Where do I pick up? Training has been full steam ahead since we got here. Every Monday, we travel to the Peace Corps office which is right off the canal. During the week, we have self-facilitated language practice for an hour, then Spanish class for three hours in the morning, lunch (where I’ll take a siesta in the hammock), and then more sessions in the afternoon until 5pm.
I think I am gaining the trust of my host family. Luckily, I have a granddaughter that I like to play fútbol, card games, and magic tricks with. She helps me learn new words and corrects my grammar. The Spanish is overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time. Most of the time, I want to articulate a thought or explain an event and the words stumble out of my mouth. Other times, I’ll be able to understand someone if they’re talking slowly and can hold my ground through a conversation.
A few weekends ago, we traveled to Panamá City to practice using different forms of public transportation. I was definitely nervous about being able to ask if we’re going in the right direction, paying a fair wage, and feeling safe. Needless to say, it was very smooth and simple. There is only one main road throughout the country and it’s the Pan-American Highway. The buses are very safe and usually have loud music playing. So, the worst thing that could happen is to get on a bus that goes in the opposite direction.
Going into the city was a scavenger hunt competition between the YLD (youth leadership development) and SABIA (youth health) sectors. Once we got to the city, we bought metro passes to go find a hostel, various markets, and a hospital. Familiarizing myself with the city and some landmarks was very helpful and less daunting than I made it out to be. In the end, we, YLD, crushed SABIA. After, a small group of us went to Casco Antiguo for lunch and it was absolutely beautiful! The colors and architecture reminded me of the French Quarter in New Orleans.
This past weekend, I visited a volunteer, Seamus, up in the mountains of Veraguas. He has been in the Peace Corps for a year and is working in the same sector as I will be. He’s also a fellow Colorado native! To be able to ask him questions and pick his brain on his experience so far was extremely helpful. We talked about challenges, mindset, taking care of yourself first so that you can be a better volunteer to your community, making authentic relationships, sicknesses, and so much more. I felt like we were talking the entire trip, always having more to say or ask.
On the first day, we visited the school he works in. It is a smaller school that provides education through middle school. The school just invested in a new greenhouse where Seamus wants to start a club for the kids to learn more about plants. We went on a little hike which was absolutely beautiful. The pine trees surprised me and were a nice reminder of home. The language fatigue hit me like a train. When we got back from the hike, it was only 2pm and I was ready to go to bed. I took a nice nap and recouped my energy.
One of the neighbors has a complete organic farm that we were able to tour: passion fruit, corn, avocados, limes, lemons, pineapples, mint, yuca, potatoes, and so many more crops. The farm was hidden in the jungle on the side of the mountain. Nothing like I’ve seen before, the plants were scattered everywhere which created a strong symbiotic relationship for wildlife, plants, and the soil.
This trip was incredibly eye-opening. I was able to contextualize what we’re talking about in training and see how it can be applied in a community. Out of anything so far, talking to Seamus, seeing his community, and meeting people will be something I will lean on when I start my service.