As I sit from my dorm’s balcony, I cannot help but reflect on the time I have spent in Panama so far. When I arrived in Panama, I told myself to keep an open mind as I embarked on a new journey, and I believe that mindset has allowed myself to adapt to the new environment. My perspective began to shift as soon as I saw the city. I was amazed by how effortlessly nature and metropolitan life coexisted. It is vastly different than my hometown of Birmingham as well as other American cities I visited like New York City and Atlanta. Coming from American culture, I often find myself intrigued by everything new around me. Constantly asking questions and Googling enables me to learn more while I am in Panama while shedding my American bias. As I settled into the city, I noticed that I began to study the locals and their behavior. I started doing this because I truly believe in the saying “When in Rome, do as the Romans” which is a way to make it less obvious that I am a tourist but also to be respectful to the Panamanian customs. While in Panama, I have embraced the culture with an open mind. Although Panama shares many similarities with the US due to its history with American imperialism, Panama has a vibrant, unique culture that has left an impression on me. Some of the most obvious differences was the use of the metric system instead of the imperialism system which is standard in the US and how plantains are served with nearly every meal. However, the starkest differences were apparent when I and one of my peers had a conversation with two Panamanians named Santiago and Malachi. The four of us discussed our lives with each other and when the topic of soccer came up, I was completely lost. Of course, in Alabama, football is the most dominant sport while soccer is not as popular, and once I told my new acquaintances this, they were shocked. Before Panama, I understood soccer was popular in Latin America, but I never truly understood how much passion there is for the sport before talking to Santiago and Malachi with a group of Panamanian kids playing the game in the background. That conversation was a great experience in cultural exchange and how people in different places commune with each other.
