great experiences we had while we were there.

First of all, we felt safe the entire trip. Not once did we get the remote feeling that we were on the verge of being kidnapped, beheaded, put in jail, robbed, or raped. Even when we got lost in Hermosillo after making a wrong turn, we both could have sworn we were in Houston, Texas. Aside from a few instances sailing in the Caribbean in September, it's one of the friendliest places we've ever been!

The Mexican people we ran into all through Sonora blew us away with their help and friendliness. Our first encounter with truly helpful was with our international cell phone that we had purchased before leaving. We stopped in Nogales right after crossing the border and went to the first Telcel store we could find so we could get a Mexican SIM card for the phone and have local service. Of course we landed in front of the store that had the young girl who spoke zero English. I knew enough Spanish to get her started, and with the help of the guy at the currency exchange, she assured us we were good to go and the phone would work. Our mistake for leaving before testing it.

Once we got out of Nogales and heavy traffic, we tried to call the realtor we were supposed to be meeting to look at a couple of places to stay for the week. Uh oh! Cue the static-laced, fast-talking Spanish recording of which we could barely make out a few words. We stopped at a couple of gas stations to ask for help with it and we finally found someone who said she understood a little English. Her and another clerk tried for a few minutes and weren't sure what to do. Then an older woman who was mopping the floor came over and started messing with the phone. She dialed numbers and typed in numeric codes and it truly looked like she was hacking the thing. Eventually she got the phone to call customer service and got me in touch with a rep who spoke English. I told her my problem, she asked me for some of my info and in a few minutes said the phone should work. After playing with the phone number combinations for a few calls, I finally figured out how to call a Mexican cell phone and got in touch with the realtor. Do you want to know how long I was at that store with those three women working on my phone? 45 minutes! Remember, this was a gas station...not a cell phone or electronics store. I was impressed. Not sure if I would get that from the lady mopping the floor at Exxon here in The States.

We have other stories of friendliness to go with that one, from the taco stand owner who would play with Doodle while we ate (showing him to all of the other tables in the process) to the Mexican construction workers who were standing in line before heading to work with their snacks who insisted on holding and playing with Doodle...talking to him in both Spanish and some English. We have never experienced this type of behavior in America. We loved it and wanted more.

During our trip we found some good rentals, and a few properties to purchase. We went down just looking to rent, but buying also has its appeal. Over the next couple weeks we will have to play with the numbers and see in which direction we want to proceed. I am personally starting to lean towards buying so we can still build equity and not just spend money renting for two years or more. Buying a house works way differently than in the U.S., but it does have it's advantages...like Albuquerque-priced houses a block or two from ocean beaches....yeah, baby!

Half of me doesn't want to publish information about San Carlos all over the internet because we love the small-town feel it has to it and want to keep it that way. We really liked the fact that there are no traffic lights, traffic, and the only occasional crime is petty theft. It's sad that the media tries to make Mexico out to be this dangerous place when it really isn't. Mexico is the largest Latin country in the world both in size and in economy. I read a post by another author online that said it best. They likened avoiding Mexico because of the drug wars and such to people not going to California because terrorists flew planes into buildings on the East Coast. I agree. Our current location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America...Our future location: San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico.

Taking the plunge!

Sat, 28 Sep 2013 14:48:00 GMT

I guess this is where I write that this is my first post. It was just yesterday that we learned that Yana would be able to work remotely for the law firm from outside of the country. We have been talking about making a big change for a few months now and today's revelations are the bridge we needed to cross to feel comfortable taking this huge leap of faith. But first, some background on me.

I don't remember the first time it crossed my mind, but as long as I can remember since being a teenager there has been this dream clouding the back of my mind that I want to swim the English Channel. I found out that less people have swam the Channel than have climbed Mount Everest. Since then I haven't been able to shake the notion from my head. I started training in a pool here at home, but 1000 meters in a pool is nothing like the same distance in the ocean and I needed more if I was really going to do it.

And there our other goal surfaces...travel. My wife and I like to travel, but have been limiting our experiences to the tourist staples that most people on their pets have experienced. We want various stamps on our passports and learning other languages and cultures appeals to us greatly. We are not filthy rich, so going to far away lands is limited by our budget and the fact that we are young; saddled with the debt that hinders our adventures. I researched many options for the expat lifestyle and low-cost options when I stumbled onto the novel idea of sailing. As I write his, my sailing experince is ZERO. I have quite a lot of motor- and speed-boat experience having grown up around lots of lakes and water. After a couple months of research...I had my heart set on it. I love the water and love learning new things, so circumnavigating the world in our own yacht was the goal I aimed for or bust!

As you read this blog, you will find personal articles each from my wife and I. As we learn the hurdles (both legal and societal), we will post information articles for others to reference as they follow in similar footsteps. I look forward to your comments over the next several years as we record our steps forward (and back).