My initial thoughts on Panama were that it seemed very familiar and welcoming. It reminded me a lot of Montenegro, which is where my family is from so it almost felt as if I had been here before. Even though Panama seemed familiar I knew it had its own culture and norms so I made it my mission to find what makes it different from the places I have been to. Finding the differences between the United States and Panama was easy due to the fact that they are extremely unique in their own ways. I quickly came to find out that driving in Panama is much more dangerous and reckless than in the United States. There are parts of the roads where there are no lanes so cars can get extremely close to each other. Another difference I saw between Panama and the United States was that the sun sets in Panama much sooner than in the U.S. I know this has to do with being closer to the equator, but I did not come to the realization until I got here. I extremely enjoyed going to the indigenous village and seeing the traditional dances and ways of living, even if it did start pouring for 2 hours. I had the best fish of my life there accompanied by plantains, which I have come to learn are very common in Panama. Another part of the trip that I loved was hiking through the jungle to go to a waterfall. I have never seen a waterfall before so it was definitely a highlight of the trip. Seeing how the terrain is so different from home was surreal and almost did not seem real. This trip allowed me to not only learn about new cultures but also grow my bond with multiple people in the Regents’ Ambassador Program and I will forever be grateful for this experience.
