Tranquilo Bay in Sport Diver
May 19, 2008 Filed in: Story
In the June issue of Sport Diver there are a variety of
articles on where to go expat.
Panama and specifically, Bocas del Toro, made it as one of the destinations - the Wild West. Check out the article here - http://www.sportdiver.com/article.jsp?ID=21392105. The reference to Panama is toward the end of the online article.
Panama and specifically, Bocas del Toro, made it as one of the destinations - the Wild West. Check out the article here - http://www.sportdiver.com/article.jsp?ID=21392105. The reference to Panama is toward the end of the online article.
Paradise the Hard Way
April 26, 2008 Filed in: Story
I can't begin to describe how cool it is to read
someone else's account of what we have been up to down
here for the past few years. I just read the article
Paradise the Hard Way in Inc.'s May 2008 issue about how
Tranquilo Bay came to be what it is today.
Obviously you can't capture all of it in 5000
words or less, but the folks at Inc. did a pretty
good job. We came down here and built Tranquilo
Bay for a change in lifestyle. We got what we
bargained for and then some. All of us share ups
and downs on the island. Fortunately there have
been more ups than downs. We are celebrating this
article as a definite up!
We have been pretty busy over the last few months as my lack of posts indicates. I am going to try and post some of the photos from the past few months over time in order to give you a feel of what it is like to be here. We have done all the hard work for you. You just have to come down and enjoy. Give us a call - we will find the right time for you and your group to visit.
We have been pretty busy over the last few months as my lack of posts indicates. I am going to try and post some of the photos from the past few months over time in order to give you a feel of what it is like to be here. We have done all the hard work for you. You just have to come down and enjoy. Give us a call - we will find the right time for you and your group to visit.
Wow!
April 24, 2008 Filed in: Story
I can't believe that it has been over a month since my
last post, but alas it has. We have been busy - which
is such a good thing.
We were very fortunate to really catch the attention of one of our guests during the holiday season. Bob Sutton is a professor and an author. He teaches at the d.school at Stanford and has heard a variety of stories about start up companies. He thought ours was an interesting one and he decided to tell a few people about us. He wrote to Leigh Buchanan at INC magazine. She found the story also to be intriguing and in less than one month she was here interviewing us and learning all about what it took to build Tranquilo Bay. The photographers, Rob and Brandon, followed shortly thereafter. We worked with Leigh and Ryan at INC to verify the facts in the story as it was being edited. Then we waited. Yesterday, Jay, Stefanie and Scott went to the USA to visit family and they found the May issue of INC on the newsstand. Jay tells me that he and Stefanie are pleased with the article. Jim and I are waiting for someone to fax a copy of it to us as it is not posted on INC's website just yet.
We are very appreciative of all the attention granted us from Bob, Leigh, Ryan and all the other people involved in making this article a reality. I thought that some people might be interested in getting a better grasp on what it took to build this place so we put together a new section of the website that goes through the story year by year. Each of the photos on the pages and the text blows up so that you can see them clearly and the gallery on each page takes you through the photos for that year.
Thanks to you all for making Tranquilo Bay a reality ;-)
We were very fortunate to really catch the attention of one of our guests during the holiday season. Bob Sutton is a professor and an author. He teaches at the d.school at Stanford and has heard a variety of stories about start up companies. He thought ours was an interesting one and he decided to tell a few people about us. He wrote to Leigh Buchanan at INC magazine. She found the story also to be intriguing and in less than one month she was here interviewing us and learning all about what it took to build Tranquilo Bay. The photographers, Rob and Brandon, followed shortly thereafter. We worked with Leigh and Ryan at INC to verify the facts in the story as it was being edited. Then we waited. Yesterday, Jay, Stefanie and Scott went to the USA to visit family and they found the May issue of INC on the newsstand. Jay tells me that he and Stefanie are pleased with the article. Jim and I are waiting for someone to fax a copy of it to us as it is not posted on INC's website just yet.
We are very appreciative of all the attention granted us from Bob, Leigh, Ryan and all the other people involved in making this article a reality. I thought that some people might be interested in getting a better grasp on what it took to build this place so we put together a new section of the website that goes through the story year by year. Each of the photos on the pages and the text blows up so that you can see them clearly and the gallery on each page takes you through the photos for that year.
Thanks to you all for making Tranquilo Bay a reality ;-)
Behind every...
February 03, 2008 Filed in: Story
I am into quotes right now. They seem to help one get
the point across far better than one's own words at
times. This one caught my eye the other day:
It is a variation on the common theme of behind every good man is a good woman. It is fitting for our situation as we were separated by 1800 miles as we built Tranquilo Bay. I would not have wanted nor could I have completed what Jay and Jim did to build Tranquilo Bay. However, they could not have done it if they didn't have a regular influx of cash coming their way from the girls they left in Houston.
We have been reviewing our quest to build and create Tranquilo Bay recently. It is quite a gift to be able to look upon what it has become and is continuing to develop into - almost as one watches a child grow. It is a labor of love. One that has its ups and downs of course, but oh what a ride it is.
