Thursday, February 28, 2013
Welcome Home!
It is Tuesday Night. I have now spent 3 full days in Santa Rita, and finally I am starting to feel at home. Had an absolutely wonderful day. Start to finish. Although I must admit that the start was a bit awkward - as things can sometimes be when trying to integrate into a new culture and family. But let me start in the beginning.
Sunday morning after a slightly exhausting week in “El Ciudad the Saber” or the “CIty of Knowledge” we were meeting one last time before heading out to move to our new families. Although there was very little to complain about while living there, it was nice to finally head out of the little bubble in which we were all living. We were all getting a bit of cabin fever. We all received information about our to-be host families that morning. My host family consisted of my dad who was 22 years old, my mom - 23, and my two little sisters - one 4 and the other one 1 year old. Interesting I thought to myself. I have NEVER dealt with kids that young, and the dynamics might also be interesting with the parents I thought to myself. But after some initial concern I got very excited. Young parents will hopefully mean that we have a lot in common and I will have the chance to become a lot more comfortable with the little one. With that attitude I packed my bags on the van and hopped on.
As we arrived to Santa Rita in our van of about 10 people I must admit that I was slightly confused. I was expecting a town in which poverty was very prominent. But that did not appear to be the case. At least not to the extent that I had imagined it. As the first volunteer was dropped off we were all shocked by the gorgeous yellow house with a beautiful garden. Second house got a very similar reaction from us. Now, the third house was magnificent and gated in. And here I was thinking that I would be “pooping in a hole” (I use this phrase to in short capture “harsh” living conditions as perceived by the first world). We then arrived to my house. Pool? Not to bad! I thought to myself. Please do not get confused, it is not some huge in-ground pool. It is an out of the ground pool primarily used by the children. However it is relatively big. At least 10 by 10 feet. Anyways, I was greeted by my mom with the baby in her arms. She seemed very sweet. She was very welcoming, cute and helpful, but also gave me my space and time to unpack and all. The two little girls were simply adorable! Apparently, Milagros, the 4 year old, was waiting all week for her new "hermanita" (little sister) to move in. :) TUESDAY
Today was not a typical day for me, but hopefully it will become the “typical” day because I will certainly be going to bed tonight with a smile on my face. I woke up this morning knowing that I would finally meet my “dad” today since he has his day off. However I did not think that I would meet him in the manner in which I did. After getting up at 7:15 and getting ready, I ate the delicious omelet that my mom prepared for me and went back to my room. As I left my room and walked over to Brittany who was standing in the kitchen ready to walk over to Spanish class with me, we ran into my dad. The 22 year old half asleep without a shirt on. All I can say is that it was definitely an awkward encounter. He did not seem very excited to see me. He did not say much. All probably because he was still half asleep and there were 2 gringas standing there in his house, whom he has never seen before. Brittany and I started giggling as soon as we got out of the house (Brittany is another trainee, her host parents are the parents of my host parents, and so we share a yard and many meals). I still don't know what the best thing would have been for me to do at the moment. It would have been weird for me to pass right by him with out acknowledging his presence, but at the same time it just wasn't a good time for me to shake his hand and introduce myself. I walked to class a little concerned this morning. The previous night I was so excited that I would finally get to spend some time with my “dad” tonight and get to know him, but now it wasn't looking too promising.
Spanish Class was wonderful, learned about the past tense, enjoyed the breeze and the landscape. I will soon post a picture of where my Spanish class takes place. Best classroom setting ever! No joke! I didn't even want a break which is surprising considering the fact that we were sitting there for 4 hours. Technical class which also lasts 4 hours went very well. I was actually wide awake for the full 4 hours. Finally I think my system is recovering! I was in a good mood all day and wanted to socialize. Which I didn't necessarily feel the need to do the past few days. When We returned from class we were excited to ask our families all about their families in order to draw the family tree for Spanish Class. When we arrived we found 2 empty houses. I lost all hope. I was looking forward to the night and speaking Spanish, and OF COURSE nobody was home I thought to myself. Then as I turned around a saw a Taxi pulling up. I knew it was my grandfather. I got soooo excited. As did Brittany. But as the car got closer we realized that it wasn't just my grandpa and her dad. It was EVERYONE. Like 8 people. Almost like a clown car :P It was my grandpa, my mom, my dad, one sister, the other sister, my moms friend, her husband, and their kid. As you can imagine, a huge smile appeared on my face. Before we knew it we were all in the kitchen/outside, chatting laughing, working on the family tree that I had to draw for homework. Then out of no where one of the men was holding an iguana and so then the iguana photo shoot began which turned into a family photo shoot. It was all a blast! I would say that that iguana made my day, but really my family made my day. It was so much fun that I almost didn't want to leave, but I promised some other volunteers that I would head down the hill to the other side of town with them after dinner. And before I even got to finish the dinner which came a lot later than expected because of all the family fun, Michael appeared in Brittany's house.
