Stefanie and I were talking at dinner on Friday night about how much Scott and Patrick were alike. She sent me a few pictures of the boys that I put together here. We are pretty sure that they are going to be great friends.



[ Supplies: Ali Edwards and others from the kit: Bloom and Grow at Songbird Avenue. All proceeds from this kit go to benefit Autism Speaks. Word Art: Ali Edwards at Designer Digitals. Fonts: Official Ali's hand from Creating Keepsakes, Century Gothic ]

Tres and Scott graduated from Kindergarden today. They had an open house in the classroom for all of the employees to stop in and see what all they have done over the last year. It was impressive. Here is the puppet show that they put together as their graduation project. Pretty cool.

The Knot Magazine has its annual 50 best honeymoon spots included in its national Spring Summer 2009 issue. Tranquilo Bay was featured in the section of 10 Best Bargains.

Bocas del Toro: Why? The archipelago is more quiet than Panama City and makes a great outpost for exploring nearby islands. Where to stay? Tranquilo Bay is a chic eco-lodge in the middle of a rainforest.

Check it out on news stands now!

I have been working on updating the website a little at a time since the first of the year. I noticed that the About Us page was a bit dated. Here is what has been on the page for about a year and a half now:



Here is what I have prepared to put on the site later this week:



Some things have changed and some have stayed the same. The same goes for everything around here. Our surroundings and the things that we love to share with our guests remain the same. We have added some different guides and our wonderful teacher. Jay and Stefanie had another child - Patrick. Scott, Tres and Boty continue to grow, learn and change. You can see hints of Tex and Fula in one of the pictures of Jim with the kids. It is hard to capture all that we are in one set of photos. I think that this one has done a pretty good job of it. We are all working towards keeping Tranquilo Bay the same - a little piece of paradise.

We were included in this month’s Coastal Living which went on the news stands earlier this week. There are photos available online here, however they are not the same photos included in the article. The article is not yet available online so if you want to read it you need to go find a copy of the magazine. This one is much easier to come by than the Conde Nast Traveller as it originates in the USA. This is the first article we have seen which focuses specifically on Isla Bastimentos. Bastimentos is special in our archipelago since it is home to so much of Bastimentos National Marine Park. The author splits his time between La Loma Lodge and Tranquilo Bay. La Loma is a beautiful place on the other side of the island run by some friends of ours. Thanks to both Jeff and Shelley for their kind words and beautiful photos!

The photos from the article in the December 2008 issue of are now online. Conde Nast Traveller says that Panama is where to go in February. We personally believe that Panama is where to go any month of the year - however admittedly we are a bit biased.

You can access the here.

Photo One is of Punta Valiente. Punta Valiente is one of our favorite excursions. The trip to the indigenous village which is surrounded by exquisite nature is just amazing.

Photo number five shows Beau (Jim’s youngest brother) and Mary Katherine at the Zapatilla Cayes just after they got engaged. Perfect timing!

Photo number eight shows Gina (our teacher) walking down the stairs with Heather, a friend of hers. Heather works her in Bocas with the indigenous women.

Photo number nine shows two guys kayaking off of the Zapatilla Cayes. It is the perfect uninhabited Caribbean island.

Photo number ten is a Ngobe Bugle house in Punta Valiente.

And the is here. For some reason the Panama Travel Guide has not been updated with the information from the article. The latest information with regard to the places in the article is found with the story which isn’t yet online. I will post once it makes it online.

We hope that you all rang in the new year as you like to do so. We had a lovely dinner with our guests. After dinner we had several different games of cards, dominoes, and lively conversation. We took a swing at a pinata full of chocolate. We went from the youngest person and worked our way up until all of the candy had emptied out of the pinata. From there we made our way down to the dock and had a wonderful fireworks display courtesy of James. (Video sometime soon) Following the show some people stayed up and others went to bed.

This morning we have had a slow start. We will have a traditional southern (as in Texas) meal today for New Year’s Day. Our children get to take a crack at their own pinata and our guests are enjoying various activities.

We appreciate each and everyone of you - those that stop by the website, those that hope to come to see us some day, those that have been here, those that we work with, our friends and our families. We wish you all a new year full of wonder!

Tranquilo Bay was featured in a story in the December 2008 issue of Conde Nast Traveller in an article entitled Panama Panoramic.



It is a beautiful article with quite a few photos. So far the article is not on the Conde Nast Traveller website. We found a few copies in a book store in Houston, but the magazine is pretty hard to come by in the USA. In Europe I believe this one is already off the newstands. If you find one, consider yourself lucky. The author Paul Richardson does a good job describing both the San Blas and Bocas del Toro. The photographer, Ken Kochey, caught some great shots of Panama.

So, Christmas in Bocas del Toro, Panama is obviously warm. The day started early as the kids were up before the sun. We managed to keep things calm and under control until 7:00 am. At that point we let Tres and Boty go wake up Scott. From there, we made sure all of the adults had coffee so that we could function.

