Even though this is my third time in Panama I think every time I go there I learn something new. I learned that Panama as a country has a lot of similarities to the US especially Panama City you can see how much America has influenced the country from their time in the country. It allowed me to see how cultures blend together what aspects they carry and what aspects they drop. For example, one difference I see is how the culture of Panama is a lot more community orientated when compared to the individualistic culture dominating America; though they both share something very similar and that’s the amount of business-centered economy it was where it focuses on smaller business much like America. You can also see that in the country the shopping centers and malls dominate the city along with fast food a staple of American culture. Lastly, I see a lot of the same “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” mentality presented there to illustrate a lot of Panamanians open small businesses in order to support their families due to lack of job opportunities outside the city. I think my initial impressions of getting there were to be welcomed in open arms to the communal aspect of of Panamanian culture and my expectations were met. They always were feeding me good food and when I felt under the weather due to being in a different climate they helped me get nurtured back to health. In conclusion, even though I had visited the country before I think there are always new things to learn abroad and I feel like this third time I got even deeper into a vast iceberg.
