Panama Change Makers (Session 2)
June 23, 2019
¡Holaaaa! We have all just landed, made the trek through customs and were quickly able to find one another thanks to our stylish Global Works t-shirts! We waited at the airport and had some fruit snacks while patiently awaiting the arrival of our unaccompanied minors. The conversation started flowing with talk of our hometowns. We then hopped into our refreshing air-conditioned bus and learn about all the “weird” stores other states have (Safeway, Circle K, Wegmans, etc.). As we drove towards La Posada we saw the Panama Bay and city lights/ skyline. Our pro tour guide, Brenna, introduced us to the famous Panama palindrome … A MAN A PLAN A CANAL PANAMA!!! We also discovered that the gas prices are so low! We made it to La Posada! We were so excited but also quite sticky and exhausted. We split into rooms and were kindly greeted by air conditioning! We then walked up the spiral staircase to meet on the roof patio. We awkwardly played the name game accompanied by quiet a few giggles. We then had to part ways with our phones -some more reluctant than others. We also had some more snacks and called all y’all (AKA our parents that we love so much ❤) After our long day of travel we finally went in for the night excited to see this city in daylight!
Peace out from Panama!
-Annika, Abbie, and Samantha
June 24, 2019
Cock-a-doodle-doo!! We all awoke at 7:30am to freshen up and spray the bug spray and head out for breakfast. For breakfast we enjoyed some scrambled eggs, toast, and jugo de naranja but by far the best part was the sweet, juicy watermelon! Yum! Once again we walked up the spiral staircase to go over some logistics about the trip, rules, and expectations. We also played a game called Two Truths and a Lie! We then ventured out for the first time in daylight to head to the grocery store! We found a variety of American goods and of course some unfamiliar Panamanian treats. We bought our own snacks, played Mafia and Seven before heading out to lunch! Crepes and waffles is where we headed! Here we enjoyed crepes, waffles, pitas, and alegrias (happiness) smoothies. We then went back to La Posada to grab a few things, got some more water (+ Gatorade powder), and then began our one hour dreaded trek to Casco Viejo which was not actually so bad. We began by going on a red twisty, walking bridge that led us towards the Gulf of Panama. We were blown away by the amazing skyline and the approaching rain cloud. We passed by several carts selling raspados (Panamanian shaved ice). We then got to see the iconic Panama sign. At this point we could see the difference between the American influenced side of town and the older Spain influenced side of town. As we began walking through Casco Viejo we could see the influence from Spain in regards to the architecture and coloring of buildings. We walked in a single file line of the sidewalks were very narrow. We made it to the tour as it began to rain… then pour!
We met with our tour guide said quick hellos and hurried to a church with an altar partially funded by pirates. Aaarrrggg! Our tour guide truly had a wealth of knowledge and learned a lot about the surprising history of Panama. Did you know, Panama was almost the capital of all of the Americas under Simon Bolivar’s rule. One of the workers as he taught us some phrases. One we won’t forget is “¡quesopa!” And never add usted! We then explored some souvenir shops that have some surprisingly meaningful gifts! Now our tummies were rumbling and we headed to Tantalo for dinner. Several people enjoyed the chow mein and Panamanian pork corn tacos and sizzling plates and chorizo, steak, and chicken AKA protein heaven. After dinner Riley lead us across the street to enjoy some yummy Paletas, they had all sorts of flavors including great fruit flavors and some dipped them in chocolate. We then walked a bit more to the bus seeing a few cats along the way. We head back to La Posada and we were greeted with some music and a little Panamanian fiesta at the rock climbing wall. We then had another logistics meeting that was a little crazy and so fun learning all sorts of new vocab. We then ventured into the kitchen to watch Nate attempt to prepare a box of pasta with powdered sauce. Let’s just say most of it ended up in the trash. On the other hand Matt prepared a delicious cheese and salsa quesadilla and flipped it like a master chef. Sam and Riley also made some nachos before we all parted ways. I’m headed off to bed. It is now 10:49 and we are proud to say Adios for tonight!
-Abbie, Annika, Samantha
June 25, 2019
Today we woke up to the beeping of our watches. For breakfast there was toast, watermelon, cereal and eggs! After breakfast we got on the bus to go to La Sexta, a restaurant that works with Calicanto, which is a non-profit organization that helps socially-vulnerable women. We worked at La Sexta making cookies, croquetas, and our own fried chicken that we ate for lunch. Nestor, the baker, didn’t speak any English so Heidi had to translate the recipe and directions for us. Before we ate lunch we talked to Alex, one of the program managers of Calicanto, and she told us about the educational programs they run for the women to be able to pull themselves out of their situations.