It is a variation on the common theme of behind every good man is a good woman. It is fitting for our situation as we were separated by 1800 miles as we built Tranquilo Bay. I would not have wanted nor could I have completed what Jay and Jim did to build Tranquilo Bay. However, they could not have done it if they didn't have a regular influx of cash coming their way from the girls they left in Houston.
We have been reviewing our quest to build and create Tranquilo Bay recently. It is quite a gift to be able to look upon what it has become and is continuing to develop into - almost as one watches a child grow. It is a labor of love. One that has its ups and downs of course, but oh what a ride it is.
Blogging
January 17, 2008 Filed in: Story
It makes me happy. I love that I can live in the middle
of the jungle on an island in the Caribbean Sea and I
can still access good content on things which interest
me. In the past it was necessary to get a subscription
to a magazine or to watch a television show in order to
get this stuff.
Don't get me wrong, I still like to read books and magazines, but I can't load up on them these days like I could when we lived in Houston, Texas.
I have several groupings of blogs saved in my browser of places I check out several times a week for education and inspiration.
We recently had a guest stay here who is both an esteemed author and professor as well as a dad, a husband, and a nice guy - Bob Sutton. I have been reading his blog, Work Matters, ever since. Speaking with him and his amazing wife, Marina, reminded me to open my eyes to other types of blogs for both education and information. (BTW - Bob's most recent book is helpful even if you don't work in a "normal" workplace. I read it before his family's arrival based upon some information his tour operator provided to me. It is a good read!)
If I had to pick my top nine blogs as of today - they would be (in no particular order):
Soule Mama - Amanda Soule's Blog
Angry Chicken - Amy Karol's Blog
House on Hill Road - Erin Harris' Blog
How about orange ... - Jessica Jone's Blog
Work Matters - Bob Sutton's Blog
Ali Edwards Design Blog - Ali Edwards' Blog
Pink Chalk Studio Blog - Kathy Mack's Blog
Sew Mama Sew Blog - Sew Mama Sew Store Blog
11 Mystics - Suzanne's Blog on iWeb and other technical stuff
It is not at all unusual that I begin on one person's blog and then follow the links to the next and the next and the next. I have a variety of tutorials and recipes and scrapbook ideas stored away in my favorites. I pull inspiration from these when it comes time to make something for the kids or for the cabanas, etc. But honestly, I am a lurker. I do not leave comments and I rarely communicate with the authors of the blogs. It is more like reading a book or a magazine for me. I must credit Ali Edwards for getting me started in all of this. I get a newsletter for a digital scrapbooking website called Scrapgirls (my husband loves that one) and Ali was interviewed in the newsletter. There was a link to her blog. And from there I was hooked. I only hope that someday someone will feel the same way about our blog, or trip reports, etc.
Have a great day!
Don't get me wrong, I still like to read books and magazines, but I can't load up on them these days like I could when we lived in Houston, Texas.
I have several groupings of blogs saved in my browser of places I check out several times a week for education and inspiration.
We recently had a guest stay here who is both an esteemed author and professor as well as a dad, a husband, and a nice guy - Bob Sutton. I have been reading his blog, Work Matters, ever since. Speaking with him and his amazing wife, Marina, reminded me to open my eyes to other types of blogs for both education and information. (BTW - Bob's most recent book is helpful even if you don't work in a "normal" workplace. I read it before his family's arrival based upon some information his tour operator provided to me. It is a good read!)
If I had to pick my top nine blogs as of today - they would be (in no particular order):
Soule Mama - Amanda Soule's Blog
Angry Chicken - Amy Karol's Blog
House on Hill Road - Erin Harris' Blog
How about orange ... - Jessica Jone's Blog
Work Matters - Bob Sutton's Blog
Ali Edwards Design Blog - Ali Edwards' Blog
Pink Chalk Studio Blog - Kathy Mack's Blog
Sew Mama Sew Blog - Sew Mama Sew Store Blog
11 Mystics - Suzanne's Blog on iWeb and other technical stuff
It is not at all unusual that I begin on one person's blog and then follow the links to the next and the next and the next. I have a variety of tutorials and recipes and scrapbook ideas stored away in my favorites. I pull inspiration from these when it comes time to make something for the kids or for the cabanas, etc. But honestly, I am a lurker. I do not leave comments and I rarely communicate with the authors of the blogs. It is more like reading a book or a magazine for me. I must credit Ali Edwards for getting me started in all of this. I get a newsletter for a digital scrapbooking website called Scrapgirls (my husband loves that one) and Ali was interviewed in the newsletter. There was a link to her blog. And from there I was hooked. I only hope that someday someone will feel the same way about our blog, or trip reports, etc.
Have a great day!
Take Aways
January 04, 2008
Each day I wake up here I count my blessings. There are
so many things and people who helped me reach this
point in my life and for that I am grateful. This
evening I have been reviewing in my head the multitude
of people I have met in the last few weeks and how
spending time with each and every one of them has been
rewarding. One of the things that is so great about
being here in Panama and running a small lodge is that
we get to meet people from all walks of life with a
variety of interests and experiences. It is so cool
when these people come here and have an adventure
together.