Before we knew it, we were off on our way and so began our next adventure. One thing I am learning here in Panama is that the activity planned isn't so much the main event of the night, as the gathering of the people for the activity is. It's funny because in training they keep telling us that the product of our work as Peace Corps Volunteers isn't as important as the process is (products might only be visible years after we are done with our service). Although that always made sense, now its really taking on a tangible definition I guess. The three of us went to get another volunteer. He however was eating dinner and so he couldn't come. But instead another volunteer joined us from our part of town. And so down the hill we ventured. As we were about to turn to walk down the street entering right into the other little neighborhood we saw a group of “gringos” and without a doubt it was our volunteers. So we went to find Mels house because we needed a guitar player to play along with the violin. But before we found Mels house we encountered another volunteer and then asked 2 more to join us from the street. As we entered the yard of one, they automatically started giving up their chairs to us. Very typical here. "Paseando" Is the most common past time here I think. It is simply the activity of passing by, or going from house to house and just sitting down and chatting. And so when you stop by someones house you will without a doubt be provided with a place to sit and maybe even a snack. Be ready to chat!
After a night of wonderful music and singing and just relaxing and laughing with a group of people of a similar mindset to my own I walked back to my place in a wonderful mood. It was a very eventful day. From a productive day in Spanish class to actually participating int he second class, to iguanas and full integration with the fam, and finally the relaxing to their soothing sound and a gorgeous moon slowly rising above us. "This is the life!" I thought to myself.
As Brittany and I got closer to our houses I realized that the music I heard, was still coming from our house. My guess was that the party was going on. Which wasn't too far off. Apparently it was just waiting for us to get to return. The five adults were still sitting on the porch just chit chatting as the bachata was blasting in the background. People here in town love to turn up their music as high as it goes so that basically the whole neighborhood can hear it. Unfortunately that also means that the people in the house cannot hear each other and so there is a lot of yelling over each other. One theory explaining this interesting phenomenon is that the families are proud of the electronics that they own and so they want to show them off to a degree. Another is that they simply love themselves some good music. Whatever the case may be, my family loves to blast bachata, salsa, and musica tipica (Panamanian typical music with accordions and all) all of which I enjoy, so I usually have no problem with this.
Back to my story - So as I returned home, I found them all there. Before I knew it we were dancing salsa and bachata on the porch. They wanted to see if I in fact can dance salsa like I said I could. Although the style of dancing here is a bit different here, they were all very impressed and said that I do not need any lessons. :) Quite the compliment. We even danced to the musica tipica, and they said that apparently I’ve got some Panamanian blood in me. Yay! I am officially part of the family! Good stuff!
Saturday, February 23, 2013
¿Qué hora es? Teléfonos Mágicos y Compañeros Simpáticos
¿Qué hora es? Teléfonos mágicos y compañeros simpáticos
And so my first silly adventure in Panama just took place. Apparently Panama likes to play little jokes on people as a form of initiation. But before I begin my long story let me provide some background.
In the past few days I have no sense of time. I barely know what day it is. And sleep, its almost like a forgotten activity of another life of mine. On Tuesday morning while still in Chicago I went to bed at midnight after a long day of packing. After only 3 hours of sleep I woke up to throw some last few things in my carry one and get dressed to leave for the airport. After landing in Washington DC at 10am my lovely new friend and fellow peace corps volunteer Keara picked me up from the airport with her very sweet sister. After a quick lunch we went straight back to the hotel for registration and meetings and a few errands to run. That night I slept from 11:00p, to 3:00am if I remember correctly. After a flight to Miami and then another here to Panama City it was about 3:00pm when arrived. That night I went to bed at about 9:30 but unfortunately could not fall asleep for hours probably from over exhaustion. I do not think I feel asleep until about 2:30 and I had to wake up at 6:30. The next day I finally was able to get some sleep. Probably at least a whole 7 hours. But compared to the 8 - 9 that I slept every night my last 2 weeks in Chicago, it just didnt even compare.
