Back to Basics - Leaving the city life to live in the Jungle

Where would you want to live?

It's a hard question to answer, because many places have their pros and cons. I always thought that I was more of a city girl, and that my ideal place would be right outside of a big city, but close enough, so I could commute back and forth.

My favorite city so far has always been New York City, and if you have been there once, you will understand its unique atmosphere and energy. This is where I spent my graduate years, and it's the city that I would say has forged my character through disappointments and successes, and made me who I am today.

After New York, I moved to London to go work in finance. London and I never really clicked (neither did the finance industry and I!), but of course it was still a great experience which taught me a lot.

Me at my desk

Here my bosses took me out one last time before I moved to Panama

That being said, one can only live the rat race for so long, and it was time for a change. People say it's important to go back to basics, and reconnect with nature. I guess it's true..

7 years ago, I got married in Bocas del Toro, Panama, where I now permanently live and work.

I must say that is is my favorite place to live so far, and you probably ask yourself how one can go from living in a huge cosmopolitan city, to living in a small town of no more than 4,000 inhabitants in the Caribbean. People ask me all the time: don't you get bored?

The answer is simple: NO I don't!

Nothing beats falling asleep to the sound of the jungle (I heard of stressed people in big cities actually buying tapes with the sound of the ocean or crickets to be able to fall asleep), and seeing the sun rise over the canopy as soon as wake up.

I have breakfast while I enjoy the view, and my ride to work is just as pleasant as I am driving along the beach to get to my office.

I wake up to howler monkeys doing their monkey thing every morning, and take in the jungle atmosphere. ![

I don't have any neighbors within a 150 meter radius, and am completely is at peace that way. I grew to dislike the presence of humans (of course that doesn't apply to my friends and family!).

People in Bocas del Toro are genuinely friendly to each other and will say hello even though they do not know you - a custom that has long been lost in every capital of the world.

It is crowded enough not to be boring (think restaurants, shops, nightlife), but also quiet enough to be able to escape on a beach where the next human being is kilometers away.

Quite a change from New York city I have to say, but somehow it really suits me.

I don't really leave my jungle cocoon much. Only to go out to train Brazilian Jiujitsu at the Bocas Fight Gym in town, and for work of course.

On the weekends, my husband an I take our dog Maimoun to the beach, sometimes on a neighboring island to get a change of scenery.

Relocating to Bocas del Toro was definitely the best move for me, and I'm really happy to live in the Caribbean. Every once in awhile I do miss New York - the vibe, the abundance of international food, customer service, having more money to spend, shops, the huge selection of nightclubs, being able to wear something other than shorts and a tank top, and dress up (yes I am a girl and it matters!) BUT then I remind myself that most people would consider my current life a luxury.

I even discovered this hashtag which cracks me up #mylifeisyourvacation.

For me, this is my routine, my day-to-day life, and I feel so grateful that my path lead me to this wonderful place and that I get to experience Bocas’ beauty every single day.

I've traded a hectic and superficial life and went back to basics, and I definitely do not regret my choice.