After La Sexta, we took the bus to the Panama Canal. There we walked through the museum and learned what percent of our body was water. After watching everybody and seeing who had the highest percent of water, we went to watch a tanker go through the canal. Fun fact: It takes 8-10 hours for each boat to go through the whole canal. We then got back on the bus and returned to La Posada. There we played BS while some of us took a quick nap. Next we went out for a quick dinner at a restaurant nearby. After eating we went to the park, where we climbed on the jungle gym, and some of played basketball against Panamanians. Due to the rain earlier that day there were puddles on the court that made it really slippery. The Panamanians won the very intense game because Riley carried them. While part of the group was playing the rest of us saw a tiny chihuahua, but it was scared of us so we couldn’t pet it. Back at La Posada, Brenna and Emma quizzed us on canal facts where Sam W, Emily R, Lila, and Kaya all won a prize for answering correctly. Finally we called it a night and went back to our rooms to pack for our day of travel out to our homestays.
-Lila G
June 26, 2019
We got up early for our long day of travel. For breakfast, we ate the same thing as usual, plus cereal! After our final breakfast at La Posada, we finished packing and said goodbye to Panama City. Our five hour bus ride included lots of singing and card games, some people played BS for almost 4 hours. Our driver Cesar loved to judge our music and at one point took control of the music to show us what he likes. About an hour into the drive, we stopped for lunch where we had some of our first traditional Panamanian food of the trip. Beans, rice and chicken were some of the things that people ate. Following lunch we continued our long drive to our host families. There were more card games to be played, singing, and laughing for the remainder of our drive. Finally we reached the town of San Juan. The kids in the town had a lot of fun saying hi and meeting us. Our host families were all super nice and inviting, they showed us around their homes. For the rest of the night we got to know our host families a little more and tried to practice our Spanish. ¡Ayala Vida! After a long day of driving and getting to know new people, we went to bed excited for the days to come.
~ Emily P.
June 27, 2019
While some awoke to cries of the roosters or their alarms on their watches, Emily and I woke up to our homestay siblings getting ready. While others are tortillas con huevos, pancakes, patacones, We enjoyed our dish of “yuca con salchicha”. Everyone got ready and met up at Brenna’s Panama place. Brenna announced our plan for the day. With our backpacks weighed down with water bottles, rain jacket, bug spray (and maybe some) cameras or pants. We ventured past the community center, basketball court and soccer field towards the community church. It was there, where we painted the doors and window frames. The top of windows and doors were difficult to reach, so we resolve this issue by asking our one and only, Riley. His height is indeed a blessing, but in this case it was a curse when we noted he got tired of painting. We also assisted in demolishing the cement table with a hammer. It was quite the experience, something I’ve never participated in before. We witnessed the cement table crumble before, it was so satisfying. After working for a while, the four boys, Mark, Nate, Riley and Sam played baseball with the boys. You could definitely tell the boys were learning Spanish, it was also interesting to observe how sports do not need it much for communication. Language was in a barrier for them for these 20 to 25 minutes. It began to rain lightly when we headed home for lunch. Some had shorter walks than others but we all ran home once it began to pour. Emily and I felt the raindrops plummet on our clothes, we had forgotten our jackets. Once we arrived we were welcome with bistec (streak), salad and beans with a refreshing glass of lemonade. Brenna and Emma accompanied us for lunch. Once we were done, our group gathered at the community center. We were told to prepare for the Spanish- English immersion class. In groups of four, we chose to teach colors, numbers, and animals. However, no one showed up due to the rain. In the midst of this, all of us had the opportunity to call home and check in with our families. The hellos and goodbyes were quick. It was a bittersweet moment for me. We decided to congregate with the people of San Juan. Some played basketball while others played baseball. A huge game of soccer was formed. It was definitely a memorable occasion. Soon after, most of us headed back home again for dinner. Stories were shared, new people were met, and we bonded a little bit more with our homestay families. The sun kissed ya goodbye with pink, blue and purple skies. Emily and I sat down the the homestay grandchildren and watched tv. It got late and after a long day filled with work, Emily and I laughed the night away with moths invading our space until we went to sleep, awaiting for the next day to arrive.
~ Heidi C.G.
