TheExpatJournals.com

Yes, it’s official. Today, I signed a new lease on an apartment in Casco Viejo. I will move back there this Saturday. I must admit, due to some administrative errors, it seemed to take a long time and I had begun to wonder if maybe I shouldn’t. But my mood tonight tells me to shut the f* and accept how much I love it there and how at home I feel there. And just go.

I’m excited by where I’m going to be living as I’ll have no building in front of me to echo every passing car back into my apartment. There’s no room for buses to idle out front and drive me nuts. My bedroom is in the back, so even if there is street noise, I can shut the door and have some quiet. The street I was on was the equivalent to Main Street, so traffic was as abundant as Casco Viejo gets. The street I’ll be on is too narrow for buses to get down, so traffic is incredibly diminished, relatively speaking. Beautiful tile, high ceilings and while I don’t have a balcony and only one window with views,but what a view! That’s where I’ll put my desk and work. Having that view soothes the senses and makes for a very pleasant atmosphere to work in. There is only sea and the Causeway and the Canal and the Bridge and the mountains out that window. I sure hope it is as right as it feels. My only concern is that another disco moves into where 844 used to be and if that happens, I’ll probably be in trouble or learn to sleep with earplugs.

Everyone around there knows me. I love how that feels. I find myself feeling different tonight just knowing I’m going back. And that’s a good difference. And that says a lot.

Julina, who used to have the shop across the street and now works in the real estate office, said to me, “Welcome home.” I was touched. I was wearing a pair of earrings and a ring I had purchased at her store. She told me her boyfriend says hello. I am so bad because I never retain his name…wanna say Bruno, but that’s not right. It’s starts with a B. Anyway, I had just re-read something I had written about the trip my son and I took to San Blas last Christmas, the long version I never posted anywhere nor finished for that matter. I had almost forgotten how her boyfriend rescued us that night. I had arranged a taxi since the flight was at some God awful early hour like 6AM and we had to be there an hour before. Well the taxi never showed up and no taxis are to be found over there at that hour. After unsuccessfully trying to rouse a neighbor who drives a taxi, Julina’s boyfriend just happened to come back from a gig to get his car. He’s a musician. He ended up driving us to the Albrook. And I will forever be appreciative. Another friend had already pulled strings to get us on a sold out flight that I was unable to buy seats for.

Okay, gotta go pack what I need to be able to find since this time, I’m letting the movers pack it all and the only problem with that is that I won’t know where anything is. I’ll figure it out and that is worth not having to pack myself.

PS.. In La Cresta, everytime I’ve ever tried calling a radio cab, no one has yet been available no matter what hour I call.

And PSS…there’s a photo opening at La Casona on Sept. 8th. If you’re in Panama…