I enjoyed reading the January 2010 edition of Prime Time, with its focus on retirement abroad. I am recently returned from three and a half years in Panama, where I served in the US Peace Corps and then worked with CBRE, a commercial realtor. I was amazed by the number of expatriates living and thriving in all areas of Panama. From tiny costal villages and rural hamlets to the heart of the big metropolitan and very Latino Panama City, expatriates are carving their own way.

I admire these intrepid trailblazers, for the most part they are goodwill ambassadors and accelerators of the social institutions often lacking in underdeveloped nations. If the greatest gift that the baby boomer generation can give to the world is to retire in their backyard, investing time and money into their civil society, then they may come to rival the greatest generation with respect to impact made in this world.

The Carlson’s and Ms. Little are early adopters in a soon to be wave of people heading outside of the US for health care. I know that I was able to secure a full coverage, platinum health policy for 35$ a month which granted me access to a hospital operated in partnership with Johns Hopkins. Those of you out there thinking about becoming a snow bird or medical tourism should take the plunge, what you find might be pleasantly refreshing.

Frederick DeWorken recently relocated to Seattle from Panama Central America where he served as a Small Business Consultant to a small rural Panamanian community in the US Peace Corps. He then spent a year working in the capital, Panama City, as a management consultant and a business development analyst for CB Richard Ellis. For those interested in more information on Panama, he can be reached at Frederick@deworken.com