The kids had already determined that Santa left a mess when he came into the house overnight. There were leaves all over the floor. Tres has decided that next year we need to put a sign on the front door asking him to wipe his feet before he comes into the house. They were pretty sure given the mess that he had left a few things for them on the other side of the library door. What I am sure felt like forever to them as we collected ourselves and our coffee finally gave way as they opened the door and went into the library. Big excitement!



They unwrapped gifts from family, friends and Santa Clause for some time. The staff came in one by one to give Christmas Greetings. Our guests all woke up over time - much later than we did and made it to the lodge building for breakfast. Jim and James and all the guests headed out to the Zapatillas for the day. They had a great hike on the island and a bit of beachcombing time. The rest of us hung around here doing our daily thing and enjoying watching the kids play with all of their new toys. It was a great day.



We had another family arrive yesterday afternoon. We all enjoyed a delicious meal and great conversation. Today everyone is off at the Chocolate Farm. The boys are back in school. Boty is playing with her new toys and taking a walk with her new boots. Life is good.

Some days I have to remind myself that life is about the journey. Our holiday season is a bit different than what we used to experience back in the USA. We are super busy over the holidays which is wonderful. We get to meet some new people each year. We welcome back friends from previous years. We are developing new traditions and experiences as we go along.

This little state of emergency thing that we had at the end of November has made things a bit more challenging this year to prepare for the holidays. I think because of that I have been taking the a few moments each day to remember that I have so much to be thankful for and to remind myself to enjoy the journey.

Here is one of my favorite photos from the Thanksgiving holidays. It makes me smile every time I look at it.



Smile - as your holiday season unfolds - remember if you take a deep breathe, smile and remind yourself that you are supposed to enjoy the journey it might make the day a bit easier.

The big kids around here, Scott, Tres and Boty, all got new beds last week. Living on site at the hotel has a few limitations, but it also has SO MANY benefits. One of the limitations is that our living quarters are currently a bit on the small side. Not really important as we do not spend a lot of time in our personal living space. When you take into consideration the size of the entire facility, well we have so much space. However, due to the size limitations in our personal quarters it was necessary to build beds into the room rather than put in individual pieces of furniture. We planned the beds out a little while back, but wanted to give the beds to the kids as a bit of a surprise.

So one day while they were in school last week we began the installation process. Scott and Tres got super cool loft style beds. Boty has a toddler bed under Tres’ bed. It has been a transition for each of them. The boys moved from toddler beds into the loft beds and Boty moved from the crib into the toddler bed. Patrick has a spot under Scott’s bed for his crib when he is ready to move out of his parent’s room after he grows up a bit more.

As you can see from the looks on the kids’ faces this was and is a big deal. Tres can’t hardly keep himself out of his bed, no matter the time of day. And they haven’t even begun to exploit the whole fort making possibilities that I am sure they will build down the road.

Today is Tres’ fifth birthday. He woke up this morning and told us he was so happy to be five. He also informed us that he had been growing in his bed overnight to reach age five. He has invited his friends from the next farm over to come play this afternoon. Miss Gina made him a pinata for her gift to him. So, Tres, Scott, Boty and the neighbor children will take a crack at the striped egg shaped pinata (all as requested by the birthday boy) this afternoon. Later this evening we will have his family birthday party where we will eat a white cake with blue icing. Why a white cake with blue icing? Well because the YZ 250 is the greatest dirt bike around and all little boys must choose the colors of their birthday cakes based upon the color of their favorite motorcycle. Big surprises are in store for this little guy today. Have a great day, Tres!

People often ask us how we handle certain things given that we are living out here on an island. Well, we pick and choose how we do things. We do not have anything forced upon us since we do not have the media and marketing bombarding us with messages about what we are supposed to be doing. Thus, what to do for Halloween?

The boys have been dressing up for a few years now. The first year I could barely get Tres to put his costume on and go knock on the kitchen door. The next year we had the boys dress up and go around to the different buildings and trick or treat with the staff. Last year all three kids dressed up and went on a scavenger hunt in front of the main building. The weather looked a bit ominous so we decided to stick close to the house.

This year Halloween has been a bigger deal. I think it is because both boys expect more from it. I also believe it is because we have gone into more effort to make costumes and get prepared. I made both Boty and Tres a costume. I wasn’t sure I was going to have time as we approached Halloween so I made sure the costumes were completed at the beginning of the month. Tres declared early on that he wanted to be Superman. Boty of course then needed to be Supergirl. Scott wanted to be a pirate. I knew better than to make two superhero capes without making a third. Thus - we have had children trying on capes and learning to fly all month long. Scott’s grandmother decided she would make Scott’s pirate costume. She also very graciously made a second vest for Tres so that he could use it for dress up after Halloween. We have also been listening to spooky music all month long in preparation for the big day.

I found a fabric panel that had a Halloween trio of jack o laterns on it in one of the stores in Bocas earlier this month. Tres and I were so surprised to find it that we knew we had to buy it and do something with it. At $1.25 it was a bargain. I put on a backing and quilted it into a little wall hanging for the kids to enjoy all month. After all - we can’t go to the pumpkin patch and buy one to carve. So we make do.

