In this interview from the Life Abroad Panama podcast, Bethany and Mark share every detail of their move from the cold, bustling life of Canada to the warm, relaxed pace of island living. Their story covers the excitement of a new beginning, the challenges of legal processes, and the joy of family life on a tropical island.
The Beginning of the Journey
Hello guys, welcome back to the Life Abroad Panama podcast. Today we’re going to have an amazing interview with Bethany and Mark. They’re going to talk about their life, how they moved to Panama, where they live, how they run an amazing Airbnb, and how their life has been enriched by welcoming a new member of their family, a baby girl. It’s amazing, and I hope you like it, so let’s jump in. Facing immigration questions or business legalities, our lawyers are here to help you. We make it easy to get the legal advice you need when you need it.
Okay, welcome to the interview, Bethany and Mark. I am so glad to have you here. This episode includes family, adventure, and traveling, and I’m really excited to get to know you even more. I’m going to start with questions about your move to Panama because without that we wouldn’t be here speaking right now. I want to know: where do you live, how old are you, and where did you meet? Tell me a little background story.
We are both born and raised Canadians. We grew up in the same city together and we have a beautiful little baby making little squawks every now and again, but that’s part of the adventure of life. We grew up together in the same city, around the same people. Eventually, we just got fed up with the cold, the snow, and all the hustle and bustle of the modern world, and we decided to check out some different places in the world. I had traveled a little bit, and you go around and see how different people live, many of which can be way more appealing than how I was living up in Canada.
So, we decided to pack our bags, sell our possessions, and take a quick little plane ride down to Panama. And it is quick. For anybody thinking, “I don’t know how I’m going to make a move or anything like that,” we had our doubts at the beginning of January, wondering, “Why are we doing this? It’s really cold and there’s so much hustle and bustle.” And within six weeks, we had literally moved our entire life over to Panama. For anyone thinking you can’t do it, you really can. It is really easy.
I want to know why you chose Panama out of all the countries in the world. There were a couple of logistical things, but it all kind of fell into place on TikTok. I was scrolling one day and I saw this video of somebody explaining why they moved from Seattle to Panama, and I was like, «Well, that’s interesting. What is Panama?» Then I started looking into Panama and the PR process, which is a lot easier than in many other countries, and that was pretty much it.
We were like, “You know what? It’s warm, it’s under the hurricane zone, it’s affordable, affordable,” and that was kind of it. And then when we got here, we got to meet the people, and everyone in Panama is so friendly. They all have such a good vibe; everyone wants to hang out, have a good time, and spend time with their family. We really dug the people.
Family Background and Love
I want you guys to speak more about your background because you mentioned something really important about family, and now you have a baby girl. Congratulations on that! Tell me more about it.
I’m very, very, very lucky. I’m lucky to be able to tell her that her parents genuinely are soulmates. We actually were raised together. We grew up in the same friend circles and our parents were in the same groups, so I’ve known him literally my entire life. We have stories of when our parents hung out and we were babies, and as we got older, we went in and out of each other’s lives.
Then, in 2020, he had to convince me because I had some issues and he was like, «Hey, I’m going to take you on three dates; let’s go.» Then he kissed me in the kitchen one night and there were fireworks. We have really never been separated since. I just knew that every time we reconnected, we had a heck of a lot of fun together.
Turning a 30-year friendship into a relationship took courage, but it gave us a solid foundation before coming to Panama. That takes courage making such a huge change in your life and not simply moving from city to city.
Transitioning to Island Living in Panama
I also want to know: why did you choose Bocas del Toro, and what were the legal requirements to go from a city to the countryside? What did you do, where did you stay, did you need different paperwork or something like that? Tell me more.
It is interesting because I’ve met a lot of people like you. I definitely am so grateful that he’s here with me. I wouldn’t have done this with anyone else, especially moving into the countryside because we’re on an island. We went from looking at cows to looking at dolphins. We really went to the complete opposite of what we were used to.
We hadn’t had much experience with the ocean, though I had been snorkeling before when I was younger, as a 12-year-old or so, and had a good time. When we got here, our lawyers explained what we needed for PR, which included a criminal background check.
We checked off a lot of boxes like, «Do you own property?» «Yeah, okay, check that box.» There are a bunch of different boxes you can check, and we knocked off many of them.
I was surprised that, with every person I’ve talked to, the process was different. In Canada, if you were in a bank for five hours, fists would be flying, people are very high-strung. That would just never happen in Canada. Here, you kind of walk into a situation knowing that you might be in a bank for five hours, get comfortable, and treat it like a mini vacation in a different country.
You enjoy the hot day, then go back home. It’s kind of nice being forced to leave your house sometimes because we’re very much homebodies. Even when we had our baby, we had to go back to Canada for some things. So the forced vacations every six months aren’t a bad thing.
Welcoming Local Hospitality
I also want to know: is it true that they pick you up on the dock right after you get off the airplane? So, is that the only thing you see of Panama or Bocas del Toro, what he shows you? And he’s very, very good at it.
Yeah, I love it. I just hang out with people who are usually couples in love, on a honeymoon or a similar trip, so you just show them, «Hey, look at those dolphins over there,» and you see these couples wrapping their arms around each other in Bocas del Toro. We’re kind of right in between two towns if you were to draw a triangle, we’re at one point of it. It’s a cool island.
I don’t know how many people live here, but there are expats and locals who have been on this island their whole lives. You ask about things in town and sometimes they say, «I only go to town once a month; I’ve never been past town.» Expats come, fall in love with the place, and then try to get a mortgage, but you need cash for that. Since we knew we were never going back, we found the place, sold the house really quickly and easily.