June 28, 2019
Today, we all met at Brenna and Emma’s house at 8am after a mostly restful night of sleep. There, we previewed the fun day ahead of us that included a party for the 106th anniversary of the school in San Juan, painting and a bbq for all the host families. First we went to the party for that 106th anniversary of the school. We saw all of the classes perform with a dance or by singing. While eager classmates cheered each other on with whistles and blow horns. Panamanian schools have a tradition of choosing a queen of the school. At the celebration, all of the seven candidates were introduced; the had been elected by their respective classes. At the end of the celebration, the candidates drew rolled up papers from a hat. The candidate who’s paper read “Reina” became the new “queen” of the school the rest of the candidates papers read “rein”. After the celebration, we visited the school to try some of the food. We all ate at Brenna and Emma’s house until 11:30 when we returned home for more lunch. We were suppose to be back in the afternoon at 1pm, but some people were a little late because their families made lunch late. At 2pm we were finally all there. We spent the next hour finding rocks near a cute little stream for a garden. We then split into two groups. Four people went to another river to gather soil, while the rest of the group finish painting church windows and painted the rocks that were found earlier. However, all of a sudden it started to rain incredibly violently and we were forced to stop working. The people collected soil, however worked through the rain, so they came back drenched. At that point, we all went back to our houses. At 7pm everyone came back to where the morning celebration was but this time we were with our host families while we were waiting for the food to be ready, we played with our young Panamanian friends while music played in the background. We then enjoyed some typical Panamanian food that consisted of rice, chorrizo and chicken. We also had a little surprise for our host families, we made them a tradition American treat… s’mores! We played soccer and basketball for a while after eating until around 9pm. We then made our way back to our houses with our host families in the calm pitch black after a long unpredictable and tiring day.
~ By Sam S.
June 29, 2019
Today we ate a very large and delicious breakfast. It consisted of eggs with meat in them, as well as bread and a very interesting tortilla. We left the house and met the group behind the church ready for a challenging day of work. Supposedly Matt and Nate were late because their family gave them breakfast at 8:15 when we were supposed to be there at 8:00. When we were finally working the day became very hot. At first we watched Sam and Heidi mix cement for the kitchen, but we were gradually given different tasks to do. Some of us helped work to build the kitchen, some of us continued to paint, and some began to use dirt to build the garden in front of the church. Throughout the day it remained sunny and we all began to sweat a lot. Brenna and Emma kept constantly insisting we put sunscreen on as we continued working, and it turned out to be very important. We took many breaks as the work was very exhausting. Eventually it was lunch and we had walked back to our homes. Lunch was a large plate of rice, lentils, and chicken. After, we all met back ready to continue the exciting work. The day became very hot and exhausting. The Panamanian children from our homestays worked with us in much of the work. When we finished with most of the work for the day we took a walk to go and gather rocks. Sam W. and Matt raced along the walk with the kids. When we got to the river where we gathered rocks the kids jumped in. It began to rain so we headed back with the rocks we had collected. Sam S, Matt, and I played baseball with the kids and then most of us got popsicles and ice cream. As we ate we took pictures with the kids and the very clear rainbow in the sky. Finally, we called it a night and headed home. On the way home we saw a snake, as well as cows, chickens, and dogs. Some of our group went to get their hair braided next door and lots of kids came back with us too. At dinner we celebrated our host mom’s birthday and had ice cream and cake after singing Feliz Cumpleaños. To end the day we watched soccer and went to sleep fairly late after a fun and exhausting day.
~ Riley T.
