Michael: First Year Jitters

The colors, crossings,
Horns, cars, buses and people
Meet at the parque.

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Yesterday, we had another small earthquake. That wasn’t something we thought about when we moved to Panama. It’s not something we thought much about living in Los Angeles either. Maybe it should make a difference, but it doesn’t. We like it here and we liked living in L.A. Might have been nice if International living would’ve given us a heads up though, just in case it was a concern. But I suppose it’s still a buyers beware market out there and something I should’ve researched more if I wanted to lessen the odds of the rug being pulled out from under me.

This morning while preparing to make my coffee in the pre-dawn darkness, I felt a little something crawling on my foot. I figured it was an ant and I had better kill it quick because some of those suckers can pack quite a bite.
Turning on the lights I saw a larger than usual congo line and traced their entry to a nonfunctioning electrical outlet behind the refrigerator.

Bugs were a primal concern of mine when considering moving here. I thought there might be hoards of strange bugs that would haunt me. Turns out it’s just your ordinary ants and fruit flies that are just the occasional small annoyance. Really, the unusual large insect or spider lurking about has become something of a rare treat. Though if someone would’ve told me that I’d be acting as a tarantula crossing guard now and then, I’m sure I would’ve considered that reason to pause and reflect a bit on our plans. But then again, I’ve come across the occasional rattler in L.A. and it never stopped me from going on a trail run.

Also this morning, the winds are cranking away at a strong gusty rate as they did last year in January and February. I thought with El Nino, maybe it would dull that a bit. It hasn’t. It’s only for two months of the year, but it’s like your neighbor’s dog howling non-stop for two months. Do we live with that?

And speaking of dogs… Again, that wasn’t something I gave much thought to either here or in L.A. But the dogs are a bit different here. In L.A. I expected people to control their dogs, both from barking and from possibly pestering me as I walked past their property. That isn’t the way it works here. Asking a Panamanian about training their dogs would get you one of those “But ours goes to 11” conversations. It’s not done and they just wouldn’t get it. Dogs are now something we think about just about every time we step out the door here. It’ll be nice to go for a run or ride in the states and not worry about having pepper spray with me.

And those are just the thoughts that quickly scrambled through my head as I prepare to visit my family again in Gringoland. After a year here, it’ll be an adventure to notice what I’ve missed thinking about while away from the states. But just like here, I’m sure there’s a lot of little things that slip our minds until they scurry across our feet or shake the ground beneath us.