I worked remotely from a tropical island in Panama

 
In February of 2022 I worked remotely from a tropical island.

More specifically, from Bocas Del Toro, Panama, in Central America. 

If you’ve never heard of Bocas, it’s a collection of Panamanian islands in the Caribbean Sea  

The narrow strips of white sand beaches on these islands is interspersed with endless jungles. On land and in the sea, Bocas is home to many unique and beautiful creatures.  

Now about the islands… 

There’s Isla Colon, your resident party island. Colon is where you stay if you’re looking for parties overlooking the sea, littered with Balboas, Panama’s, and Corona’s every which way.

Not only is Colon memorable for its parties, but for its waves breaking on the reef. The waves are mesmerizing, 10-12 ft overhead; Playa Paunch and Playa Bluff are a pro surfer’s paradise.

My surfing experience was nothing like that of Paunch or Bluff. I surfed at Black Rock. A break off the coast of Colon that you boat out to.

The waves were quite impressive that day 5-7ft overhead. I had never been boated out to surf before and was a bit disoriented. Even so, I gave it my all. Battling winds, strong currents, and large waves, it wasn’t the most enjoyable surfing experience.  

Under the right conditions, Black Rock is magic. Today was not the day, but nevertheless it was an incredible experience to sit on my board in the middle of the sea, in warm waters, as waves broke right in front of me.

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While I was staying in Bocas, I got to watch a local surfing competition at Playa Paunch. The energy was contagious as we watched these highly skilled surfers carve in and out of the waves.  

As much fun as I had staying at Skully’s hostel, pretending I was a pro-surfer myself, I found my home on another island in Bocas… 

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Bastimentos Island, home to Red Frog Beach.  

Sand so soft and white in nature no matter how hard you tried to drag your feet through it, it would never hurt you, simply powder your toes a white hue.  

As I sat in the sand each morning, forgoing a beach towel, I would grasp as much sand as I could in my palms and watch as it drifted through my fingers back to the beach, its rightful home. I would draw circles and attempt to leave my mark, a memory of my presence here.  

I gazed in disbelief at this natural creation.  

The sand is its own.  

Not simply a byproduct of the land and sea, but an ecosystem of its own. As I watched clear-shelled sand crabs dip in and out of the sand to stare at me curiously, I attempted to become their friend. Following their lead and feeding into their curiosity, they approached me closer.  

This little strip of beach surrounded by jungle served as a safe haven for me. A place I could breathe and feel the earth all around me, grounding me. I felt the strength of the sea and the dominance of the jungle coursing through my toes all the way to my fingertips.  

As I approached closer, the crabs fled in fear. Curious, they would retreat from the sand. We would continue this dance, until I got too close. The two disappeared forever, frightened by this large creature approaching them, me.

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I spent a week working remotely at Palmar Beach Lodge on Bastimentos Island.  

Periodically, I would take breaks to jump into the dark blue to clear waters, the most exquisite ombre I’ve ever seen. I would hurdle through waves doing my best not to be pulled into the deep tumultuous waters, battling rip currents and strong swells. Despite the difficulty to swim peacefully, I always returned to the sea.   

At times I would stop fighting and let the sea pull me in and out. Allowing the buoyancy of my body and the high salinity of the water to keep me afloat. I accepted the pace of the waves and allowed life to slow down. There is a certain rhythm the waves follow, like a beautiful melody.  

I closed my eyes and my mind eased, as all my thoughts drifted from my body. The less I fought it, the easier it became to remain afloat and be pushed back and forth with the seashells, seagrass, and ecosystem below me.   

Once I finally opened my eyes to find the sun shining over me, partnered by the fluffiest clouds littering the sky and my body bobbing ever to slightly above the surface, I was content.  

Content at sea, on land, and on earth. When I am able to feel Mother Earth, her heart beating, I am at peace. Today I was able to feel her heart beating through the melody of the sea. I was able to hear the rhythm she created the sea to.  

As I got out of the water I gazed in awe at the beach.

It was stunning.

Shrouded by the overarching trees and ecosystem of the jungle, the beach is its own paradise and gift from Mother Earth.

Every now and then, if you looked closely enough you’d see a Red Frog hopping through the bushes where the beach meets the jungle. This gorgeous poison dart-frog, the size of my pinky nail, would stand stationary as you gazed in awe at it’s beauty.  

Don’t be fooled and attempt to touch them, their skin is covered in a poisonous substance that can kill 10 humans.

Leaving the frog in its place, it’s home on Bastimentos Island I would return to my workspace. A table overlooking the sea. Of course work is work, but being here definitely made the experience better.

An experience I’ll never forget…working from a tropical island. Hopefully the beginning of many more of its kind.

Be it tropical islands, temples, or skyscrapers, I’d like to follow where my mind and heart take me around the world.