June 30, 2019
After waking up sore from yesterday’s hard work, we were all excited to start our fun-awaiting adventures that laid ahead. Not to mention that some of us got to sleep in a couple more minutes because instead of the usual 8 AM meet up, we got to meet up at 9 AM. Heidi and I (Emily R) woke up in our tight braids that were done the night before. We ate breakfast and talked in the hammock until we had to hurry out the door. We got there fairly early but Heidi and I had to go back to our home and grab our wallets (oops). When we came back everyone was already on the bus! And so we made our way to San Francisco. Everyone got off, we were reminder to put on sunscreen and begin walking to las cascadas (the waterfalls). Once we got there, we took a lot of pictures as a group. And then even more once we trailed up the little steep natural pathway up a cliffy waterfall. After that we made our way to walk down a rocky road and finally saw the place we would minutes later enjoy to the fullest. We arrived to a pool of water that connected to a small waterfall. We went over logistics and safety measures and then we all got into the water. While it was very cold at first, many of us were eager to climb up the metal letters to jump off the big rock. It was a small jump but definitely a really fun one. Many climbing and jumping moments later, some of us went out for a snack break and a couple stayed and played monkey in the middle. I joined and after having a fruit snack and it was sooooooo much fun!! There was a moment where Sam and I had the ball and we’re trying to get it away from each other. It was a great time! Some changed into new clothes and others didn’t mind being a little bit soaked. We went on another bus ride to Santa Fe. Some ate a plate of rice, salad, beans and chicken and others ate rice, salad, beans and beef. After lunch, we went the the Santa Fe mercado (market) many of us bought bracelets and looked around. After, we went to a farm, learning about the many agricultural products there are. We sucked on sugarcane (it was really good). We walked around looking at great wishes, mango-banana trees, cinnamon trees and more! We then planted cucumbers and drink coconut water. There were chickens and turkeys everywhere.
We rode the nice air-conditioned bus back home and got dropped off paid by pair to our home stay families, had dinner and while some prepared to sleep. Heidi and I were having a blast with our host brother, sister and cousins. We played, performed a little talent show, laughed a lot and have so much fun. By far a memorable day. It’s something will remember for a long time. It was late when we went to bed but it was definitely worth it!
-Emily R.
July 1, 2019
Today was our last full day in San Juan and everyone wanted to make the most of it. We began with some yoga recommended by Brenna which gave us some laughs to start the day off. As usual we worked on the gardens in front of the church. We painted rocks, dug the holes for the plants, mixed the soil, and arranged the rocks. We noticed that Lila, Nate, Brenna, and Riley were all “twinning” in Global Works shirts, and took more than a few photos. They were #LaMisma. After some hard work with the help of some incredible Panamanian kids, we were off to lunch. Everyone was in their houses to watch the inauguration of the new President, Nito Cortizo. Even school was cancelled for the kids. We returned to work at 1:30, this time a little less hardworking than before. It wasn’t long before it started pouring, lightning, and thundering so we stopped working and began to snack, play baseball and catch. Victoria was so sweet and finished the planting during the storm. Finally we went to the center of town, or the cancha, to make thank you cards for our families. Brenna had even bought glitter glue! However it never really dried due to the humidity though. We all were so used to just speaking in Spanish that writing it seemed so strange. We asked Brenna and Emma how to say phrases like “I’ll miss you” and “I’ll never forget this experience.” The Panamanian children wrote cards for us too which was so adorable. Emma helped some of us make paper hearts. After we finished writing the cards the kids and some of us played soccer. Then we went back to our houses and got ready for the despedida. Our grandma and mom, Carmen and Iracema, gave Emily P. and I strawberry ice cream after we cleaned up our room. We pet the dogs and looked out at the stars in the clear night sky. We were “Panamanian-on-time” for the despedida, which meant we were about an hour late. Everyone looked so nice! So many videos and photos were taken. Sam S. and Heidi said some beautiful words thanking the community and Brenna did as well. We danced so much that everyone was sweating in their nice clothes. There was arroz con pollo y ensalada de papas. Both were so good! After lots of eating and dancing it was time for the piñatas. The first one was for the younger boys, and the second one was for the girls and the Global Works students. Some of the community members had made the piñata- it was teal and white with the GW logo on the front. Riley took a huge swing, missed the piñata, and accidentally let go of the bat. Once it was partially broken Cesar, our bus driver, jumped in and emptied the piñata out and the kids went crazy. Brenna and Emma even had cake for us too! We all helped clean up and danced to some American pop songs like “Single Ladies” and “Fergalicious.” We said goodbye to everyone and headed home, it was already so late. I fell asleep right away. It was the perfect way to end our time in San Juan.
-Mia S.