The point of providing you with a pretty thorough outline of my sleep schedule is to give you an idea of A) how exhausted I am and B) to show how out of my element I am since I normally go to bed at about 2am and get up at 10am.
Last night was our first day venturing out of our little safe bubble here in Panama. During pre training service/ or orientation we live in a little neighborhood where many international government agencies have their offices/housing. Its a very nice place with nice little apartment style housing with 6 people per apartment, and lots of outdoor amenities like a nice pool into which we hopped in on the first night. However after nonstop classroom orientation for 8 hours a day this nice little place can get a little stuffy. Hence why we were so excited to go to the Albrook Mall for dinner last night. I had one main goal while at the mall to buy a cellphone. No worries, I am not spoiling myself here, we are required to get one at some point anyways, so I figure why not now while I am still in the city. Plus it will be nice to contact my parents once in a while to let them know that yes, I am still alive.
Obtaining the phone was an adventure in itself. I learned from previous volunteers that a dual sim card phone is the way to go. That way I can switch providers for just one dollar if my site ends up being in a place that doesnt have service from the other. Let me tell you, it is not so easy to make sure that you are getting the right thing when everyone just wants to cell you their phone. However, third time was the charm and after some running back and forth between stores to buy the phone at one and put money on it at another I finally had my highlighter green phone for $30. (Also I gained a bit confidence in Spanish speaking skills along the way, which I have been questioning a bit lately as I compared mine to some of the amazing Spanish speakers in this group). That night after setting the phone up, time date, and alarm for next morning, I gave my dad a call and went to bed at 10:30 after a long day of 13 hours of activities. Excited about our field trip to a current volunteers site, and not so excited about waking up at 5:25 to make it to our bus which was leaving at 6am I finally fell asleep.
AND SO THE REAL STORY BEGINS
My alarm on my phone goes off. I look at my phone. 5:25. Ah... why???? This is torture I think to myself. I lay there for a few minutes and finally decided to get up. I grab all my stuff and go to the bathroom that I share with my roommate in order not to wake her up (her group doesn’t have to leave until an hour and a half after us. As I get ready I think to myself how lucky the rest of the girls in my apartment are that they get to “sleep in”. I look at my phone 5:50, I should probably head out soon. I double check to make sure that I have everything in my little backpack. Sunscreen, water, camera, mosquito repellent just in case. Ok lets do this! 5:56 I grab my phone in my hand and I leave my little apartment. Yeah this place is very safe, but its still very dark out, and I don’t know this place well enough just yet. I shut the door behind me, check to make sure it locked. Ok I am good to go. I look around, the streets are empty. The air feels so nice at this hour. the perfect temperature. I feel the breeze against my face. Lovely. As I take a few steps I wonder where the rest of my group of about 20 is. But then I hear some voice coming from the direction I’m walking in and it calms my concerns. Soon enough though I find out its a bunch of people hanging out across the street at one of the apartments. “Weird” I think to myself, “these people definitely know how to party late, or early should I say”. I keep walking forward hoping that they dont bother me. As I walk towards our meeting spot where our bus is supposed to wait for us I can now see that there is no bus.....ok things are getting a bit too strange for me now. I start to question what time it really is. “Should it be bright out by now? I mean I dont really know. I’ve never been up at this hour in Panama.” After walking the whole length of the street ( I live in the last building) I now am positive that there is no bus, and that this night/morning is some funny joke. No bus. No people. Just me and a lot of questions. I look down at my phone 5:59. “Lies!!!” I think. sigh. I decide to head back to my building but first I decide to take out my key card, so that I can get in quickly without any of these partying folk bothering me. As a start to walk with my water bottle, bag, key, and cell phone in hand I feel like I drop something. But I didn't hear or see anything fall. As I walk up to my door I see that there is no key in my hand, nor bag. “Ah, just my luck! Did I even ever have it in my hand? Am I going crazy? Man, this will be one story to tell.” So now as I stand in front of the front door I know that my only option is too knock. I don't even want to go and try to find the key card alone in the dark in the middle of the street right by all those possibly drunk people. So I knock on the door once. Then again. I realize that this may never work because my roommates will probably never hear it, and even if they do they will probably be freaked out. I knock once more. No luck. Ok time for the windows. I knock on the window of one room. I knock again. At this point I am just laughing at myself. Literally laughing out loud. Oh how great of a plot this is for a horror movie I think to myself a little nervously. Ok next window here we go. Last chance? I knock twice. I wait. Ah ha! And so the front door finally opens and I quickly walk over to it. Four of my roommates quickly gather and stand there very confused as I ask what time it is. 2:30 they respond. I just laugh and show them my phone.
