When coming to Panama, I sort of had an idea of what it
would be like just because I came on a 3 week mission trip in 2009, but stayed
in the Darien Jungle and the San Blas Islands. On that trip, I had to sleep in
a hammock and had no electricity or running water. Coming on this trip I didn’t
expect it to be as nice as it is. I knew we were staying in a house, but I did
not expect free wifi, a phone, cable and our house is lucky to have AC in 1
room! Our neighborhood even has a community center in the middle with a soccer
field, basketball courts and a pool! It
has surpassed my expectations for sure! The bugs, gas stove and hanging our
clothes on the line are some things I’ve had to adjust to but it’s not too bad.
Another thing is that I figured we wouldn’t be able to drink the water, but I
did not expect all the food to be carbs or fried. Don’t get me wrong I love carbs and fried food
but I cannot afford to be eating it every day. I miss my fruits and veggies.
One big thing I did not expect was for the language barrier
to be so difficult. For some reason I assumed we would have a translator, and I
guess I thought what bit of Spanish I knew would suffice. Little did I know, we
are the translators, and thankfully we have 4 girls who can communicate well.
My 2 years in high school hasn’t really helped me out much!
The last thing that surprised me was how many buses and
taxis there are. I assumed that most people had cars but a lot of people rely
on buses and taxis to go from place to place. Also, I have been very surprised
with how hospitable and friendly everyone in Panama is, especially in Chitre.
People always wave and say hello and even some of our contacts from the University
of Panama have just stopped by to see how we are doing because they were in the
neighborhood.
I have had a great time here so far and cannot wait to see
what the next few weeks hold!
Written by: Sarah Wilson
My clinical group Caja del Securidad Social
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