Mental health is important, and in a new, foreign environment perhaps more difficult to maintain than under "normal" circumstances. Every couple of weeks my fellow Chiriquí volunteers and I get together to share stories, speak English and bounce ideas off of each other. These reunions are, of course, strategically planned to be located in interesting areas. The city of David is not so fascinating to me anymore, but our home base city was fun to explore during our first get-together. Playa Las Lajas is known as one of the most beautiful and best surfing beaches in the country, so in order to fully be knowledgable about our region of Panama, we had to visit this place as well. Boquete (aka "Gringotown") was a great escape into the mountains for some cooler weather and great coffee.

This past weekend, our group ventured to Isla Boca Brava, an island situated in the Golfo de Chiriquí. The islands in the area are densly forested and vibrant with life. It turned out to be the most nature-filled weekend any of us have yet experienced. One morning, we woke up to a group of howler monkeys climbing over our cabaña. That day, on an excursion to a white-sanded island (pictured above), we oohed and aahed over a humpback whale that glided nearby our boat. While on the island, a group of these whales breached repeatedly in a breathtaking show. I explored the coral reef nearby, a shelf dominated by P. damnicornis coral and small, brightly-colored reef fishes.

These outings are a terrific way to get to know the area as well as develop a vital support structure of friends for the next two years. Each leaves my spirit lighter and more uplifted and my mind filled with images of paradise. Anyone up for a visit to Panama?