Don’t trust the highlighter green phone. Lesson learned. You may have won this one Panama, but next time I will be prepared and check all my other devices with times as well!
Now for that key card.....
And so my first silly adventure in Panama just took place. Apparently Panama likes to play little jokes on people as a form of initiation. But before I begin my long story let me provide some background.
In the past few days I have no sense of time. I barely know what day it is. And sleep, its almost like a forgotten activity of another life of mine. On Tuesday morning while still in Chicago I went to bed at midnight after a long day of packing. After only 3 hours of sleep I woke up to throw some last few things in my carry one and get dressed to leave for the airport. After landing in Washington DC at 10am my lovely new friend and fellow peace corps volunteer Keara picked me up from the airport with her very sweet sister. After a quick lunch we went straight back to the hotel for registration and meetings and a few errands to run. That night I slept from 11:00p, to 3:00am if I remember correctly. After a flight to Miami and then another here to Panama City it was about 3:00pm when arrived. That night I went to bed at about 9:30 but unfortunately could not fall asleep for hours probably from over exhaustion. I do not think I feel asleep until about 2:30 and I had to wake up at 6:30. The next day I finally was able to get some sleep. Probably at least a whole 7 hours. But compared to the 8 - 9 that I slept every night my last 2 weeks in Chicago, it just didnt even compare.
The point of providing you with a pretty thorough outline of my sleep schedule is to give you an idea of A) how exhausted I am and B) to show how out of my element I am since I normally go to bed at about 2am and get up at 10am.
Last night was our first day venturing out of our little safe bubble here in Panama. During pre training service/ or orientation we live in a little neighborhood where many international government agencies have their offices/housing. Its a very nice place with nice little apartment style housing with 6 people per apartment, and lots of outdoor amenities like a nice pool into which we hopped in on the first night. However after nonstop classroom orientation for 8 hours a day this nice little place can get a little stuffy. Hence why we were so excited to go to the Albrook Mall for dinner last night. I had one main goal while at the mall to buy a cellphone. No worries, I am not spoiling myself here, we are required to get one at some point anyways, so I figure why not now while I am still in the city. Plus it will be nice to contact my parents once in a while to let them know that yes, I am still alive.
Obtaining the phone was an adventure in itself. I learned from previous volunteers that a dual sim card phone is the way to go. That way I can switch providers for just one dollar if my site ends up being in a place that doesnt have service from the other. Let me tell you, it is not so easy to make sure that you are getting the right thing when everyone just wants to cell you their phone. However, third time was the charm and after some running back and forth between stores to buy the phone at one and put money on it at another I finally had my highlighter green phone for $30. (Also I gained a bit confidence in Spanish speaking skills along the way, which I have been questioning a bit lately as I compared mine to some of the amazing Spanish speakers in this group). That night after setting the phone up, time date, and alarm for next morning, I gave my dad a call and went to bed at 10:30 after a long day of 13 hours of activities. Excited about our field trip to a current volunteers site, and not so excited about waking up at 5:25 to make it to our bus which was leaving at 6am I finally fell asleep.
