Travel Tales 2: Panama
I recently spent 2.5 days solo-parenting in Panama City, Panama - a place I had never visited before, while my partner was working. Here I'll share how I managed our time, some experiences, and some thoughts relevant to parenting.
The first day, we were a little tired from travel so we hung around the apartment after a leisurely breakfast. We chose a place that had a playground and a swimming pool. Between these 3 activities and a nap, we spent a lovely first day.
On the second day, following another slow breakfast, we got more adventurous. We took an Uber (which I always take if possible for solo travel in unknown places for safety - tracking & accountability) to Panama City's Bio Museo. We spent the full day there learning about Panama’s biodiversity. There were a variety of exhibits, including a great intro video, their cafe was fantastic for relaxing with a great view during nap time, their staff were very friendly, and the bathrooms had nice changing areas.
On the final half day, we walked from our Airbnb down to a playground on the water. In theory, the walk could have taken a short 20 minutes, but it actually took us much longer. On the way, we ran into a construction zone with an active digger / dump truck combo, and several soccer / football fields where school kids were out playing. Watching these everyday life events was extremely entertaining for my toddler and provided an opportunity for us to slow down and talk about what we were seeing. By the time we got to the playground, we didn’t have that much time to play because we had spent so long getting there! But part of the experience with toddlers, is enjoying the journey and exploring everyday life with them.
From my experience with Panama City single parenting (and later on with my partner too), I would say that it felt very safe and people were very friendly. I was also impressed by the availability of high chairs at every restaurant and good facilities for diaper changing.
This experience definitely built my confidence in single parenting in an unknown place. You can do this yourself, even if just in your own neighborhood. Be open to going out and exploring, including taking the time to engage with unexpected things along the way. You’ll build your own confidence and build experiences with your kids that will grow their perspectives on the world.