I checked in with the boy’s teacher to determine if they could wear their costumes to school for Halloween. She thought it was a great idea. So we will have a pirate and a superhero in school today. We will be trick or treating around the lodge in the different buildings. We are having a spooky dinner and special guests. Papa and Grandma are arriving on the afternoon flight. They will get here just in time to join in on the festivities.

Tres, Scott, Gina, Jay, Jim and Jim’s older brother went on a field trip a couple of weeks ago. First they went to our friend’s chocolate farm. Tres and Scott have been there many times before and they love it every time. Then in the afternoon they went to Bahia Honda and into the Bat Cave. They had so much fun. Tres and Scott have been talking about it so much since then. Here are a few photos of the “field trip”. I never went on any such kind of trip. Pretty cool school.

Patrick has been back here at Tranquilo Bay since September 16, 2008. His doctor decided that he was doing so well at that time that he could make the trip home and go back to Panama City to get his shots when necessary. So he came to Tranquilo Bay for the first time that day with is mom and paternal grandmother in tow. He has done super since he came home. He went to the doctor yesterday for his shots and weighed in at 8.5 pounds. So even though he joined us about six weeks early there are no signs of any issues at this time. Here are a couple of photos of him that really show how much he has grown. What a miracle life is!

My brother emailed me last week to let me know that we had been included in an article in Continental’s in flight magazine. I went online to look it up today. I must say that it is truly a compliment to be included in with such a great group of hotels. Take a look at the article. We are the last hotel listed for Panama and the only one of our size!

Sitting Pretty in Central America

Here is another photo of Patrick - this time outside of the incubator. He was released from the hospital about a week ago. He is doing great. All of us here in Bocas, including Jay and Scott, are counting the days until Patrick gets to come home to us here.

We have another new addition to announce! Patrick James Viola was born on August 21, 2008 at 12:09 am. Baby, Mom and Dad are all doing just fine. PJ’s initials are the same as his paternal grandfather who passed away earlier this year. PJ was born between 6 and 7 weeks premature, however he is doing just great. He is currently in the NICU at Punta Pacifica Hospital in Panama City. He is expected to be released in less than a week. Stefanie and Jay are in Panama City (obviously). Stefanie and PJ will stay in Panama City until around PJ’s original due date, October 4. We do not anticipate any problems, however to be on the safe side the Neonatologist/Pediatrician has asked that PJ stick around Panama City for a while. Scott, Tres and Boty are all waiting anxiously to meet little PJ in person as are the rest of us here at Tranquilo Bay.

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.

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.

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 had a couple of photographers come out to take photos this week. It was interesting to watch the process and watch how our employees took part in the photo shoot. They really enjoyed it. Here are a few photos Jim took of our crew having portraits taken by the photographers.





I have added a new page to the main website on our employees. It currently includes only their photos, but we will add some information on them in the near future. Here is the page: www.tranquilobay.com/employees.htm

I consider Tranquilo Bay to be a slice of heaven on earth. There are few places in this world where a group of people can end up and have the opportunity to participate in a dream. Obviously Tranquilo Bay is our dream. We are grateful we get to live it each and every day. However, when we get to watch other people enjoy themselves doing all of the different activities we have to offer while immersing themselves in nature it is so rewarding. It is wonderful to have a lively discussion at dinner amongst the guests we have from all over the world sitting at the table.

Here is an example of the different kinds of "thank you" we get from our clients once they return home. This one came to my Dad's house along with a favorite book of our guests' children when their boys were Tres and Scott's age. We will be reading it to Scott, Tres and Boty for many years to come.

Dear all - A belated thank you for a wonderful time at Tranquilo Bay. We loved EVERYTHING. You did an amazing job and despite the weather we had a fabulous time. Thanks for the biscotti recipe. Mine won't be as good because the atmosphere just isn't the same. For the kids, I am enclosing one of our favorite books. Hope they like it. Love and hugs to all: R, N, E, G & I

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.

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!

So the cook is on vacation. I originally thought this was going to be a bad thing. However, I am having a good time on my mini vacation back in the kitchen. We are eating a different menu to some extent due to the cook’s absence as I cannot cook some things the same way she can. There is no reason to subject our guests to my version of something if it is not going to compare to what the cook makes on a regular basis.

So instead I am making things that I do well. The menu is much more like going to a friend’s home for dinner than it is like going to a restaurant. Under normal circumstances our dinners resemble a dinner party that has been catered by a good catering company. We have a set menu that we post each morning (we do all of our menu planning in advance based upon guest input regarding food preferences and allergies prior to arrival) so that we have the day to make changes if necessary. Everything is cooked and served fresh each evening. We enjoy a variety of conversations as we generally sit at a community table or tables depending upon the number of guests on site.