AND SO THE REAL STORY BEGINS
My alarm on my phone goes off. I look at my phone. 5:25. Ah... why???? This is torture I think to myself. I lay there for a few minutes and finally decided to get up. I grab all my stuff and go to the bathroom that I share with my roommate in order not to wake her up (her group doesn’t have to leave until an hour and a half after us. As I get ready I think to myself how lucky the rest of the girls in my apartment are that they get to “sleep in”. I look at my phone 5:50, I should probably head out soon. I double check to make sure that I have everything in my little backpack. Sunscreen, water, camera, mosquito repellent just in case. Ok lets do this! 5:56 I grab my phone in my hand and I leave my little apartment. Yeah this place is very safe, but its still very dark out, and I don’t know this place well enough just yet. I shut the door behind me, check to make sure it locked. Ok I am good to go. I look around, the streets are empty. The air feels so nice at this hour. the perfect temperature. I feel the breeze against my face. Lovely. As I take a few steps I wonder where the rest of my group of about 20 is. But then I hear some voice coming from the direction I’m walking in and it calms my concerns. Soon enough though I find out its a bunch of people hanging out across the street at one of the apartments. “Weird” I think to myself, “these people definitely know how to party late, or early should I say”. I keep walking forward hoping that they dont bother me. As I walk towards our meeting spot where our bus is supposed to wait for us I can now see that there is no bus.....ok things are getting a bit too strange for me now. I start to question what time it really is. “Should it be bright out by now? I mean I dont really know. I’ve never been up at this hour in Panama.” After walking the whole length of the street ( I live in the last building) I now am positive that there is no bus, and that this night/morning is some funny joke. No bus. No people. Just me and a lot of questions. I look down at my phone 5:59. “Lies!!!” I think. sigh. I decide to head back to my building but first I decide to take out my key card, so that I can get in quickly without any of these partying folk bothering me. As a start to walk with my water bottle, bag, key, and cell phone in hand I feel like I drop something. But I didn't hear or see anything fall. As I walk up to my door I see that there is no key in my hand, nor bag. “Ah, just my luck! Did I even ever have it in my hand? Am I going crazy? Man, this will be one story to tell.” So now as I stand in front of the front door I know that my only option is too knock. I don't even want to go and try to find the key card alone in the dark in the middle of the street right by all those possibly drunk people. So I knock on the door once. Then again. I realize that this may never work because my roommates will probably never hear it, and even if they do they will probably be freaked out. I knock once more. No luck. Ok time for the windows. I knock on the window of one room. I knock again. At this point I am just laughing at myself. Literally laughing out loud. Oh how great of a plot this is for a horror movie I think to myself a little nervously. Ok next window here we go. Last chance? I knock twice. I wait. Ah ha! And so the front door finally opens and I quickly walk over to it. Four of my roommates quickly gather and stand there very confused as I ask what time it is. 2:30 they respond. I just laugh and show them my phone.
Don’t trust the highlighter green phone. Lesson learned. You may have won this one Panama, but next time I will be prepared and check all my other devices with times as well!
Now for that key card.....
Friday, February 8, 2013
Intro to My Blog
It is a Friday night, one of my last here in Chicago before I leave to Panama to begin my Peace Corps adventure. Unfortunately I am not out and about tonight seeing everyone that I will miss dearly, but that's ok. I have 10 more nights to do that :) Tonight I am sitting in my cozy bed getting a few last things completed, like finally starting this blog. I have never been big on blogging so this will be interesting, but for those who know me well, I love to ramble about all the little things that happen to me so this should actually work out quite well for me.
Although I am not yet certain how often I will have internet access in Panama, I have a feeling that this will be the best way for me to communicate with everyone, and that really is the primary purpose of this blog. If one day this blog happens to help another volunteer prepare for his/her adventure, wonderful! But for now my audience is my group of close friends. If you are wondering if I am still alive or not, this is the place to go! Unfortunately, considering that I will probably post once a month, you will often have to wait in suspense to find out the answer. Enjoy :) If you are wondering how many new insect friends I have made and photographed, this is also the place to go! And if you are interested to hear about how many insects decided that I was not their friend but instead their meal, you will certainly hear about it here! My only fear is that the only thing that can beat my Ecuadorian tarantula bite story, is a scorpion bite story( and yes I am aware that these are not insects but instead arachnids, but you all get the point). Either way I sure hope I will at no point be writing that story.
I know a blog is not very personal, but I doubt that I will be able have enough time to email everyone separately when I do finally get to an internet cafe once or twice a month. However, that does not mean that you should not email me. On the contrary, I actually really hope that all of you email me often to update me on your lives. If not an email, than I at least expect some comments and some feedback on my posts :P I know its easy to quickly read my blog and go back to your busy lives assuming that I obviously know you all read it. However, I have a feeling that when being completely thrown in a new environment, and basically having all of my closest friends and family ripped out of my life, it will be comforting to hear once in a while how things are back here, in this crazy rushed world of ours that so many of us often thrive on (myself included). So please make the effort to stay in touch. This brings me to my last topic of this already lengthy introductory post, the title.
