Expats Dealing With Death From Panama

The Hardest Part Of Living In A Foreign Country

Do You Have A Plan In Place Should The Worst Happen While You Are Living In Panama?

Moving to a country far from your roots presents many challenges. There will no doubt be cultural differences, language barriers and the occasional bout of homesickness. No matter how much you enjoy your adopted country, these issues are sometimes unavoidable.

This weekend I had to deal with what is probably the worst part of living away from home. I received a phone call from my best friend telling me the father of a very good friend of ours just had a massive heart attack and passed away. These are the kinds of phone calls everyone dreads no matter where you live, but it makes it that much harder when you are living in a country thousands of kilometers away.

I know a number of expats living in Panama that have had to deal with the death of a loved one back home. It’s terrible to get sad news no matter where you live, but being so far away makes one feel totally helpless. Do you get on the next plane home? Do you send your condolences from afar? It’s a terrible situation to be in, but if you’re living in a foreign country it is something you have to consider.

If you already live in Panama, or are considering moving here, it may be worth it to have a game plan in place should the terrible happen. Planning for the worst ahead of time may make such situations a little easier to deal with should the unfortunate happen. Know ahead of time which situation necessitates a trip home. Have someone in place in Panama that can look after your affairs for you should you have to leave on a moments notice.

No one wants to have to think of the worst happening, but having a plan in case of the worst, can make the situation a little bit easier. The death of my friend’s father was a total shock to me and his entire family. This was a healthy, very active, non-smoker who could still knock out opponents half his age on the tennis court, but I guess sometimes there’s no rhyme or reason.

This guy taught me how to drive standard, he improved my tennis swing and he challenged my political views on a daily basis since high school. I will miss him terribly, but after debating with myself endlessly, I have decided not to go home for the funeral. I have already sent my condolences and will be donating to the charity of the family’s choice in lieu of flowers.

This is now the second death I have dealt with since living in Panama. This situation is certainly something I never anticipated when I decided to move thousands of kilometers away, but stuff happens. Always have a plan in place, should the worst happen.

On the flip side, do you and your family have a plan in place should something happen to you while living in Panama? It’s another situation no one wants to think about, but you never know when the worst will happen.

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