This week we have a few things which are cooked in the oven instead of a la minute. I am not as good a protein cook as is our cook. However, we are a Bocas del Toro hotel and our guests do deserve tasty and nutritious food so we are doing the best that we can. So far I don’t think anyone is disappointed. And I get to have a little bit of fun.

My son has a book by Jaime Lee Curtis called “Today I Feel Silly.” The book is all about moods and it is intended to teach children about moods and how they come and go. My son has another book that is entitled “When I Miss You.” That book is of course about learning how to deal with people leaving and being alone and what you can do to manage the time until they come back.

This morning one of our long time employees left to pursue another opportunity. We will all miss her. She was a sweet girl who took very good care of all of us and of our guests. She will be an asset to her new employer.

My son is a bit sad as he is rather attached to this employee. She has been with my son for almost two years of his three and a half years. She helped him to learn Spanish at a very early age because my son wanted to be able to speak with her.

One of the things we learned early on as a Bocas del Toro hotel is that we will have many employees over the years. However, one thing is for certain, some are more special than others and today one of our favorites has graduated. We are all a little bit sad, but we know what we can do until the next time we see her.

I just fell down the stairs for the first time in a long time. I had forgotten how much it smarts.

When I first moved to Bocas del Toro Panama, I used to fall down the stairs all the time. Something about living in the rain forest means that it rains. Rain means things get wet. Flip flops and wet stairs are not a good combination. One false foot placement and you hydroplane. Hydroplaning on stairs – not a good idea.

Over time you learn to a) wear different types of shoes with more traction when it is raining, or b) watch where you put your foot when you are walking and it is raining. Then inevitably, you return to day to day life and think you know all there is to know about the workplace hazards and you screw up.

Today, I was carrying a bag of laundry, that literally was bigger than me, down the stairs in the rain wearing flip flops. My husband had just informed me that we have sufficient water to do several loads of laundry without decreasing our water supply so I jumped at the chance. Instead of waiting for one of my employees to return to work to help me carry the bag of laundry, I picked up the bag and headed down the stairs to the laundry room. I made it most of the way down the stairs and then I was down. I don’t even know which step was misplaced in my descent, but what I do know is that I am going to be reminded of my stupidity for an extended period of time.

The hematoma that is blossoming along my lower back and the stiffness associated with my tensing up as I fell will serve as gentle reminders to me not to be so dumb for some time to come. And then some months down the road when I have forgotten about this fall, I will do it again.

Breathe deeply. Inhale the ocean breeze. Exhale the “real world”. Inhale the sweet smell of the rain. Exhale crowds. Inhale the scents of the jungle. Exhale the concrete jungle.

I used to have a strong yoga practice when I lived in Houston. I actually began practicing yoga on vacation in Mexico. I was the only woman guest at a fishing lodge. Jim went fishing all day long and I usually hung back at the lodge. The massage therapist at the lodge taught a “pick up” yoga class for all of the female staff members. There is something about beginning your yoga practice gazing upon the Caribbean Sea. It is a memory I cherish.

Yoga just fit for me. I enjoyed it and I benefited from my practice. I unfortunately have not kept up with my practice ever since I was pregnant with my first child. I went to an occasional class following my son’s birth, but I did not have a true practice. Prior to my pregnancy with our daughter I was slowly beginning a practice here in Bocas del Toro Panama. The option to practice while gazing upon the Caribbean Sea is a strong pull for me. However my second pregnancy was a difficult one and I didn’t do any yoga during it.

Now I am reaching the end of my daughter’s first year. I feel a pull toward my yoga practice for a variety of reasons. One of which I believe is that yoga is going to be something that my daughter and I can share. My son also enjoys it even those he only tries a posture or two at a time. I would like to renew my practice so that I might benefit from it and so that I might share it with my children. Besides, breathing deeply here is easy.

Today it rained. If you want to call it that. I got slightly wet on my ride from Isla Bastimentos to Bocas Town on Isla Colon. I wore my rain jacket and the only part of me which was covered by the rain jacket which ended up wet was the center of my t-shirt where the rain jacket’s zipper rested.

We need some real rain. Rain that comes down hard for an extended period of time. All of Panama is suffering from one of the longest droughts in recent history. We live in the rain forest after all. We expect it to rain.

When we haven’t had rain for some period of time we begin to make sacrifices in hopes of inducing the sky to open up. One of the first sacrifices we must make is that I make a trip into town. You see, I rarely leave the property, but if I do – inevitably it rains. And today it did rain, just not much. It was almost an insult to my sacrifice the small amount of rain that we received. It has continued to look like it is going to rain off and on for most of the day. So maybe if we are really lucky and since I am planning to go to the beach tomorrow – we will get some rain either tonight or tomorrow. I will keep my fingers crossed.

One of the challenges associated with living on an island is that you have limited access to an extended workforce. For most positions it isn’t a problem as you can rotate the schedule of your staff to take care of the time off for each employee. However, there are certain positions for which you do not hire multiples and for those vacation time is a bit more challenging.

