Happy New Year! Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to keep writing. "Change" seems to be the word of the year already; with a new presidency and a crisis to face, change seem less scary and more necessary. Change can be exciting, and I'm looking forward to facing another year of personal transitions. In order to move forward, I'm going to give 2008 the credit it's due, then move on, using some resolutions as a guide.
2008 Highlights
1. Summiting Volcan Baru, the highest point in Panama, on January 1st, 2008 (Summit, Volcan Baru)!
2. In February, enjoying the "summer"; taking trips to Punta Burica and Las Islas Paridas (Isla Gamez, Paridas, and me at Punta Burica).
3. Celebrating La Semana Santa in my site (My "abuela", Ida, making bollos asados!!!)
4. Roxy's wedding and my visit to the States (beautiful Roxy and Stew in West Orange, NJ)!
5. Hanging out with the new Volunteers during cultural week in Palmira Abajo (Learning about local plant life during a "garden" tour)!
6. The first annual Chiriqui Panama Verde camp, Alto Boquete.
7. Helping translate at Arisia's eye clinic in Santa Fe, Veraguas (Brianna, Holly and I).
8. Group 57 COS fiestas: the party bus.
9. Running the marathon in Panama City (Adelier, Marcial and I).
10. Visiting almost all the Chiriqui Volunteers, and helping Kalli build her mud house (men mixing the mud, Bajo Solis)
11. And finally, coming back home to enjoy the holidays with my family! (Christmas dinner) \
Obviously, 2008 was a great year. I look forward to more adventures in Panama in 2009, and embarking on a new adventure in a grad school somewhere in the US of A in August. Location: TBA. I've loved getting intimate with the country of Panama, and I'm excited to build on the knowledge and experience I've gained during Peace Corps during grad school. Hopefully, I will be studying business and the environment at one of the five schools I've applied to (could be CA, CT or MI).
As I move forward with 2009, writing in this blog will help me to accomplish one of my resolutions:
1. Be communicative
1.1 Answer emails as soon as they are received
1.2 Make more phone calls
1.3 Write: blogs, letters, emails, etc.
2. Be positive
2.1 Learn from mistakes, move on
2.2 Dwell on the positives
3. Explore, with an open mind, as much as possible!
By writing these resolutions, I'll now have to be accountable for them! I wish everyone the best this coming year, and look forward to catching up with your journeys.
