Colleen

Our friend Colleen decamped to Panama last week. Not for a vacation, but to live there. While Colleen has long planned a move to Central America after retirement, events here in America accelerated the timeline. Unfortunately, Donald strikes again. We will miss her and her spirit.

 Cath and I have known Colleen for almost a decade. We first met in various progressive circles here in Fauquier. She is a former officer with the Fauquier Dems, a member of the local chapter of the NAACP, a leader for our Warrenton Juneteenth celebration, a regular attendee at our local Black Lives Matter vigil, and a member of Fauquier Indivisible. She has kept her plate full with activism and “good trouble”, as Congressman John Lewis would say.

 Over time, we became good friends and eventually, she became the editor for my blog. Truth be told, we text several times every day on any number of topics – politics, my blog, and sometimes, just about life in Fauquier County.

For years, Colleen visited Costa Rica, and then Panama on multiple, multiple vacations. She enjoys the lifestyle, the eco-friendly nature of the countries, the wildlife, and the simplicity of life. A long time ago, she decided she would retire there and enjoy it full-time.

 When Trump was reelected, she hastened her timeline. To put it bluntly, she felt like a foreigner here at home. America was becoming a place she no longer recognized and she feared for our democracy. She sold her home a year ago, and finalized her decision to move to Panama, at least for now. She obtained her temporary residency earlier this spring, which is good for two years. If she wants, she can then apply for permanent residency. 

 She announced her retirement a month or two ago. Some understood why she was moving, while others did not. The term expat was confusing to several on the political right. 

 Expat is short for expatriate and means “a person who lives or works outside their native country, either temporarily or permanently.”  MAGA people she worked with kept confusing the issue and thought expat meant ex-patriot, someone who no longer loved America. She explained the term several times, but they could not grasp the difference between expatriate and ex-patriot. As Forrest Gump said, “Stupid is, as stupid does.”

After she left America and arrived in Panama, she put an additional post on her business Facebook Page. She felt it necessary to be upfront with all  as to why she was leaving a company  and a country she loved. She posted that she could no longer stay here with Trump running the country and his destructive ways impacting our democracy on a regular basis.  Most reactions were good.

 I’m not sure I know anyone who loves America more than Colleen. The grandchild of immigrants, she is the ultimate patriot and loves and believes in what America can be, although not what it currently is. Sometimes when you love something, you have to let it go. I think that is what Colleen did. 

She is not the first of our friends to leave America in the past year. We know others who have moved overseas – four to New Zealand, two to Costa Rica, two to Italy, and two to Mexico. All the relocations are at least partially related to Trump and the current Republican administration. None of these folk are extremists. They are everyday Americans who were contributing members of our society. 

 The first to leave were friends Heather and Andrea. The day after Trump’s re-election, Heather started applying for jobs overseas. She is a veterinarian, and a good one. She soon obtained a teaching job at New Zealand’s only veterinary school. In Andrea’s words, “If he had not been elected, we definitely would not have moved, though now that we’re here, we’re quite enjoying ourselves.”

Next came Dave and Jennifer. They previously vacationed in Costa Rica several times and enjoyed it. With Trump’s election, they decided to make the move. Jennifer had talked previously about moving, David took longer to decide. Dave retired a few years ago from the Navy after spending over 22 years defending this country. As he says, “Like our elected officials, I swore an oath to defend my country against all enemies, foreign and domestic, which I did, and at a relatively hefty cost.” Dave is not associated with either political party, but could no longer tolerate the divisiveness and vitriol coming out of the White House. He could not stay here and watch the assault on our Constitution by the Republicans who call themselves patriots. Along with their two dogs, they have lived in Costa Rica for several months now and thoroughly enjoy it. The food, the toucans, the people, and the country’s eco-awareness all make it fun. Their major issue? Making sure their beagle, Atticus, does not escape from the back yard. 😉

The next two people are Cathy’s sister Bonnie, and our niece Lana who moved to New Zealand just a few months ago. Bonnie already leaned toward moving there before Trump’s re-election for personal reasons and wanting to make a life change. When he was elected, it accelerated her decision-making process. She said to me, “When Trump was elected, I felt the need to also give Lana a better chance at happiness. Being brown, gay, and a young woman was the trifecta of getting her rights taken away.”  They live in Wellington and are having fun. Lana is enrolled in the local University and doing well. We were lucky to spend time with them on our recent vacation there.

A schoolteacher, a veterinarian, a retired veteran, a massage therapist, an entrepreneur, and a student. All six left in the past year. All were friends or family. All are patriotic Americans. All felt they could no longer live here, at least for now. 

Finally, in the unnamed friends category, we know one couple who moved to Italy, and another couple that moved to Mexico.  That’s ten people overall, if you are counting. By the way, all 10 still vote.

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And Colleen?

 Colleen moved to Panama two weeks ago with all her belongings packed in two suitcases. She is looking at the move as if going through an open door and will take some time to decide where in Panama she will ultimately live. I admire her strength, her smarts, and her fortitude as she decides her future. 

 I know we will continue to text, and she has graciously agreed to remain my editor. Hopefully, we will visit her in Panama in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, I will miss her and will remember her contributions to our local community. She is one of the good ones and made life better for all of us.

Que estés en paz, amiga mía, y disfrutes de la vida.

Addendum:

• For my friends on the right who want to whine about loyalty to America, I would remind them Peter Thiel previously applied for and received dual citizenship in New Zealand. Recently, he also relocated to Argentina with his family.
• Thanks to Colleen, Heather and Andrea, Dave and Jennifer, and Bonnie and Lana for letting me tell their stories.