We have a cook and a helper in the kitchen. We are fortunate in that they can turn out some incredible food. Our cook is kind enough to teach many of the different things she makes to her helper so that the helper can take on additional responsibility and fill in for the cook at certain meals. The helper lacks the experience of the cook which is why he is currently the helper and not the cook. He is hoping to return to school someday so cooking is not what he wants to be doing for a living. The cook on the other hand loves to cook and you can tell. Her food is amazing.

Well, it is her turn to go on vacation. She doesn’t take vacation on a regular basis like all of our other employees and she is absolutely entitled to it. I on the other hand cannot find anyone to work with the helper in the kitchen for the time she will be away. So it appears that the food the kitchen turns out for a few weeks will be a bit different than the food prepared in our kitchen most of the time. It will still be delicious, but it will be more like going to a party at a friend’s house rather than dinner at a restaurant. Why is that you ask? I will be back in the kitchen for a period of time. I can design menus for our cook to prepare, but I do not have the same skills that she has to turn out the same meals she cooks. I will miss her immensely, but I would prefer to miss her for a brief period of time rather than let her burn out and miss her all of the time.

Water. I have been thinking about it quite a bit for the past month or so. You see we are experiencing an unusual draught these days. We haven’t had much rain for some time now. The town closest to us actually ran out of water for about three days. Not having water is scary stuff. But it is the kind of thing that you really do not stop and think about most of the time in a developed nation. Water is just there. You can turn on the tap and out comes the water.

The only time I remember being concerned in the least bit about water and access to it was when Houston was hit by a hurricane. I remember filling the bathtub with water so that we could be assured we would have water in the event the municipal utilities were harmed in any manner. We didn’t have power for several days following that hurricane but I do not remember actually losing access to water.

Life on Isla Bastimentos requires that we constantly monitor our water consumption. We have to make sure that we will have water to support our guests. Each of our cabanas is self sufficient with regard to the water supply our guests actually use. We never run into issues with consumption at the cabanas. And if we did, we can divert water from the main supply to a cabana. Instead we monitor our usage in the main building and in all of the support buildings. We have all learned to wash our hands and brush our teeth with a limited use of water.

I have learned to ration my use of water. I still have a long way to go. Water is very important to us all and yet we use and abuse it day in and day out. Where would we be without water? Exactly not a question one wants to answer.

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.

Why do we protect the environment? Each person has his or her reasons. I just read an article about how some of the ski slopes, Aspen, in particular are working to reduce global warming and do what they can to protect the climate. Auden Schendler, Director of Aspen’s Environmental Division said something that I believe to be extremely accurate. “If we protect the environment out of greed, that’s even better,” laughing “Greed works.” The entire ski industry loses if we do not learn to control our climate.

I read in another magazine a story about a woman who left her SUV running the entire time during an hour long yoga class. When questioned about why she left it running it was because she didn’t want to return to a cold car. When further questioned about whether or not she thought about how she was contributing to global warming, she replied that she didn’t believe in that stuff.

Across the globe, there are people and places which are feeling the effects of global warming today and are learning what further problems we will have in the future if we don’t do something about it. Each of has to determine what we will do and how we will do it to help reduce the speed with which global warming continues.

My family wasn’t sure what I would be doing when I moved to Isla Bastimentos here in Panama. My aunts found it very hard to believe that anyone would want to move to a very secluded island in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. What does it take to run an eco adventure lodge? How will you make sure your children are educated? Where do you go to do your grocery shopping?

All kinds of questions are thrown at you when you tell people you are moving with your family to an island. There are those who believe you must be crazy to throw away a perfectly good life in the city: a great job, a car, a nice house, etc. What do you gain by moving away from all of that?

I gain all kinds of special time with my family. Each morning my husband and I spend about an hour with the kids before our day gets started. We just hang out together and talk and play. I gain remarkable sunrises and sunsets. I gain children who are bilingual. My son translates for me. I lose out on so many things in life that do not matter: traffic, sensational journalism, violent crime. So really I think the most important thing it takes to run an eco adventure lodge is a dream – the dream for a different life.

Can I really match my appetite for eco adventure with my hunger for maintaining balance in my life? Can I really let go of corporate America as quickly as I put on my flip flops? Is it possible to embrace living on a island and losing the “freedom” of driving a car? Can I make new friends on regular basis and feel as if I have known them for a lifetime? Can I free myself in this process?

Oh yes – all of this is possible. My appetite for eco adventure is really no different than the appetite I used to have for excitement in my job. My job now is eco adventure and sharing it with many other people. Do I maintain balance in my life? For sure. As I sit down to do my work each day I am interrupted by the ebb and flow of my children’s daily activities and those of our guests. I will admit that losing my Blackberry was difficult in the beginning, but now the thought of giving of my flip flops to go back to corporate America is laughable. I am trapped in paradise if you will. Our island has no roads. To go anywhere you must get in a boat and head to another land mass. I can’t drive a boat. So if there are no boat captains around the only way I could get somewhere else would be to head out in a kayak – self propelled transportation. New friends. We have the good fortune to meet so many different people here. I meet people from all different walks of life. Oddly enough you learn quickly that there is some interest you share which then spurs interesting conversation and quite possibly a friendship which will last a lifetime. Am I free? You betcha.

