Many Americans look to South or Central America to live their American Dream. The country of Panama has a population of over 4 million people. The US State Department estimates that between 20,000 to 30,000 United States expats live in the country. There is a large contingent of US Citizens living in Coronado, but we are also in Panama City and Gorgona. Denise Whiting-Pack and her family have decided they are leaving the USA and becoming residents of Panama. Denise and her husband, Michael Pack, join us to speak about their decision to leave the United States.
I asked Whiting-Pack how she and her family decided to leave the United States, and she shared that their family’s discussions began before 2016, when she began to see a change in the climate of the USA. They considered Belize, even though it is less developed than Mexico. They thought about Mexico and the Dominican Republic, but after a few visits, they began considering the country of Panama. In November 2024, they spent a month living in Panama as regulars, not as tourists.
In March of this year, they applied for residency status, meaning they can receive medical care and no longer have to go through customs and immigration when returning to Panama. Michael Pack explains that while they have visited a few large expat communities in Panama, he and his wife will reside in Panama City where they’ve found a few jazz clubs.
I asked the Packs if they would be returning often to the USA to handle business or see family. Pack shares that their daughter and her family will join them in Panama before the end of the year. She spoke about being 80% sure that they wanted to cut all ties to the United States. The closing on their home will happen in early June, and they will be on their way to Panama a few days later. The Packs go on to explain that they are selling all of their real estate holding in the United States. Panama will be their home for the foreseeable future.