I try to make it a point not to ask people what they do for a living as that conversation is one they have regularly at home. On vacation in the middle of the Caribbean ocean one should talk about different things. So I thought it would be interesting to give a brief list of ONE thing that I took away from each group of our guests over the last few weeks (I obviously took away much more than one thing from each family and each person for that matter but to list all of them might become tedious for those of you reading this)
S – teenage boys are very good at entertaining 4 year old boys – thanks guys!
H – chai tea helps to make friends
M – there are good white wines
K – family trips are one of the best gifts to give and to receive
E – there are other people who like bugs and snakes as much as Jim and Jay
N – teenage girls are up for all kinds of adventure – even bat caves
S – it is possible to truly unplug and just “be” on vacation with your family
Z/C – let me sleep late and then keep me going all day and into the night
C – game for anything especially if it includes bacon, chocolate or beer!
R – children can’t learn to speak properly if they don’t actually chew their food
R – cousin in a very distant way – that whole 7 degrees of separation thing rings true
B/H – when it seems like there is more to the story there usually is
There are so many things that I learned from these recent guests. If I did list what each of these people did for a living and the accomplishments among them I would go on for days. Suffice it to say that our guests accomplishments far outshine ours yet we can all spend a bit of time here together and have a great time doing so. Thanks to all of you for spending some of your precious vacation time here with us!
I try to make it a point not to ask people what they do for a living as that conversation is one they have regularly at home. On vacation in the middle of the Caribbean ocean one should talk about different things. So I thought it would be interesting to give a brief list of ONE thing that I took away from each group of our guests over the last few weeks (I obviously took away much more than one thing from each family and each person for that matter but to list all of them might become tedious for those of you reading this)
S – teenage boys are very good at entertaining 4 year old boys – thanks guys!
H – chai tea helps to make friends
M – there are good white wines
K – family trips are one of the best gifts to give and to receive
E – there are other people who like bugs and snakes as much as Jim and Jay
N – teenage girls are up for all kinds of adventure – even bat caves
S – it is possible to truly unplug and just “be” on vacation with your family
Z/C – let me sleep late and then keep me going all day and into the night
C – game for anything especially if it includes bacon, chocolate or beer!
R – children can’t learn to speak properly if they don’t actually chew their food
R – cousin in a very distant way – that whole 7 degrees of separation thing rings true
B/H – when it seems like there is more to the story there usually is
There are so many things that I learned from these recent guests. If I did list what each of these people did for a living and the accomplishments among them I would go on for days. Suffice it to say that our guests accomplishments far outshine ours yet we can all spend a bit of time here together and have a great time doing so. Thanks to all of you for spending some of your precious vacation time here with us!
Holiday Greetings from Tranquilo Bay
December 12, 2007
We all want to wish you and yours a happy, healthy and safe holiday season. December is a time for all of us to celebrate our families, friends and opportunities. There are the different religious holidays, the cultural holidays and the new beginnings to prepare for and contemplate. Then there is the time to just ENJOY. We all wake up each day thankful for the opportunity we have here to live, run a business, raise our families and spend time with each of our guests = and we get to do all of this in paradise. Take care until we see you next. :)
Popcorn on the porch
October 21, 2007 Filed in: Story
Simple pleasures. Today, on my porch here in Bocas del
Toro Panama, I shared an afternoon treat with a very
special young man. He educated me on the finer points
of popcorn. He went on about which animals could and
couldn’t eat the different parts of the popcorn.
You see when popcorn is fully popped just about anyone with teeth can eat it. It doesn’t require extremely strong teeth at that point – just that one has them. Thus an infant who does not have teeth cannot eat popcorn. Birds can snack on fully cooked popcorn as it makes a yummy meal for them.
However, the kernels that do not pop should not be eaten by humans or most animals. Monkeys are apparently equipped with teeth that can make easy work of an un-popped corn kernel.
I also learned there was an exact way one was to carry the bowl of popcorn and how to select the finest pieces when you decided upon the next bite. The popcorn should be nice and fluffy and preferably have just the right amount of butter and salt to bring out the flavor of the corn.
Who was this special young man? My three year old son. He has apparently gleaned all of this popcorn wisdom in his short years here on this earth. Lucky for me he is here to educate me about such issues.
You see when popcorn is fully popped just about anyone with teeth can eat it. It doesn’t require extremely strong teeth at that point – just that one has them. Thus an infant who does not have teeth cannot eat popcorn. Birds can snack on fully cooked popcorn as it makes a yummy meal for them.
However, the kernels that do not pop should not be eaten by humans or most animals. Monkeys are apparently equipped with teeth that can make easy work of an un-popped corn kernel.
I also learned there was an exact way one was to carry the bowl of popcorn and how to select the finest pieces when you decided upon the next bite. The popcorn should be nice and fluffy and preferably have just the right amount of butter and salt to bring out the flavor of the corn.
Who was this special young man? My three year old son. He has apparently gleaned all of this popcorn wisdom in his short years here on this earth. Lucky for me he is here to educate me about such issues.