Sooo, it is 2014. January. Wicked winter in Ohio, Summertime in Panamá. The last few months of
2013 rolled right on by. November was
filled with various magical adventures with Kristin and many celebrations for
Panamanian and U.S. holidays alike. I spent two solid weeks rambling around the
frozen Midwest for Christmas and New Year’s, spending time with loved ones and
homies. So much good food and beer. Netflix. Blankets. Corduroys and Christmas
sweaters. College Football. High School Hoops…Amurica was gooood.
And then I woke up in Panama. Many times during my trip home
I felt that Panama had been a dream; it was so easy to slip comfortably back
into the flow in the States (during the holidays at least). Definitely some
strange transitions there.
Taking my first steps on U.S. soil, walking through the
Atlanta airport in my cutarras on my feet and my chakara hanging at my side, a
Qdoba burrito was the only thing in between me and my flight to Detroit, my
family, many reunions of epic proportions, (epic portions too, I might add) of
food craft beer… I asked the very friendly woman speaking English to me at the
register who was holding my 5 pound silver brick of cheesy, heavenly goodness.
“Err, do you guys accept cards?” I asked, confused. They did. My debit card
worked. Holy Toledo, I was heading home; to the frigid north and to the land of
comfort. I had a solid trip home, and
was overwhelmed (in a great way) to walk into Nick and Jimmy’s, filled with
many of the same familiar faces who saw me off 10 months prior. Time slowed as
I felt the warmth and love, but it sped up as the reunions were crunched in,
and I savored rich food and tasty brews in between ramblings about life in
Panama and trying to check in with what everybody is up to. Family, cousins,
and old friends all seem to be doing pretty well, with many exciting things
happening in people’s lives. Tommy is hooping, Mols is starting a new chapter
in grad school at EMU, and cousins and amigos are rambling about, working,
getting engaged, settling, moving, searching…. Life seems good up there, and I
was really feeling that reaffirmation about the uniqueness of how closely
connected people are up in Toledo, OH. It is truly a special place.
Coming back to the isthmus was
definitely weird. Exhausted from traveling, rolling along the highway into the
illuminated tropical urban sprawl of Panama City after midnight, the Pacific to
my left, I tried to soak in the transition, the moment, the feeling. Reflect. Be grateful. Be present. It’s
astonishing to go from shoveling snow in a winter wonderland to gazing at a
dark ocean at night, with the warm salty breeze tending to my cracked lips and
skin. Change and transitions always cause discomfort, sometimes doubt and
confusion. That has since worn off, I affirmed that Panama is where I should be
right now, and I am damn lucky to have the opportunity to be a volunteer in such
a beautiful place.
November/December Highlights
-Birthday Adventure to Kuna Yala with Kristin: We could
probably write a book about this adventure. I spent my 24th birthday
on Isla Diablo (Niadup) in the Caribbean with new friends, natives from Kuna
Yala and visitors from Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, and California. I have never
seen so many shades of blue, such clear water. We relished in magnificent lobster
dinners, fresh seafood, snorkeling, the brightest stars and most brilliant moonI
have ever seen. And the Kuna people were so kind, so tranquil, and super hilarious.
They have their culture impressively intact, and while tourism and
globalization no doubt are changing things, the Kuna seem to be retaining their
traditional way of life. We stayed two extra nights in our tent on the island
paradise, and were even taken to one of the main village islands to attend the
Chicha Fuerte celebration one day, for when a young girl in the community
begins menstruating. It was 5 days of intense drinking, praying, dancing,
music, etc., and the people were so accepting and open Speaking of openness,
the caretaker of the island, Yensi, is, well, she is a man. But she dresses in
traditional Kuna clothing and seems to be considered and accepted as a woman.
For a traditional culture, it seems that they are very progressive about some
issues. On my 24th birthday, Yensi and the rest of the Kuna folks
running the island somehow orchestrated the delivery of a cake from the city to
this island. Such incredible thoughtfulness. Aaron, the son of the Archemedes,
who owns the island, told Kristin and me the night before my birthday, “Tomorrow
we are going to discover the universe!” That we did. So much natural beauty and
good-natured human beings there. I can’t wait to go back to Kuna Yala.
-It was neat showing a special friend the reality of my day
to day life in Torti. She saw the positives and negatives, the struggles and
friendships. We went to some desfiles, did a lot of pasearing, and cooked
lasagna, guacamole, and more for my host family.
We even got painted with jagua at the nearby
Emberá community in Ipetí.