We set out to change our lives. We wanted to be able to spend more time with our families and to work for ourselves. We have attempted to build an eco adventure lodge which allows others to do the same even if only for a brief period of time.

We selected Isla Bastimentos for our location as it was an ideal location for people to experience nature at its finest. There are so many different eco systems on this island and the other islands in Bocas del Toro Panama. Multiple eco systems translates into lots of options. It allows us to present our guests with opportunities to see and experience the natural world in a sustainable fashion.

We like to celebrate what makes Bocas del Toro Panama unique. It has such amazing biodiversity. It has an interesting history. It has beautiful islands and waters. It has its own challenges and occasional discomforts, but it remains relatively undeveloped due to these limitations. If it was easy to get here or it was easy to build here then there would be a McDonalds, a Starbucks and a Marriott. Thankfully, for now, we leave those familiar brands behind when we come to Bocas del Toro Panama.

What do you do when you have a bad day? Do you dwell on it and let it get you down? Do you try to turn things around as quickly as possible so that you do not have to deal with the sunken gut feeling any longer than absolutely necessary? Do you have a favorite place that you go to help you get out of the doldrums? Do you eat something special?

I try and get over it as soon as possible. I remind myself that even in paradise there are bad days. I take a walk and absorb the beautiful tropical sunshine. I look up into the sky and watch all the different cloud formations across the deep blue sky. I peer up into the trees to see if I can find a sloth or a monkey as I walk beneath them under the jungle canopy. I take deep breaths and I peer out onto the view of the Caribbean Sea and the mountains in the distance. I find one of the quiet spots with a hammock and take a nap.

Generally my routine makes it a bit easier to give myself the push to try and make it a good day instead of a bad day. I work to formulate solutions rather than focus on my current problem. And if all else fails – I eat a piece of chocolate.

What do you miss the most? Of all the questions I receive about living here on an island, I think that “what do you miss the most?” is the most common.

There are the two most obvious things: family and friends. There are the less obvious things: Target, Whole Foods and the occasional opportunity for a night away from home – you know a date with my husband.

However, more important than the people and things that I do miss are the things that I do not miss. I do not miss working for someone else. Working for myself is far superior than working for “the man”. I do not miss driving a car or the traffic I used to experience while driving a car. I like the fact that I do not have to deal with any of those issues. I do not miss television with commercials. We have opted, for the time being, not to get subscription television of any kind. Our television is limited to that which we can download or purchase on a DVD. As such, other than the brief previews on DVDs I do not see any form of visual advertising. It is really nice not to be bombarded with all of the latest and greatest pop culture has to offer. If I want to find something I have to go looking for it.

Fast forward to March 2007, we have been open for business for close to two years. Last year we experienced a tropical pregnancy and birth abroad of our daughter Boty. So now we have a beautiful eight month old daughter who is a dual citizen of both the USA and Panama., a precious bilingual three year old son and a wonderful life.

I went to the beach last week with some family and friends who were visiting. As I walked along the beach checking out the gorgeous views I realized how lucky I was. I have a very rich life even if I do not have much money in my pockets.

We have daily challenges but we face them head on and do what is best for our family and our business. We have become environmental stewards and our business is slowly becoming a success. Each day I am thankful for the fact that I met, fell in love with and married a very determined man. I am happy that he had a dream and the guts to follow that dream. I am happy that I adopted the dream. I am happy that we are raising our children in such a fabulous place and attempting to leave them an incredible legacy. And honestly, I am happy that I am just a little bit crazy.

At this point, we attempt the transition from construction to operation. Installing communications, building a website, finding employees, and establishing a client base takes time.

Setting ourselves up to have communications on a Panama island where there are no other utilities was no small feat. We researched the equipment necessary to send an Internet signal from one island to another. We determined that we would need a radio tower over 100 feet tall to clear the tallest trees on Isla Bastimentos in the line of sight from the radio tower on Isla Colon. We researched different voice over internet protocol phone providers to determine which company to use. We purchased all the necessary equipment. We had the tower constructed. We did large amounts of rework on the tower as it was not completed to our standards. We determined how the tower would need to be installed and supported. We installed the tower and hooked up all the communications equipment. The day we went live on the Internet was a really big day for us.

Next came the website – get as much information about what we have here in Panama on the web as possible. Add photos to help describe what we have created here. Given that we didn’t have any background in this area it was just another area we took the time to learn and attempt to master.

Finding the right employees takes time. They need to enjoy living in our secluded pristine environment. We have spent an extended period of time getting the right people here to help us. It will be an ongoing challenge but for now we have a good group.

Establishing a client base requires providing a good product and spreading the word. We are working on both on a daily basis.

