Since our return from Panama, I have had the opportunity to reflect a lot upon my experience abroad. In my opinion, the biggest contrast between people in the U.S. and people in rural Panama is one’s outlook on life. Panamanians tend to dedicate a lot of time to their families and find joy in what they do. Additionally, the residents of El Membrillo and Altos del Coco lacked so many basic resources, yet they always maintained a positive attitude and made the most out of every opportunity; it was beautiful to see how the people of these communities smile in the face of adversity. Visiting with them made me understand the significance of mindsets. This abroad experience was truly enlightening as it made me realize that there is so much more to life when you slow down and appreciate the things around you. Experiencing first-hand some of their daily struggles definitely gave me a new perspective on life. Although our initial impression on this brigade was “what can we teach our clients about business?”, I think there were also countless lessons they taught us without even knowing it.
