During our brief journey to Panama, we were able to travel and see companies such as PepsiCo and Estee Lauder. Personally, I learned more about what CEOs do. I learned that when a business reaches its final stage of development, the CEO must keep up with trends in order for the company to thrive. Interacting with the staff at the companies we visited made me realize that they don’t always start with the appropriate company. Everywhere they went, there was growth, and we saw that they moved through a succession of timelines in order to locate a suitable company. This seems like something that would happen to me as well.
While traveling around Panama, I saw some areas that reminded me of Vietnam, my home country. From the fish market to the uneven and tight roads to the one lovely bridge we traveled through on our way to our farewell meal and a stunning view of the hill we endured climbing, everything was spectacular. Through this experience, I became acquainted with another aspect of myself, and it made me miss my home country greatly. I grieved for the wonderful time I had in the country. The gas prices were insanely cheap as well.
My first impressions were that Panama was like any other city in the United States. After having a great time in the Indigenous village, with their exceptional food and beautiful customs, I discovered that there was a lot more to Panama than I had realized. The waterfall we witnessed, and the breathtaking beauty of the hill were unlike anything I’d seen in my 18 years of existence. In Panama, the language barrier bothered me the most during this trip. Even though I had friends to translate and support me, I wanted to learn the language of Spanish on my own. Looks like I will have homework for this summer. Thank you CIBS and Regents for this wonderful experience in Panama. I will definitely take another chance to revisit the country.