Small bites, we are together. Are we crazy? Yes, a little bit. Are we happy? Yes. Are we tired? Yes. Would we do it again? Yes.

We begin to really see the light at the end of the tunnel however as we get closer it feels like someone pushes the light just out of reach. The infrastructure work is completed. Main dock construction begins and is completed. Finish work in all the buildings is ongoing. Stefanie and Scott move in with Jay’s parents in preparation for the move to Panama. Stefanie quits her job. We set dates for the move.

Jim comes back to Houston to collect me, Tres, Wahoo and Bimini. I am sure that everyone on the flight with us would have preferred we leave a few things behind. We have the maximum luggage and carry on baggage allowed. Bitzser the cat moves in with Jim’s stepmother Marilyn. Jim’s mom makes the trip to Panama with us so that she can help with Tres while I set up house.

Prior to our arrival Jay gets the main building as clean as possible and puts in foam mattresses and a crib for Tres. I begin the arduous task of unpacking all that has been sent to Panama. We are still operating with the small propane refrigerator and a small generator, but we are together at last. Jay returns to Houston to get Stefanie and Scott. When they arrive, we move to the regular refrigerators and turn on the full size generators.

2003 rolls along and the construction on the main building continues. We are expecting our first child in our tenth year of marriage. Interior work begins on the cabanas. Jim and Jay move in to the staff quarters building and out of the rancho – still camping but more like in a trailer rather than in a tent. Jim sleeps in the staff quarters and Jay sleeps in a tent in one of the unfinished cabanas so that they both might have an ounce of privacy. I make my last trip down to Panama before the birth of our child and then go back to Houston to do contract work. I find out I have Gestational Diabetes and must watch literally everything that enters my mouth so that I do not grow too big a baby and put it at risk. While work as a contractor was more lucrative it was also much harder. I move into a garage apartment at my in-law’s house as we think that it will be necessary to move out of Jay’s house soon after the baby is born so it is much easier to move pre baby rather than after the baby is born. James III (aka Tres) is born on November 4, 2003. We send a second container full of stuff down to Panama one week after Tres is born. The guys start on all of the infrastructure work to tie the lodge facilities together.

Somewhere along the way we have moved into the second phase – building the lodge facilities. Jim and Jay install a toilet in one of the cabanas to improve living standards a bit. The guys build pathways, five more cabanas and begin the main building. Scott Harrison Viola is born on September 6, 2002. He comes home to live with his mom and his Aunt Renée. I conveniently get myself laid off so that I will be ready for the move to Panama. My severence date gets pushed back several times as other attorneys leave or go on maternity leave. Jim has lost almost 40 pounds on a four-bowl diet and constant construction activities. They eat out of camp bowls for each meal – one at breakfast, one at lunch and two at dinner. Jim and Jay sit around in the dark and debate or come up with ways to solve the world’s problems. As they are sitting outside using a light would attract bugs so they learn all kinds of new skills which may be completed in complete darkness. Eating without actually observing your food, advanced mathematic calculations in their heads, and how to make Spam Pad Thai among other things.

2000 passes in a blur. The grounds are cleared, the Environmental Impact Study begins and the guys begin an almost five year camping experience.

2001 is used to finalize the Environmental Impact Study and submit it for approval, building a barn and the first cabana. Things move slow and take a long time. We remind ourselves we are taking small bites. We purchase materials for the other five cabanas and the main building in Houston which was a huge undertaking. Then we ship those materials down to Panama on a Chiquita Banana boat and move them out to the property. We do not have any heavy equipment. Everything must be transported by boat out to the property and moved up a very high hill by manpower.

The holiday season 2001-2002 is the last time Jim and Jay come to Houston at the same time. Trips to and from Panama are spread out thinner over the year in order to keep the project moving – we sometimes go as long as three months apart. Jay and Stefanie are expecting a child in September 2002. Questions continue – do you know what you are doing? Stefanie gets put on bed rest for the last part of her pregnancy. Day to day life can be challenging. We all deal with the issues in different ways. I do a lot of yoga, work quite a bit, have lots of migraines, discuss things with family and friends over a few adult beverages and tear out pages from magazines for the house that I will have some day. Jim and I talk about things – but we NEVER entertain the idea of quitting. Quitting isn’t an option. We have sacrificed too much and look forward to life ahead – so we push on.

In order to get approval for the project, an Environmental Impact Study had to be completed. Jim and Jay contracted with a Panamanian woman to complete the study and to document the process. She brought in experts in various fields to determine how our project would effect the area. Jim worked with the Panamanian architect to document the design of the cabanas and the main lodge building. Jay worked on the specifications of each of the infrastructure systems: water, septic and power. Stefanie and I were consulted on the aesthetics and also asked to send money.

The Environmental Impact Study is several hundred pages long. It includes information on all of the native habitat - plants, trees, birds and animals. A sociologist comes in to ask all of our neighbors about us and how they feel about the project. It includes designs and descriptions of all the buildings and all of the infrastructure systems. And by the way - the whole thing is completed in Spanish.

