Blog #1

Before arriving to Panama I thought way different things than what I actually saw here. I thought that we would fly into an airport that didn’t even have a terminal but it turns out it actually did. Panama City was more civilized than I imagined. I thought that Panama would be a little bit more “tropical” and similar to Hawaii’s climate but it was more similar to the weather in Florida, which is still nice. It’s interesting because I always wondered why Spanish people ask me if I know Spanish at work or assume that I can speak Spanish instead of learning English but now that it’s the other way around I feel like I understand more. Not knowing that much Spanish is it definitely more challenging then I thought it would be to communicate. I knew that I didn’t sign up for the Jungle trip but I still expected the living conditions to be “roughing it” a little more than in the United States. Even though there is limited air in the house and cold showers, which is tolerable, I didn’t think I’d have such a hard time adjusting to things like their washers and their gas ovens. I thought that we would be eating at a cafeteria type of place by the houses and that we would be staying in the dorms. However, when I saw that it was actually homes I was happy because I felt more comfortable.

I also was happy when we found out we get an “allowance” for groceries and that we could cook our own food. I didn’t think that there would be as many problems with bugs as there is but I really shouldn’t be surprised because this is the experience that I signed up for, and I have to remind myself that it’s not a vacation. The kitchen is open to the outside and I had to buy a new $7 box of Special Kay after just one bowl because the sugar ants got into my box. This is most definitely a learning experience though and I never thought I could learn so much in only 6 days. However, the more I experience the more I know and the more I am able to adjust to the Chitre way of life. I really didn’t know what to expect at all in Panama because what we were told before was very broad but it was probably better that way. Although it’s an adjustment, I am really content with Panama and am looking forward to the upcoming experiences.