EBTIECHI in El Valle

“Have you been to El Valle de Antón? I think you would love it.”

I can’t count the number of times I heard this as we traveled through Panamá.

Tom and I are pretty loosie-goosie about our planning, so after revisiting a few favorite towns we had space for new adventures in the beautiful county.

However, when I felt inspired to book a place in El Valle, I discovered there wasn’t much left!

We then learned that El Valle de Anton is an area filled with Panamanian summer homes, and a destination for escaping the city, especially during Carnaval and the last weeks of school vacation.

Here was an opportunity to watch the mind's judgy/fearful thoughts: “Why didn’t I look sooner- now there’s slim pickings for rentals! Should we even go? What if it is crazy busy?”

I realized the pull to explore the area was stronger than the fears, so I decided to EBTIECHI the adventure.

I booked the only place left with a kitchen and a porch, two of my “requirements”. I allowed that to be the extent of the research on the area, so that everything could be a surprise. With the evidence of EBTIECHI I’ve collected, I could trust that it would be a delightful surprise, not a “damn-it!” surprise.

We could tell we were entering a special place on the planet as we began climbing the mountain hills to reach El Valle. The steep inclines put our sweet little rental car, Carlita, to the test, but she persevered.

We found ourselves in a valley surrounded by mountains. The first EBTIECHI surprise to me was that the town was situated in a volcanic crater, which meant hiking trails galore.

It was absolutely stunning and the EBTIECHIs just kept expanding.

To begin: our casita!! It was brand new, with a patio that looked out onto a vibrantly lush garden, complete with a sloth that slept in the mango tree beside us as we enjoyed morning coffee.

The abundant plants and flowers, the rampant birds and butterflies, the rainbows that filled the valley, the perfectly manicured estates.

The “Rey” in this teensie town, our favorite grocery store in Panamá! We’d only ever found it in large cities.

The cooler temperatures, lack of biting insects, and produce markets galore.

The hikes, each one unique with waterfalls, swimming holes, cloud forests, conifer forests, petroglyphs, epic views, and expansive vistas.

A Mexican restaurant! A garden coffee shop with brownies and stickers! A hobbit house earth mound brewery!

The welcoming and kind people.

To address my mind’s initial fears…

“I waited too long to book a place”. - I didn’t have to spend any “time” considering which rental to choose, as the one that was left was absolutely perfect!

“Should we even go?” - A non-factor. Committing to an EBTIECHI experience releases the shoulds.

“What if it is crazy busy?” - There was so much nature to explore, both in the valley and in the surrounding mountains, that it felt wildly spacious. The restaurants were surprisingly wide open too!

This is the joy of EBTIECHI for me: feeling the pull to say yes, releasing the shoulds and fears, and experiencing the magic of life unfolding beyond my mind’s wildest dreams.