Looking back on my trip to Panama, I still can’t believe how many activities we fit into just one week. Some experiences were planned through our program, while others came together on our own, but all of them added something different to the trip. It never really felt repetitive. Instead, it always felt like we were seeing a different side of the country, whether that meant learning its history, exploring the city, or just spending time with each other in ways we did not expect.
Some of the most impactful experiences were the ones organized for us because they gave real context to everything we were seeing. Visiting the Panama Canal and watching the IMAX film helped me understand just how significant it is, not only to Panama but to global trade. Being there in person made it feel much more real than anything I had learned in a classroom.
I also had some solo time to visit the Panama Canal Museum as I walked around the Plaza de la Independencia, which added another layer of understanding about how the canal came to be and the United States’ role. Walking through Old Panama and spending time in Plaza de Francia made the history interactive and engaging. These were the moments that helped me understand Panama beyond just what I could see on the surface.
I love adrenaline, so some of the most fun came from the more active parts of the trip. We did an electric scooter tour through the city, which was one of the best ways to take everything in quickly on a high-energy group tour. There was also an urban zipline that pushed a lot of us out of our comfort zones, and a boat day that gave us a completely different view of the water and skyline. These experiences were less about learning in a traditional sense and more about being fully present and taking advantage of where we were.
What stood out the most, though, were the moments that were not planned in detail. We got a chance to see the undergraduate group of UA students at a rooftop salsa class that turned from just trying something new together to heading to a local salsa spot to test out our moves.
Another one of my favorite memories was teaching someone in our group how to swim at our hotel’s rooftop pool. It was such a simple moment, but it turned into something that felt really meaningful. Everyone in our group jumped in to help, sharing tips and figuring out different ways to teach her and we all had a lot of fun messing around with some of our free time.
We also spent time trying different foods, exploring the mall, and just walking around the city with no real plan. Those were the times when everything felt the most natural.
One experience that felt especially meaningful was our visit to Puru Biakiru. It gave a completely different perspective from everything else we did in the city districts. It slowed things down and allowed us to learn in a more personal way, seeing their dances and eating their traditional food. We heard about how their culture had changed over the years with tourism and the change in regulations for the land as we met members of the village and received traditional design patterns from the artists in the village. Being welcomed into that environment made it clear how important it is to understand and respect cultures beyond just observing them from the outside.
As is probably clear from the shear number of adventures in this blog post, it is hard to point to just one moment that defined the trip or even a favorite part. It was really the combination of everything that made the trip so perfect. The structured experiences gave us understanding, the more active ones gave us excitement, and the unplanned moments gave us connection. Together, they made the trip feel complete in a way that I do not think any single experience could have done on its own.