- Janet Sussman left the United States for Panama after a series of personal tragedies.
- She found the cost of living in Panama to be much lower and the community to be more supportive.
- Her new life involves keeping her home and adopting a simpler, healthier lifestyle.
Janet Sussman had her eyes set on her dream home: a cabin in the woods of upstate New York. But after a series of disasters, she decided to settle far from the United States, on the coast of Panama.
In 2006, her son died in a construction accident, six months after her husband suffered a massive stroke. Sussman rushed to return to school, take on multiple jobs and relocate so her husband could live out his final years in peace. After years of stress, she decided to move to Panama in 2012.
The cost of living is much lower, the people are much more respectful and less overworked, and the nature of the country is what she wanted. After working as a teacher for a few years, she now housesits full time, traveling the country while earning a little money.
“We all have tragedies in our lives, and we need them,” Sussman said. “If we don’t, we don’t appreciate the good things, and that’s why I think I have such a childlike respect for my journeys.”
Moving to Panama
Sussman grew up in Philadelphia, but she and her husband wanted to move before her children grew up. They settled in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and Sussman landed a job in the catering department of several hotels. She rose through the ranks to become regional catering director for five hotels.
She started a nonprofit that ran a catering business training at-risk youth to obtain food safety certification licenses.
However, as her organization grew, her husband suffered a serious stroke. Six months later, her oldest son died in a construction accident in 2006. Her son had planned to help Sussman and her husband build a log cabin on five acres in upstate New York, their “dream house” where they would retire.
Around this time, she applied for a teaching position in Florida, but her offer was rescinded. She worked three jobs, went to school, drove two hours to see her husband every weekend, and struggled to pay her mortgage.
Her husband decided he wanted to live out his remaining years on the property where they would have their dream home, and they built a manufactured home on the property. He died in 2010. The 2008 recession wasn’t particularly kind to their portfolio either.
“It was a series of things, I was beside myself, but I had to keep functioning. My other two children had already found their other half,” Sussman said. “I didn’t know who I was in this new role. I didn’t know where to go from there. »
In 2009, she decided to go to Panama for the first time, taking a $79 round-trip Spirit flight. She felt like she had lived there in a past life and almost immediately knew she wanted to move there. After a few more years of stress and overwork, she moved to Panama in 2012, even though she knew she had to continue working.
To stay afloat, she started a shuttle service between the airport and hotels in Panama. She bought a van in the United States and shipped it to Panama, along with spare parts she couldn’t find in the country.
She traveled between the two countries for a few years, but she wasn’t happy in the United States and still couldn’t earn enough to keep her head above water.
She landed a job teaching at an international school in Panama, which she thought would be temporary for a year, but she stayed there for more than four years. She then opened a language school, which she sold because she did not want to work too hard as she neared retirement.
She still needed some income, so she became a house-sitter for expats, traveling the country full-time while getting paid – something she still does today. She sold her apartment and stayed on Airbnb between house calls.
Adapting to Panama
Sussman remembers her “a-ha” moment for moving to Panama. She was exploring Panama City with locals who took her to one of the most deprived neighborhoods. She was invited to a small two-room house where she said 10 people lived, and offered whatever food they had. Some didn’t have money to take the bus the next day, but she said they were willing to sacrifice any stability to be together.
“What I understood from all this is that, by American standards, some people have nothing, but they are happy and generous. They share what they have,” Sussman said. “That’s what I needed at that time. I felt sorry for myself because I felt like I had lost a lot, but that was nothing compared to how they have to live every day in buildings that would be condemned in the United States. »
She said she saw simple acts of kindness all the time when she first moved, and she said the people were the reason she settled in long term.
She said Panama City is becoming much more expensive in expat areas, especially on the more touristy beaches. Many don’t want to learn the language, leading some communities to feel isolated from the rest of the city. Learning Spanish has helped her immerse herself much more in the local culture, gaining more respect for her neighbors, as well as becoming familiar with certain gestures or traditions.
“It’s our job to adapt, not them to us,” Sussman said.
Cost of living in Panama
For her 18th-floor apartment in Panama City, with 24/7 security, she paid about $850 a month. Meanwhile, her daughter in Clearwater, Fla., was thrilled to find a $1,400-a-month apartment with few amenities. She paid $40 a month for her electric bill, while she said her daughter paid about $350 in Florida during the summer. She added that Airbnbs are cheaper in Panama – she stayed in one for $455 a month in a beach town.
Most of its daily expenses are much lower than in the United States, although its costs are now more variable because it is constantly moving. She often buys fresh produce from roadside stands, which helps keep costs down as she rarely buys imported produce. She said she eats much healthier in Panama than in the United States.
She said she bought five pineapples a few weeks ago for $1, and often her fruit is free if it falls from the tree. For chains like McDonald’s, she said prices are about half as much in Panama for the same order she gets in Florida when she’s visiting.
“A lot of people say Panama is getting really expensive, but to me, if you want all your brand name shampoos and everything else, you’re going to pay for it,” Sussman said. “But then why move? If you want to complain, then why are you here?”
Her health insurance is $71.50 a month with a $10 copay, and it was as low as $31.50 a month with a $3 copay until she was 65. During the pandemic, she paid $26 for foot surgery. Her car insurance is $179 a year for her 2017 Chevrolet Spark, while her phone bill is just $14 a month.
In Panama, women who turn 55 and men who turn 60 receive 25% off at restaurants, 30% off transportation, 15-20% off medical bills, and a tax exemption. import of up to $10,000 on household items. This allowed Sussman to reduce his daily expenses and long trips.
Some costs are a little higher in Panama, like gasoline. But overall, she found peace in Panama.
“You don’t know about tomorrow, so enjoy today,” Sussman said. “You can travel if you’re looking to go somewhere for a reason, but you know when you get there, and you just breathe in and say, this is it.”
Have you recently left the United States for a new country? Contact this reporter at nsheidlower@businessinsider.com.
