Things I will always remember fondly

-The amount of people in my town that have said I was like a daughter to them.

-Having a Panamanian goddaughter

-Being with my (short-lived) girl scouts group, and looking up to see 5 toucans in a tree in my yard. One girl proudly informed me the toucans were here because they knew I was an environmentalist and they were safe here.

-After two days waiting around Panama City for my friends to come from the U.S. and they missed their flight with Delta. I got a call from my friend, and she told me to just come back. I was all distraught, and said, “but its 7pm, I’ll get into David at like 2 am.” Her dad drove down to David to pick me up at the bus station, and let me know that I was like family to them, and just like they would pick up their own daughters at 2 am, they would do it for me.

-My counterpart told me she’s never asked me for a picture, because she knows I’ll come back after I leave. I told her I’d still give her a picture, so she can remember me young, beautiful, and skinny.

-Interacting with people from other communities or areas and hearing them say they want to take me with them.

-My first birthday in Panama, during training. My host mom made a big dinner and bought a cake. Later that night, a few other volunteers showed up with a guitar to sing me Happy Birthday.

another Peace Corps moment

Another typical Panama story. My dog got hit by a car a few months ago. She was bloody, cut up,couldn't walk, and I really thought she was going to die. A couple days after the accident, she was alive but suffering. While talking with a neighbor, someone else stopped by in their car, and heard about her as well. All of them starting mentioning medicinal plants that I could use. When I later arrived at my house, this is what greeted me…



Yep, the guy had gone, found the necessary plant, cut me off the branches, and left me the instructions. I used it (as well as some penicillin). My dog limps, but she’s alive and kicking!

Peace Corps moment

Here’s a story that I like to share. It happened when I had only been in my community less than a month. I had met a few ladies from a small town up the mountain who had invited me to come to a Bingo they were putting on that Sunday. (Bingo is super popular is Panama). I told them I’d like to come, but I’d never been to the community and wasn’t sure how to get there. A few days later, an older gentlemen, who was kind of my neighbor, I think, asked if I was going to go to the Bingo the next day. I told him that I wanted to, but I didn’t know the road, or how long it would take to walk, or if there was a bus. He told me, “Don’t worry, we’ll arrange some transportation to take you.” I said that’d be great, and I’d be ready the next day at noon.
The next day, I got back from working tilling ground and planting yucca, and started cleaning up quickly to be ready. I heard the guy call from out the door, and I walked out to find him on his horse, asking if I was ready. I looked around for the truck, but said, sure. He asked if I’d ever ridden a horse, which I have. He just said, “great, I got an umbrella in case it rains, let’s go!” He meant…me and him sharing the same horse! Well, I couldn’t say no…So, I got on the saddle, and he got on behind me (by the way, he’s like 70 and maybe 5 ft tall). We then rode through town, every town member pointing and laughing at me. At least I was in front, so I could just laugh at myself without him seeing.
I later found out the word got out real fast about my ride. The next day, at the small town store, the owner told me, “Abby, next time you need to go somewhere on a horse, I have one I can loan you!”