My experience in Panama is one that I will never forget. From the sweltering heat, to the cockroaches we found in our rooms, and to all the little adventures we went on every day, Panama was spectacular. The days counting down to the trip were stressful yet exciting. I wanted to make sure I had everything I would need, including preparing to embark on a trip without my family. I had no idea what to expect. I was scared of getting sunburned, and worried if my horrifying lack of Spanish would hurt my experience with the kids in Panama. Myself, 13 other students, along with Ms. Constanzo, Ms. Deventer, and Mr. Valentine all went on the trip.
Our average days in Panama usually consisted of breakfast at the hotel, a large group activity in the morning, then lunch, followed by splitting up into two groups and visiting the two different Community centers in the afternoon. Each night also consisted of dinner as a group, a full group activity before bed, and then usually ice cream to end the night.
Each morning was different. On Monday, we went to the community center in Los Bastimentos and sanded the exterior walls, which were painted on Wednesday. Then, on Tuesday we visited a cacao farm in San Cristobal. Some other mornings we did some souvenir shopping, went snorkeling, or participated in various other activities.
The afternoons, in my opinion, were really the most important part. I was a part of the group that took a boat to San Cristobal each afternoon. Being able to spend time with these kids was truly something that I will always cherish. Seeing their eyes light up and smile, watching them cheer for kickball, and chasing them around the field as they call you “Baja.” I don’t think I had that much fun in a while, and I absolutely loved being able to make an impact on their lives. As I already mentioned, I do not know a single lick of Spanish, so I was nervous that I wasn’t going to be able to communicate with the kids nor make connections with them since I didn’t speak their language. I quickly was able to push aside all of my worries and instead focused on having the time of my life. I was also very lucky to have some of my friends that take Spanish (shout out Grace, Katherine, and Lily!), all of which were able to help translate for me.
Each day either the same or different kids would come to the community center. That meant each day called for unique activities, most including giving piggyback rides, tag, kickball, and most famously, teaching them the Macarena. This trip also made me realize that I love working with kids. Their smiles and giggles were infectious.
This experience was truly special to me. It has helped me open my eyes and realize how lucky I am for the life that I live. Even the small things that I’ve been so accustomed to, like going to school every day, and even throwing out heaps of trash, are luxuries that some kids in Panama don’t have. This trip also helped me realize that I enjoy doing hands on service and I enjoy being able to make someone’s day. I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to immerse myself in a culture that was unfamiliar to me as well as being able to do good in another community.
This experience was truly special to me. It has helped me open my eyes and realize how lucky I am for the life that I live. Even the small things that I’ve been so accustomed to, like going to school every day, and even throwing out heaps of trash, are luxuries that some kids in Panama don’t have. This trip also helped me realize that I enjoy doing hands on service and I enjoy being able to make someone’s day. I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to immerse myself in a culture that was unfamiliar to me as well being able to do good in another community.
