Originally from the United States, Jane has lived in Michigan, Colorado, Montana, and now, Panama – specifically Boquete, in the Chiriquí highlands. In addition to living in many places, she has also traveled to all of the continental US as well as Canada. She has made two trips to northern Germany as her son lived there for over a decade.
She is a retired registered nurse but discovered that after she retired, she still needed to be busy, as she wasn't ready to sit around and do nothing. She sold custom window coverings and then worked as an office manager for a small commercial cleaning company.
When asked why she moved to Panama, she replied "I always thought I would retire to Mexico, but when it came time to move, Mexico no longer appealed to me. I looked at several options and decided on Panama, thinking I would enjoy beach life. The beach areas are too humid, so I ended up in Boquete." She plans to remain in Panama.
Jane enjoys many pastimes. These include spending time with her dog and cat and walking with a group that meets weekly (weather permitting). She also likes to engage in thought and idea exchanges with neighbors and friends which allows her to learn more about the Panamanian ways of doing things. In addition, she takes pleasure in keeping her mind busy playing word games and learning new things.
Learning new things included taking Spanish lessons. Jane knows enough Spanish to get by but desires to improve her mastery of the language. Her instructor is a Panamanian woman who comes to Jane's house twice weekly.
Jane prefers to volunteer for all-volunteer organizations since there are no overhead costs. That is what prompted her to become involved with Buenos Vecinos de Boquete. As a volunteer she has worked on the newsletter and sat at the table at the market.
In addition, Jane feels strongly about Indigenous people, especially the Ngöbe Bugle who are the indigenous group here in Chiriquí, and wants to educate those who do not know about their culture, traditions, and values. She supports all people's rights to live "being who they inherently are without pressure to become like a different group."