July 2, 2018
Hola amigos! Today we awoke to our final morning in San Juan. Sam W. and I enjoyed a delicious breakfast of chorizo and an interesting corn product that I have been calling “corn sausages.” It’s actually called a bollo. Isabel, our host mom, had taken such great care of us and this morning wasn’t any different. Yanitzel, Isabel’s daughter, french braided our hair for the last time with her impressive talent. At 8:30, all host families and Global Works students made their way down to the casa comunal to say our goodbyes. Many became emotional after creating such a special bond with their families. Some kids even cane out of school to say farewell. We all got on the bus and began our journey out of San Juan to return to Panama City. At this point I was emotional, but had not cried and did not expect to. However, as we passed by the elementary school and I saw all the amazing kids I had befriended in San Juan, tears began to flow from my eyes. The homestay experience was one of the most incredible experiences I have had in my entire life, and I will treasure the new perspective and memories for the rest of my life. Anyway, we drove in the bus for about an hour while everyone recovered emotionally (or tried to), until we made it to a famous supermarket chain in Panama called “Rey.” We stocked up on snacks and other necessities for our stay at the Kuna Yala Islands. Once back on the bus, we shared snacks with one another and played multiple games of “BS”. After about another hour, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant called “Yukas”. Most of us enjoyed American meals of chicken tenders or hamburgers with fries. Once again, we got back on the bus where some continued playing “BS” and others slept. We had one last stop at an artisan souvenir shop where some bought souvenirs and refreshing popsicles. Finally, after another hour on the bus, we arrived at the Hotel Posada 1914 in Panama City. Everyone went into their rooms and made a pile of clothes that were washed by our favorite trip leaders: Miss Brenna and Miss Emma. At 6:30, we had a spicy salsa dancing lesson with our amazingly talented teacher, Alina. She taught us some basic salsa moves and made us dance in partners which was really fun. We were basically pros by the end, Matt and I were killing it. We were all tired after our long travel day and decided to order pizza for an easy dinner. Dominos arrived within 30 minutes and we dined lavishly on the roof patio. Soon after dinner, we got the chance to call all of you cuties and catch up on the life at home. In case your kid didn’t tell you, that was our last opportunity to call before returning home! After our exhausting day, we went back to our rooms to get ready for bed and pack for our adventure at the Kuna Yala Islands. Well, that’s all I got for y’all. Have an amazing day! Con mucho amor,
-Annika T.
July 3, 2019
Bienvenidos a nuestro blog de hoy! Today we awoke at the crack of dawn at 5:30. The water was out the night before and thankfully began working, allowing several of us to take the best showers ever! We quickly packed our things into our smaller bags for the island. We enjoyed toast and cereal for breakfast and were on the road by 7:00. We all had to divide amongst 3 cars as the big yellow bus couldn’t drive on the roads to Kuna Yala. Along our journey we made two stops at various gas stations for Gatorade and candy. The second half of the two hour journey was through curvy mountains, some of us took Dramamine and thankfully no one got sick. We finally made it to the port where we unloaded our bags and lots of water. We hoped on our private Bob Marley painted boat and made our way out to our island (with life jackets of course). The boat slowed after a windy but fun ride and we were greeted with a breathtaking view. The water was crystal clear blue, the sand was white, and the palm trees that covered the island were gorgeous!! We brought our stuff off the boat and into our cute little cabañas. They have bamboo walls and palm leaf thatched roofs. Once we were settled in we threw on our swimsuits and dove into the ocean. The sand was so soft between our toes and the water was the perfect temperature (even a little warm for some!) We swam around and also explored under the sea with our snorkeling gear. We were eventually called in for lunch by a man with a conch shell. We had chicken or fish (an entire fish with its head- ew!), rice and salad! It was delicious. We then continued to swim and some of us took naps on the sand or in hammocks. We also enjoyed some fresh coconut from the palm trees on the island. The water and meat were soooooo good! As the sun began to set we ate dinner, which was very similar to lunch. Afterwards we sat at the table and reflected on our homestay experience. We all shared how sad we will be to leave each other. We really have formed an amazing, unique, and funny group that none of us will ever forget. On behalf of everyone here, thank you for letting us go on this life-changing experience, we really appreciate it. After dinner we all made our way to our rooms with the little light we had. We were in bed by 9:30 and fell asleep to the sounds of crashing waves.
See you soon!
-Sam W.
