Since coming back from Panama, I have done tons of retrospection on an extremely enjoyable and educational journey. Two of my biggest lessons in Panama were about the importance of teamwork and the lack of career switch abilities in rural Panama.
After my time in Panama, I have a much deeper appreciation for the importance of teamwork. It has often been said there is no “I” in team. However, many of us often have visions or ideas that may be a little different than the opinion of a teammate. The best way to resolve these issues is to first understand everyone’s perspective. I have learned that there are often many viewpoints or observations I may not have initially considered. It is important to take advantage of having multiple minds working on a task instead of just one. It’s usually best to find a compromise that takes the best parts of everyone’s contribution. It’s more than okay not to always be right! What’s important is being unified as team.
Another lesson I learned in Panama was the lack of job availability for many of the rural Panamanians. A lot of them had worked in the same industry for their entire life, so they had only developed a skill set for one or two careers. Even when their industry wasn’t doing well, they still could not switch to a more lucrative industry. This restricted the decisions they could make, and I realized how much more fortunate I was. Americans can often switch careers or companies when certain things don’t work out, but this is decidedly not an option for many rural Panamanians. Despite these challenges, rural Panamanians are tenacious. They always had a very upbeat positive attitude. I cannot recall hearing a single complaint. This trip has motivated me to take more responsibility in my life, as people much less fortunate than me still did not complain.
I thoroughly enjoyed my trip in Panama, and it has changed my perspective.
