programa

Written on Friday, February 21^th.

As I write this, I am covered with salt. Why? Because I went snorkeling this morning! And since we are only allotted one shower a day, I am not going to waste it in case I plan to jump in the ocean a little later. What a life. I am so thankful that I can be here having this experience.

They keep us quite busy and this is my first afternoon off all week. Our schedule changes from day to day (although it always begins at 7am) and involves lectures, field excursions, and other activities in local communities. The agenda is constantly in flux and often the plans keep changing up to an hour before the activity. They say we are learning how to “live in the field” and I believe them but sometimes it is hard especially when we don’t know when our assignments are due.

Every Tuesday and Thursday we have Spanish class for 4 hours. Our last session is this coming Tuesday. The best part about it is that we take a boat to class since it is on a neighboring island. I love the boat rides. Not only are the views always gorgeous but it is so pleasant to sit there and enjoy the fresh ocean air blowing in my face.

My friend Tara enjoying a boat ride.

Sundays are our only day off from scheduled program time and also the only day we have to cook food for ourselves (aka scavenging for leftovers). Some people go into Bocas town on Isla Colon but so far my Sundays have consisted mostly of relaxing, baking, running/swimming, and attempting to get a head start on homework.

A strawberry poison dart frog I saw on a run.

Token Rhinoceros beetle.

introducción

Each of us is hurled

Into a great big world

What you do

Is up to you

Your path to be unfurled

Today marks the first full week I have been here on Isla Solarte! I am finding it harder than expected to write about my time here. First, it is difficult to express experiences to those who are unfamiliar with the location and the people I am surrounded by. Second, so much has happened since we arrived that I don’t know where to begin. Third, we have been kept so busy lately it is challenging to find time to put my thoughts into words. So, I will start with some introductions.

This is the building that we eat, sleep, and hangout in.

This is the beautiful (and sometimes distracting) view from our outdoor classroom.

This is our dock which has a swimming area next to us that we can use whenever we want.

We also have a resident pig that eats the scraps from all our meals.

Within walking distance from our comfy abode, there are two small villages (cleverly named Solate1 and Solarte2). Through the forested hills of the island wind hiking trails, remnants of the thankfully no longer existent plan to develop the island with luxury homes. The wildlife we see consists mainly of birds but there are also small frogs that hop ahead of us on paths, geckos that live in the walls, and a multitude of insects. Fortunately, there are very few mosquitos which eases my fear of getting dengue or malaria. However the chitras (sandflies) that have taken a liking to my arms and legs have the potential of transmitting leishmaniasis.

Bonus Photos of the Panama Canal!

Canal de Panamá

Our first two days in Panama we stayed in Gamboa, a town close to the canal and about 40 min away from Panama City. We spent time hiking, playing games, listening to a few introductory lectures, and going through orientation. The group of students is great. We are all different (as was expected) but it is neat to be surrounded by people who I know are also passionate about the environment and the nature that surrounds us.

On Wednesday, we learned about the history of Panama before heading into Panama City for lunch and a walking tour. Then we went to the Panama Canal! We stopped at one of the sets of locks and timed it perfectly to watch a cruise ship slowly squeeze through. There was also a museum there where we were able to learn about the process of building the canal and the plans they have for its future.

On Thursday we finally headed to our permanent temporary home in Bocas del Toro. After a 4am start to the day, we boarded a small plane that amazingly carried us and all our luggage to our destination. The views from the plane were gorgeous as we flew over the archipelago. A boat took us from Isla Colon to Isla Solarte where we are living.

We are now in the process of settling in and figuring out the rhythm of life here on the island. I am enjoying the sounds that surround us and how they change throughout the day. One of my favorite parts is that all our water is collected from the rain. It is filtered and held in a tank under the building we live in. I think it is neat to have such an obvious example of how we are directly relying on the environment to provide for us.

comienza

My adventure has begun! It was hard to say goodbye to family and friends but by the time I left Monday morning I was excited and more than ready to go. I thought I would be posting this earlier but I have not had internet access. And thus here is my first blog post.

At first I was uncertain about starting a blog. As I thought about it, I decided I would for several reasons:

1) I hope it serves as an exercise in articulation for me. In my opinion, I am not very good at expressing my experiences and thoughts in a clear, meaningful way.

2) No one is forced to read it so it is not a waste of anyone’s time.

3) It will provide me an opportunity to reflect on my experiences and thus hopefully gain/learn more from them.

4) Maybe, if people read it, I won’t have to tell the same stories 30 times when I get home (although I doubt it and I will be more than happy to talk to people when I return).

5) There may be a few people out there (in addition to my parents) who want to hear about my adventures and this is the best way for me to keep them up to date with all that happens. A pamphlet I received from my school’s study abroad office states that a blog will “increase their [aka your] understanding of the world as it really is – making you [meaning me] an agent of change.” I don’t expect to live up to that but one can hope.

The next step, coming up with a title, proved to be difficult. Due to my lack of creativity and the massive number of blog domains already used, I finally settled on un malabarismo (a balancing act). This does have some sort of significance (which I may discuss in some later post) but mostly I just liked how the word sounded.

In case you don’t know much about what I am doing (I don’t really either), I am studying abroad in Panama for three months with the School for Field Studies. For most of the time we will be living on Isla Solarte in the Bocas del Toro province. Our group of 18 college students from around the U.S. (none of whom I know) will be doing field research and taking courses with 3 professors. The focus of the program is to learn about topical ecosystems and how they can be sustainably managed while considering all the socioeconomic pressures in the region.

Now I will go write my next post (which will actually tell you something about my time here).