
Retired Americans Trade Snow for Panama’s Sunshine and Community
A Michigan couple retired in 2018 and moved to Coronado, Panama, where they bought a $210,000 two-bedroom condo and joined a vibrant arts community. Greg Kitzmiller began writing—publishing a book about retiring in Panama and starting a detective fiction series—while Jen connected with locals and churches. Panama’s Pensionado visa offers perks such as discounts on utilities, medications, and transport, and the country’s use of the US dollar simplifies finances. They stay close to family via video calls and, eight years in, say there’s not much they miss about the US and have no plans to return.












