Tropical Salvation

I will admit I was nervous yesterday in the very early morning, frigid drive to Boston. The Mass Pike was a frozen mess and as I got closer and closer to Boston the impact of Monday’s storm became increasingly evident. I pulled into the airport parking garage and dragged my suitcases through a couple snow drifts to the shuttle bus with fingers firmly crossed that my tropical airline would still accomplish the planned flight. It’s always a tradeoff on what to wear for a trip like this because the cold weather gear is only needed until the door of the terminal. I was very glad the bus showed up within a couple minutes saving me from regretting the choice of lighter gear.

The best sight in a long time was the very active ticket counter and the boarding pass which was subsequently in my possession. We had to wait nearly an hour on the plane while it was de-iced but we were soon in the air. It felt a lot like the time I left East Berlin after a Cold War visit when we climbed out of the swirling snow, knowing I was leaving the wintery prison for at least seven days.

Wife and I Together Again

I had a direct flight to Panama City and as soon as I left the baggage claim area there was the sight I was really waiting to see. My wife flew down from her hometown of David to welcome me to Panama. We spent a couple hours at the airport waiting for our return flight to David and met with our lawyer while there – my wife’s nephew. He updated us on a couple more legal hoops we had to leap through on the land acquisition.

My Wife and Her Lawyer Nephew

This was the first time I used the newly instituted domestic flight from Panama City to David and it is SOOOOOOOO much better than the customary 6-7 hour bus ride. We were in David 45 minutes after taking off. My brother in law and his wife were waiting for us and we were soon wending our way through the side streets of David to link up with her sisters at her parents’ house while I reveled in the hot weather. 

My Brother in Law Snapped My Wife and I Waiting for Luggage in David

A short walk to the neighborhood bodega acquired a suitable supply of Atlas beer which was used to celebrate my escape from northern climes. I showed them some pictures of our recent adventures with wintery weather and they could not fathom how people survive in such conditions. As is sit here writing this under my father in law’s orange tree – I’m wondering that myself. I may never leave.  Just kidding, kind of.

With my Father in Law and Brother in Law Enjoying the First Atlas of the Trip