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.