As I sat here thinking about a title for my blog I considered the purpose of this blog which is to keep you all informed about what I am up to while in Panama, and in the process help everyone understand a bit more of what the Peace Corps service can really be like. It is true, every volunteer has a very different experience. However, I do think that there are also many shared experiences. When I decided to apply for the Peace Corps I realized that neither I nor many of my friends really knew what service is like. We all have our ideas and maybe preconceptions. Some think its just a 2 year long vacation and an easy route out when you don't know what to do with yourself after graduation. Others think it is the most dedicated ambitious and altruistic commitment that one can participate in. I suppose both of those can be true depending on the person and what they make of the experience. All returned peace corps volunteers (RPCV's) say "It is the toughest job you will ever love." There is no doubt in my mind that some of the challenges that I will face will be different from any others that I have previously faced, and it will be difficult for me to find new strategies to overcome or cope with these foreign obstacles. Nonetheless, I do believe that it will be a rewarding experience and one that I will love, although at moments I may struggle.
Paradise is often defined as "A place of extreme beauty or pure happiness; bliss". Our society often associates this with an escape from the problems we face --> therefore with vacation ----> hence why islands and tropical places are considered "Paradise". At least that is my take on things. I do not think that Panama is a place of "pure happiness" and I do not think that I will experience pure happiness while I am there. But I do believe that the variation in my experiences while I am there will allow me to gain an appreciation for an endless amount of things, and to me that may serve as my own personal paradise. It will hopefully also allow others to get a bit of a better glimpse into this "tropical paradise".
Enjoy!
Although I am not yet certain how often I will have internet access in Panama, I have a feeling that this will be the best way for me to communicate with everyone, and that really is the primary purpose of this blog. If one day this blog happens to help another volunteer prepare for his/her adventure, wonderful! But for now my audience is my group of close friends. If you are wondering if I am still alive or not, this is the place to go! Unfortunately, considering that I will probably post once a month, you will often have to wait in suspense to find out the answer. Enjoy :) If you are wondering how many new insect friends I have made and photographed, this is also the place to go! And if you are interested to hear about how many insects decided that I was not their friend but instead their meal, you will certainly hear about it here! My only fear is that the only thing that can beat my Ecuadorian tarantula bite story, is a scorpion bite story( and yes I am aware that these are not insects but instead arachnids, but you all get the point). Either way I sure hope I will at no point be writing that story.
I know a blog is not very personal, but I doubt that I will be able have enough time to email everyone separately when I do finally get to an internet cafe once or twice a month. However, that does not mean that you should not email me. On the contrary, I actually really hope that all of you email me often to update me on your lives. If not an email, than I at least expect some comments and some feedback on my posts :P I know its easy to quickly read my blog and go back to your busy lives assuming that I obviously know you all read it. However, I have a feeling that when being completely thrown in a new environment, and basically having all of my closest friends and family ripped out of my life, it will be comforting to hear once in a while how things are back here, in this crazy rushed world of ours that so many of us often thrive on (myself included). So please make the effort to stay in touch. This brings me to my last topic of this already lengthy introductory post, the title.
As I sat here thinking about a title for my blog I considered the purpose of this blog which is to keep you all informed about what I am up to while in Panama, and in the process help everyone understand a bit more of what the Peace Corps service can really be like. It is true, every volunteer has a very different experience. However, I do think that there are also many shared experiences. When I decided to apply for the Peace Corps I realized that neither I nor many of my friends really knew what service is like. We all have our ideas and maybe preconceptions. Some think its just a 2 year long vacation and an easy route out when you don't know what to do with yourself after graduation. Others think it is the most dedicated ambitious and altruistic commitment that one can participate in. I suppose both of those can be true depending on the person and what they make of the experience. All returned peace corps volunteers (RPCV's) say "It is the toughest job you will ever love." There is no doubt in my mind that some of the challenges that I will face will be different from any others that I have previously faced, and it will be difficult for me to find new strategies to overcome or cope with these foreign obstacles. Nonetheless, I do believe that it will be a rewarding experience and one that I will love, although at moments I may struggle.
Paradise is often defined as "A place of extreme beauty or pure happiness; bliss". Our society often associates this with an escape from the problems we face --> therefore with vacation ----> hence why islands and tropical places are considered "Paradise". At least that is my take on things. I do not think that Panama is a place of "pure happiness" and I do not think that I will experience pure happiness while I am there. But I do believe that the variation in my experiences while I am there will allow me to gain an appreciation for an endless amount of things, and to me that may serve as my own personal paradise. It will hopefully also allow others to get a bit of a better glimpse into this "tropical paradise".
Enjoy!
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