I would without a doubt say this entire trip had a huge impact on my perspective of humanity and our country. I have traveled to mini places around the world where people live a lot differently than we do here in America. However, I have never experienced such a unique place like the communities we visited in Panama.
As far as expectations went, I honestly could not tell you what it was I expected before traveling to the country. I did not know what to expect. When we landed in Panama City, my initial impressions was that I was expecting locals to have prejudice against foreigners. Being a place where tourism is very popular, I believed that many would have been annoyed by seeing so many tourists. However, they amount of honor, respect, and kindness that so many people shared with us blew me away. People cared about each other, and it was very obvious within this culture.
When traveling to the rural communities of Panama, my first impression was how simple these people lived. I expected that most people would not be very pleased to see foreigners come. into their small towns. However, like Panama City, everyone was treated so brotherly and with open arms. Kids loved to wave and start conversation, and everyone was so willing to speak with us. I believe they appreciated being able to show us their homes, and were proud of where they are from.
Overall, my initial impressions could have been based off of a mindset that we as American’s typically adopt. Strangers can be very rude in the United States, especially in bigger cities. People will make it very obvious if they are having a bad day. However, I was proven to be so wrong by the words and actions of the locals in Panama, even if they might have a lot less than we do as Americans. I think this provides a valuable lesson for us as Americans: that perspective is important, and how we act and treat people is a CHOICE based on how we decide to perceive our situations. Another valuable lesson: PERSPECTIVE is a choice. Our lives will take many different turns throughout the years; however, our attitude and what we make out of the situations we are in is what truly is important!
