Blame It On the Rain

It is raining here in Panama. This comes as no surprise because it is, in fact, rainy season. From about mid April to mid December is considered "winter" here which does not equate with a change in temperature but a change in precipitation. I was warned. I knew this. Since we arrived in October, however, the rain has consisted of just a couple of hours per day of heavy downpours. Most mornings were gloriously sunny and we would venture out on walks, run errands, enjoy the birds and butterflies, or go to the beach. Wonderful. This I could definitely handle. Now it is late November. The rain is, shall we say, all-encompassing. For the last few days we have woken up to rain, spent all hours of the day in rain, and fallen asleep to the sound of rain (which I have to admit I love). At times the rain is slow and peaceful. At times it is violent and torrential. At times it stops altogether and the sun sheepishly attempts to peak through a cloud. This is a great parallel to my ever-shifting moods while living here (and lets be real: ever since I hit puberty). Living abroad is certainly an adventure. It has its ups (read previous posts please) and it absolutely has its downs. I have one friend here with me which has been tremendously helpful in making this transition. She will be leaving soon and it will be just my son and I. Again, I knew this was a possibility. What I did not know was the inconsistency of things here. Vitally important things such as water, internet, and the town bus which is our only means of transportation. We are only about 2 miles from the center of town. Easy enough of a walk one might say. One would be right if one did not know I have a four year old walking by my side. A four year old who walks about as fast as a disabled sloth on a good day. It is not his fault, he is much shorter than myself and has less muscle mass (I am built like a waif but I'm still a powerhouse compared to my skinny white spawn). So, things can get a bit difficult. Especially when its raining. I have never minded a stroll in the rain under a large umbrella hand in hand with my love or solo, deep in thought. I quite enjoy this actually. What I do not enjoy is a walk through heavy rains, while holding my umbrella with one hand, a dragging pulling toddler's hand with the other, and carrying heavy groceries on my back and shoulder (cue tiny violins...Now!). This is my equivalent of being in the middle of a shopping mall surrounded by frat guys whilst vomiting. Ok, this may be a slight exaggeration but still, it is an unpleasant experience. Not to mention trying to navigate the grocery store and check out in a language that I barely understand and definitely do not speak as well as I had imagined in my pre-expat daydreams. Phew! Rant over. All that being said I am looking forward to the dry season here. To endless days of sunshine and heat. To adventures to the beach and through the forest. To bird and sloth watching. To bonding with my son more every day. Will it be easy? No. Will I get painfully lonely and bored and homesick? Yes. Will I wish for certain torturous death rather than wake another day in a foreign land? Uh...hopefully it won't get that bad. Anyway, for now, I will do as the great rock legends once plagiarized and "blame it on the rain".