Bocas Del Toro and a Thousand Starfish
02. Mar, 2009 
18 Comments
I celebrated my 32nd birthday on Isla Colon, the largest island of Bocas del Toro in northern Panama. It rained in spurts and fits, then the sun would pop out like nothing ever happened. I rented a bike, traveled to a deserted section of beach, and sat on the towel that I draped over a piece of driftwood. I didn´t feel like reading, I just sat in silence, admiring the ocean. I noticed tan lines on my feet from my flips flops. A strand of my hair fluttered in the breeze, bleached strawberry blond by the sun. I mentally searched my body for how I felt. My shoulders felt loose, the tightening over so many years of bodily trying to tamp down my stress, gone. I was well rested. I felt good.
I think it goes without saying, travel has agreed with me.
Later I would take the 25 minute shuttle to Playa del Drago, home to more starfish than I could count. As we drove, I stared out the window, watching the lush interior fly by, dotted with the occasional butterfly or tropical flower. In Drago, the starfish lay on the ocean floor, burnt orange or brown, big as your head, resting between the inevitable tourist, who all have the same idea. Starfish on the head, starfish next to your smile, starfish as bikini top. Click, click, click.
Back at the hotel, I didn´t tell anyone about my birthday. Instead I sat on the roof top balcony and wrote for a few hours, until I was pulled into a conversation. ¨I´m graduating college this spring, and I´m not sure what I´m going to do. I wish I could find someway to travel and make a living.¨ You can, you can, you can. But you´ll never believe me until after you´ve done it. Even then, you won´t believe it.
I was swimming with starfish, floating and bobbing, and completely aware of where I was. Panama. Bocas del Toro. Isla Colon. Playa del Drago. A thousand miles away from my old life that is quickly becoming blurry to me. I can´t remember with clarity the icy panic of quitting my job. It was so important, so scary, it felt like my every breathe was conflicted. Breathe in. What am I doing? Breathe out. It´s okay, it will be fine.
¨When do you go back to the US¨ Never. I smile. That´s as good of an answer as any.
Oops, comments were shut off…. turned them back on now.
Happy birthday, Christine. Doesn’t sound like there is a better place to spend it especially thinking about it from snowy NYC. I’ve been through most of Central America over two trips, but missed Panama. Definitely need to get there. Bocas del Toro sounds like a relaxing spot.
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Happy Birthday Christine!! What an enviable way to spend your day.
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Happy, happy birthday! Sounds like a perfectly delightful one and makes me excited about when we reach Panama on our open ended world tour.
Oh, I can so relate to your post!
“A thousand miles away from my old life that is quickly becoming blurry to me.”
What a great joy it is to have such a free life, don’t you wish everyone could do it? I have become such an evangelist for this lifestyle and want everyone to know that it is possible, and cheaper, easier and more gratifying than most realize.
I just said almost those same words on Mixergy talking about the possibilities of global digital nomadic life. http://blog.mixergy.com/nomad-family/
Three years into our global tour, listening this week to the reverberations of drums through our beautiful 15th century white village, as I approach my own birthday this month, I wonder why we did not do this sooner.
I really do think this is a trend that is growing and it will be good for individuals and good for the planet. Celebrate all year my dear! Life is beautiful and you are one of the lucky ones who set yourself free!
happy birthday! It’s amazing how quickly we forget the old life. I wonder if that is because doing so much seems like we do a life time of stuff every day or we subconsciously try to forget that old life
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Happy birthday Christine!
What a way to celebrate.
Happy Birthday to a brave, brave woman. How lucky you are to have had enough faith in yourself to make such a big step in your life.
Much happiness to you throughout your life of travel and adventure.
Happy Birthday Christine!
Your posts continue to inspire the leap that many of us have/will take. It’s reassuring to hear that it was the right thing for you to do.
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Happy Birthday Christine! Your experience in Panama sounds like the only way to celebrate.
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Happy Birthday Christine! Sounds like Bocas is treating you well. Did you enjoy 80s night?
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Beautiful picture. Love the reply.
Happy birthday, Christine. What a wonderful sight.
This sounds like a blissful way to spend your birthday.
Happy belated birthday!
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This post was simply beautiful. I don’t know what else to say, except that it inspired me and makes me grateful to read your blog.
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Great post! Thanks for adding me as a friend. That photo is absolutely amazing. I can’t even imagine seeing that in real life!
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Whilst I don’t plan on travelling for a whole year, just a measely 3 weeks around South East Asia, I always make sure I’m abroad on my birthday as a treat to myself. So far I’ve accomplished Paris, Florida, Cyprus, New York and the Dominican Republic – long may my ‘home made tradition’ continue!
Love this site – very informative and insightful. Great for beginners to it like me
Serena
x
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HEART
You know what, I always enjoy reading your adventures. This blog professes how fun it is to be a traveler, I like it and I envy it.