Hello Steemit, I'm Jim -- A New Englander Suburbanite and soon-to-be Panamanian Cowboy

Hello all. I'm "Don Tio" Jim. My wife, Soledad, and I are two suburban Bostonians working hard to take the big plunge and leave it all behind for the hinterlands of Panama.

And no, it does not have a thing to do whoever might win the US Presidential Elections.

Why Panama? Well, Soledad is from there. She was born and raised in the small, subsistence ranching/gathering village that we love so much. I met her 5 hours away in Panama City in 1990 when I was stationed there at Naval Station Panama Canal - Rodman when I was 19-years-old.

Soledad at the corral.

Why a cowboy? It would not have been my first choice, honestly. I am very interested in permaculture and organic gardening. Everyone there raises cattle, though, including her family. For the past few years we have supported the ranching financially in order to allow her older brother Modesto to make some money and live there in the village where he grew up, rather than moving to a larger town or city to seek work as a laborer.

When are we going? Soon... Within a year, we hope. I may be going before she does as she makes a lot more money than I do here and she may stay here for a bit to send some money as I build a house, diversify our business down there, etc... I speak Spanish, so that's not a problem. We have been visiting twice a year and we just returned from our most recent trip on Wednesday.

Some nieces and nephews.

Why "Don Tio?" Soledad is literally related, by blood or marriage, to probably 80% of the people in the village and the surrounding area. The local people call me Don (an honorific) Jim. The local kids all call me Don Tio (uncle) as I really am just an uncle to just about all of them.

What do I plan to write about on Steemit? Being a Yankee abroad, sustainable living, permaculture, ranching, gardening and whatever else strikes my fancy. I hope you come along for the ride!