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The Panama Canal was always a big part of my life when I was growing up in Panama City. During my high school years, I attended school near the Canal Zone, watching in awe as the big ships moved through the giant locks. I became fascinated by the engineering marvel and dreamed of someday working on the Canal as a pilot or tug boat captain.

All the excitement about the opening of the $5.3 billion Panama Canal expansion, scheduled for June 26, has brought back many strong memories. For anybody who loves the sea, the Canal is a special place and the expansion is a major milestone, both from a construction standpoint and as long term driver for Panama’s economy. Beyond the data, the size and complexity of the Canal is inspirational, an amazing accomplishment.   

The big ships and the lure of life on the water certainly impacted me. As a teen I used to water ski in the Gatun Lake part of the Canal right next to cargo ships as they made their transit. This probably wasn’t the safest idea, and I’m sure it’s banned today with all of the heightened security around the globe, but it sure was fun.

As I grew older, it was clear to me that I wanted to work on the Canal. I went through all the steps necessary to become a licensed merchant marine officer by attending the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and I completed the required coast guard examinations.

But my dream of working on the Canal was shattered in 1991, when I applied for a position and was rejected. Just a couple of months before I graduated and passed the exams, the U.S. passed control of human resources and hiring for the Canal to Panama in anticipation of the handover, which was to take place in 1999. In the wake of the deal, Panama imposed a restriction on hiring U.S. citizens. (I was born in New York City.)

The news was devastating for me. My personal goal of working on the Canal was crushed. I had worked so hard for a dream that was suddenly unattainable. But the setback didn’t diminish my desire to work on the oceans. I signed up as a 3rd mate aboard a number of seafaring vessels, spending several years traveling the world. It was not my dream job–the job I trained to do—but it satisfied desire to work on the oceans, which started many years ago in my school days in Panama.

Ultimately, I left the sea and decided to open my own business. I settled in Florida, where I developed an expertise in property management. I found a career where I could work with people and solve problems (and being on land allowed me to develop a real relationship.)

When I came back to Panama in 2014, I was able to renew my connection to the water and the Canal. Seeing Panama prosper as the Canal continues to play an important role in global trade is very fulfilling for me. For my former shipmates, the pilots, tug captains and everyone involved in the Canal, I know the expansion is an extraordinary event, marking a historic time to be in Panama, as the city and country emerge as a first-world economic powerhouse.

To me, the Canal remains special. It inspired my studies and pushed me to see the world. Without that influence I would not be who I am today.

Eddie Montes is the head of Property Management for Punta Pacifica Realty, a Panama real estate agency focused on Punta Pacifica, the exclusive neighborhood of 18 towers perched on the edge of the Pacific Ocean.