July 4, 2019
We woke up to the crashing waves and the sun streaming in through the bamboo walls of our cabaña. I personally woke up a little past 8, because I didn’t bring a watch and the boys in my cabaña forgot about me. But I got up and was so happy to see pancakes and eggs for breakfast, and I forgot the rest of my worries because the water was so pretty. #bluewater. We had a little time to rest after breakfast, and hopped onto the boat to go island hopping. After the 10 minute boat ride, we pulled up to the island Perro Chico, Little Dog. The turquoise water was ready to be snorkeled in, and the small sunken boat really brought that home. After two hours of swimming, snorkeling, and hanging around, we went to a neighboring island, Isla Diablo, for a lunch of fish or chicken. We took another refreshing dip in the water here too, many of us floating along on lifejackets. We jumped back on the boat and we were off to the natural pool, a bunch of sandbars that are still under the bluest water you’ve ever seen, surrounded by a dark blue drop off to the rest of the ocean. We even got to see starfish! We climbed back on the boat and headed to our last island, where we played volleyball. (Despite what people will tell you, I was very good.) Some of the group just played around in the sand and swam for a couple of hours. Afterwards, we went back to our island. We just chilled on the island, showering and talking, until dinner, where we had fish or chicken! The sun set behind the clouds and we gathered sticks for a bonfire. By the time it was well lit we were ready to roast marshmallows, sadly without graham crackers and chocolate. After that we spun around on the beach seeing who could stand the longest and then went to our rooms for the night. After a couple of ghost stories we quickly fell asleep, ready for another day.
-Matt A.
July 5, 2019
Today we woke up early to watch the sunrise. It was a magnificent pink. Then we all hung out by the hammocks while waiting for breakfast. For breakfast we had a warm piece of bread with a warm egg. After breakfast we sat at the table until it was time to leave. We boarded the boat and began our journey to a bigger island, Carti. We were greeted by a welcoming shore and several buildings. All of the houses were crammed together and raggedy. We then walked through some narrow allies until arriving at the court house. Then our tour guide gave us a description of what Kuna politics were like. We also learned about some traditions. Finally, before we left we met the chief of the island. There were 6 hammocks and only the chiefs were allowed to sit in them. After meeting the principal of the school, we split into groups of 4 to do some WORK! My group went to the local library and started stacking books. In the library there were soooo many spiders, bugs and cobwebs. I felt so bad because all of the books were in poor conditions and some unreadable. As we stacked books the other two groups helped paint a protective coat on metal slats. After sweating A LOT we finally arrived at the restaurant. Here we each got cold soda, fried chicken, plantains, great watermelon and the best pineapple we’ve ever had. We then departed from the hot island and headed to our cool calm island. We immediately threw our swim suits on hopped right in. After swimming for a while we met in the kitchen for our closing activities. We started filling out an evaluation of our experience on the GW trip. We then wrote appreciation cards to each other. Then we had a nice dinner of arroz con pollo and plantains. After dinner we received our appreciation cards from each other. Finally right before bed we played the same game that we did yesterday where we looked at the stars, spinned in a circle and a flashlight gets flashed at your face. Then it was time for bed. Good night.
– Nate
July 6, 2019
Today we awoke to our final morning on the Kuna Yala Islands. We were greeted by an incredible sunrise of bright pinks and oranges on the horizon. Most of us had set alarms for 5:30am to see this sight, while others wanted to sleep in for their final morning. We all met up for our breakfast of sausage with bread. We passed the morning snorkeling with manta rays, taking pictures, and lounging in hammocks. After an incredibly relaxing morning and a delicious lunch of chicken with rice and salad, it was time to go. We all packed our bags and said goodbye to our island hosts. After a group picture, we boarded the boat and left for mainland. Our boat ride lasted about 35 minutes. We divided into two groups for our car rides back to Panama City. The ride was windy and bumpy, but went by quickly with interesting conversations and try-not-to-laugh challenges. At 4 o’clock we arrived at Hotel Posada, which now feels like home. We all took showers and dressed up for our final dinner together. At 6, our beloved bus driver, Cesar, drove us to the oceanfront restaurant, El Muelle. Once there, we took pictures and enjoyed the city view while the sun was still up. Almost everyone ordered (virgin) piña coladas, which were incredibly refreshing in the humidity. Brenna also printed out pictures of our homestay families with us when we arrived, and when we left. We each signed them, and Brenna will give them to the families when she passes through San Juan this week. By the time our food arrived, everyone seemed too full or too tired to eat more. Some of us (Samantha and I) even fell asleep briefly. On the bus ride home we listened to some of our favorite songs (Billionaire) as a group and some became emotional. These past two weeks have flown by so fast and it is crazy to think that our trip has come to an end. Miss Brenda and Miss Emma gave us a closing speech on the roof patio of Hotel Posada and then gave us our phones back when we correctly answered a trivia question on Panama. We are currently exchanging phone numbers and social media handles before we head off to bed. We are all dreading having to leave each other and the beautiful country of Panama, but cannot wait to be back home with you guys.
See you soon!
– Annika T.
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