It takes much of 2000 to prepare the Environmental Impact Study for submission to the government. We decided early on that we wanted to do everything as by the book as possible. In Latin America it is sometimes difficult to do things by the book because the requirements are constantly changing.

We were naïve. We thought that Stefanie and I might be able to move down to a somewhat completed project within two years from once we started. Our learning process begins here. Once you think you have an idea how long something will take to complete in Latin America, double or triple that timeframe and then add on extra time as well in order to cover any complications. The things that make construction and ultimately operations a bit of a challenge are the things that make Panama and for that matter, most of Latin America, a great place to vacation - no one is concerned about time here. Time passes - there is no rapid fire pace as we are used to dealing with in the United States.

We were looking for a change in lifestyle. We found it.

Taming the jungle was quite a feat. The guys acquired and rigged up a boat before any work could begin as they needed transportation to and from the property. Jim and Jay first had to build a dock and clear a portion of the grounds before ANYTHING else could be done. The service dock was built while Jay and Jim stayed on Isla Colon and Cayo Nancy and traveled to and from the property. During such time they also acquired a second piece of land adjacent to the first piece. They built a small raised platform with a metal roof (to catch rainwater) as their home for some time to come. The Rancho housed a propane refrigerator, a propane stove, a sink, water storage, and enough space for two one man tents. Down below the platform they built an open air shower with one of the best views in the Caribbean Ocean. Notice – there were no formal facilities which meant hiking into the woods with an orthopedic potty seat and a shovel when there was business to be addressed.

Approximately every six weeks in the beginning and quickly changing to every eight weeks we would see each other. In between we would talk on the phone once or twice a week and exchange emails on the same intervals. Over time the emails stopped as when the guys traveled to town they had too much to do to wait for a computer to sit down and write. The lodge’s location is out of reach of cell phones without an external antennae so all calls were made to and from Bocas Town until such time as the guys acquired and installed an antennae. Even with the antennae the coverage was spotty so communication ran along the same lines.

So on December 6, 1999 Jim left for Bocas del Toro Panama in search of the site for the dream to unfold. He stayed with a generous Texan who had moved to Bocas some years before. Using a small boat the Texan owned, Jim checked out different spots throughout the archipelago until he came across Macca Bight – a peninsula on Isla Bastimentos. The peninsula was a ways out of town so it wouldn’t have any utilities from town, but it had gorgeous views, and put us much closer to the parts of the archipelago we would explore with our guests on our eco excursions. Jim made a deal with the man whose family had been on the land for years and years.

Meanwhile, back in Houston, I packed up our house in order to move into Jay’s house with Stefanie so that we could conserve funds and minimize expenses so that we would have more money to send to Panama. Jay resigned from his job in preparation for his pendng move to Panama. Stefanie and Jay got married and Stefanie moved into Jay’s house. I followed soon thereafter with two dogs, a cat and a house full of stuff.

It was at this time that people began to call us crazy and to wonder if we really knew what we were doing. Jim and Jay were running off to the Panamanian jungle to build a fishing camp. Stefanie and I barely knew each other and rather than living with our husbands we were living together in a small house with four animals. Thankfully, we have never cared much about what other people think. We plan, we execute, we deal with challenges which arise, and we look toward the light at the end of the tunnel. Small bites. Rather than look at the enormity of the project which included first taming the jungle, second building a lodge and third operating a successful and sustainable eco adventure lodge.

I was a senior at the University of Texas when I met Jim. He had a strong vision of what he wanted in life. He knew that he wanted to do something different and that it would be great if it could be near salt water. So you could say that I knew very early on that I was in for an adventure.

We met Jay through one of Jim’s cousins and as it turned out he had an interest in a different life as well. The three of us began talking, saving money and planning for what the future might hold. During the following years Jim and I got married, I attended law school part time, graduated and began practicing law, Jim and Jay bought a boat together to test the strength of our friendship, Jim was transferred out of Houston and we all traveled throughout the Caribbean and Central America to further solidify the dream.

In 1998 we moved back to Houston about 5 minutes from where Jay was living. Our planning took up almost all of our free time; however, Jay met Stefanie and began dating her in spite of his self-avowed bachelorism. Over time, Jay and Stefanie’s relationship grew and she was invited to learn a bit about our crazy plans.

Stefanie and I sent Jay and Jim to Bocas del Toro, Panama in October 1999 to see if it was a good fit for our plans. Upon their return from Bocas, the guys informed us that it was the right place but that it would take a bit of time to find the exact location. Panama had so much to offer: land at a reasonable price, currency on par with the US Dollar, an infrastructure much better than other Central American countries, a biological wonderland, an extensive national park system, it was beneath the hurricane belt, its people seemed to be so welcoming and a fair number of them spoke English. The four of us decided to proceed with Panama. Jim was the best person to keep the process moving. Jim resigned from his job at about the same time he had been informed that he was to acquire his dream job – business development responsibilities throughout Latin America.