You just need to find a lawyer with decent reviews, and then let them handle all the work. Because of COVID, we were able to do everything online without having to go back for anything. Within a short time, after listing everything with the help of parents, siblings, and cousins, we were able to buy the property. We opened up our Airbnb, essentially trading a standard thousand-square-foot Canadian home a 40-year-old house, for two acres with 10 structures, including two Airbnb huts and a main house.
Real Estate and Legal Support Living in a Island
The financials are definitely nice here; you can see the value in real estate. There are a lot of horror stories, and as an immigrant, I’ve had my share too. That’s why I’m telling this to the viewers: if you need legal help, NDM Love Firm is for you. We have background checks; you can check on us and we are legit.
I love how the legal part is so important to have everything together so you have peace of mind. Whether it’s the way Airbnb gives you a year-end statement for your lawyer or when you need an accountant, it depends on your setup.
I definitely wouldn’t suggest that everyone does the same thing because everyone has their own way. We spend our days outside with very few pesticides or similar issues, and I genuinely think that’s why we got pregnant. We wanted to ensure that everything was as natural as possible. We have a public hospital nearby, and the other private hospital was in David, about a three-hour drive away.
We got one ultrasound here and one in David, but other than that, processing our PR and everything else it was smooth. I even had someone tell me, «Taking your girl is too risky,» but I thought, «This is exactly so cute.» I expected it to be harder, but you say it’s much easier. I’m impressed again that Panama loves family and is very family oriented.
When you see a baby, you just can’t help but get excited even if, humorously, the baby once threw the dad in jail. I understand that with all the immigration issues, all you really need is a lawyer to sign off on things. You hear horror stories, but those are rare. For us, it was very simple, and getting her PR is a lot cheaper than ours. (Our PR was 2900 each.)
Adjusting to a New Lifestyle
I also wanted to ask, what adjustments did you make logistically and legally when bringing your baby? We didn’t have a lot of criminal record issues to get through, which was fine. And when planning on staying here, when she comes of age 18 or 21 she’ll already have her papers and be a resident. Maybe that’s another lifestyle thing; we want her to be fluent in Spanish and English, and perhaps even take dance classes.
I’m so happy about you guys. Your story is amazing, you’re living the dream, and everything is going so smoothly. Now you are even putting your property on sale. If anybody wants to buy or contact you for your Airbnb, you know where to reach out.
Overcoming Everyday Challenges
Continuing with the interview, we discussed lifestyle differences. I think I’ve bought three coffee pots since moving here, even though I used the same one in Canada for five years. It seems like everything you touch breaks here. So you have two options: either learn to go without, which is often better, or spend a huge amount of money to import something from another country, something you might have done in Canada, too.
None of that backend stuff was too threatening. Ultimately, you’re just giving people a good time, making sure there’s food on the island and drinks available, and ensuring people aren’t too picky. We offer dolphin tours and other experiences. It’s honestly just a way for us to help people enjoy their vacation and fall in love with Panama.
Embracing Independence and Self-Reliance
It’s funny because when you live on an island, you don’t just have a car. Looking for properties across the country like wanting to be closer to Panama City is another challenge. Living in Bocas del Toro means you might have to take another plane, drive, or even fly to Costa Rica and then take a plane to Bocas del Toro. It’s not a direct flight. We can’t get a mortgage easily, so we have to wait for one place to sell, get the cash, and then make a transition.
When it comes to buying our next property, we’ll probably take a road trip down to that area and see what we like. We have a lot of animals now, three dogs, three cats, and more which makes life a constant conversation. I have my best friend in him, and now I have a daughter to raise. Our setup is amazing. If you have a really good partner and know you can be away from the world together, definitely move to an island. Don’t move to another country just to try to get away from your problems; those problems will follow you no matter where you are.
Do you think it is the most valuable thing you’ve learned? For me, it’s independence and self-reliance. Back home, I could just pop a message, «Hey, my washing machine broke. What do you think I should do?» Now, I can Google it and figure it out. If neither of us does it, it just won’t get done. That «us against the problem» mentality has been with us through everything from laughing about a broken boat motor or a leaking roof to him falling through a dock.
We learn to laugh about it because there’s nothing you can do; half the things you just can’t control. Seeing it through our daughter’s eyes, given how we were raised in Canada, is incredibly rewarding. Even during winter in Canada, being able to go outside with her, wearing shorts, means she’s going to be outside all year around, which is a huge benefit indeed.
Plus, knowing that she’s going to be raised in a community that values life, family, and traditions, cooking breakfast, dinner, and taking her places can turn into a lot, depending on the guests. That’s a big difference. When we do move, we’re looking for a spot that will offer a turnkey Airbnb rather than a hands-on, small cabin.
Or maybe we’ll shift to rental income by buying a couple of small houses or a condo. One person said one thing, and two other people confirmed the same. We’ve all heard horror stories and don’t want anyone to be taken advantage of. So just go to the source, double-check, triple-check, and make sure everything is lined up with nothing suspicious. And with NDM Love Firm, you’re safe with us.
On the last note, if people can give referrals and such, honestly, I haven’t really been screwed over by any lawyers here. The people have been very nice. I’ll say it: you can go to any country and people might try to take advantage of you. It’s not a Panama-specific or South American issue. It’s just that here, people have been very helpful. I’m so glad we had this interview.