-Peace Corps Thanksgiving, Cerro Punta, Chiriqui: On the way
out to the big yearly PC thanksgiving bash in the mountains of Chiriquí, we
stopped in Boquete, a beautiful town up in the highlands where a lot of ex-pats
have taken refuge with their farms, restaurants, small businesses, and jungle
fortresses. Super fresco, amazing views, delicious coffee—it is truly a
magnificent mountain town, and so different from the hot and humid jungle
lowlands that I am used to. We took off up into the mountains after midnight to
climb to the peak of Volcán Barú, which sits at 10,000 feet. After about 3.5
hours, exhausted and shaking from the cold, we reached the summit, and were able
to see a spectacular sunrise and a brief glimpse of both the pacific and
Atlantic oceans before the clouds rushed in, hanging below, separating us from
the rest of the Earth. Unbelievable.
Thanksgiving was just as amazing. About 200 volunteers
escaped their communities to come together to eat, drink, and be merry for a
few days up in the mountain lodge resort, Los Quetzales. The food was bomb, the
mood was way high, and we laughed and danced and gave thanks and appreciation
for each other and our incredible fortune for the time and place we are sharing here in Panama.
I was so blessed to have Kiks come down, see my life down
here and how I have adjusted, and share in some adventures together. Before she
left, we randomly followed up on an opportunity to be casted as extras in the
film, Hands of Stone, which stars Robert DeNiro and Usher and tells the story
of the Panamanian lightweight world champion boxer, Roberto Duran. We were
dressed up in 70s digs and sat around the boxing ring in an arena all day and
into the night to film a couple of brief scenes from a fight that is supposed
to be taking place at Madison Square Garden. It was pretty cool seeing Deniro
act about 15 feet away from me, but it was such a long day for such a small
amount of film. What a tedious business. Guess showbiz isn’t for me. Oh, and I
almost forgot, we even participated in a World AIDS day flash mob in various
places in Panamá City, super cool! So many amazing experiences to be had in
this little country. Panamá would love to have Miss Eberts return, I am sure of
it.
Then, I finally made it stateside for a lovely couple weeks
of beautiful overindulgence of family, friends, and food.
Some favorites:
1.
The people. So great catching up with loved
ones. Although there were a lot of rushed reunions, I was able to catch up with
my lovely cousins and old friends, check in, share stories, tip a few back, and
go our separate ways, kicking ass and rocking out the 20s of our lives.
2.
Ok, cold sucks, but winter has its wins. The
snow was cool in an aesthetically-pleasing way, but old man winter is a grumpy
bastard, especially this year. Getting thrown into the icy Midwest after living
in jungle heat for 10 months was a bit rough. THAT SAID, the first annual Scott
family Clark Lake Christmas was pretty amazing, with the frozen lake and
now-covered trees. Christmas ales just wouldn’t be satisfying in 90 degree
weather. I was pumped to rock corduroys nonstop for 2 weeks, and I had the
pleasure of donning a Christmas cardigan alongside my old pals who also toted
their finest Yuletide sweaters, and cruise around Toledo/BG in a school bus
singing, dancing, and drinking peppermint schnapps. Finally, curling up next to
a pretty lady and having Breaking Bad Netflix benders with the fam and Bo was
very special. Wine, too many craft brews, crab cakes, steak, chicken wings, bar
food bar food bar food, etc. = all super great things. Driving back from
Chicago in blizzard conditions, not so cool. Thankfully, I had a good co-pilot.
3.
Good Music. Good Music. Jamming and sharing
tunes with friends and fam was a refreshing break from the
típico/bachata/reggaeton binging I am constantly forced to take in. I
celebrated NYE with Kristin, Jarret Kling, and his lady Megan by rocking with
Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears in Chicago. Funky blues grooves and horns
that could blow out knees—‘twas a spectacular show.
4.
Sports, bars, and sports bars. Watching football and hoops with the old man
and his normal crew at the local Ralphie’s and elsewhere was definitely a treat
(see: chicken wings). I even was able to play ball with the guys at St. James.
The best part was seeing little bro Tomás play a couple great games with the
CCHS Irish. Dude is actually pretty big. He should not feel too proud about his
size in comparison to me though, as I sweat 5 liters every day and sustain
myself with rice, beans, and oatmeal. They have a tough squad and it is so
awesome to see the little brother starting varsity basketball. He’s living the
dream and I am proud. I even was able to listen to the local radio broadcast
the other week when they played SJ and lost a tough one in OT.
Ringing in the New Year at home was a perfect end to a
magical year, and all I can do is express my appreciation for the good fortune
and blessings I have in this life. In Panama, I have a home, a family of Peace
Corps volunteers who really do exemplify the best things about the United
States of America, and connections with numerous Panamanians families who are
so generous, giving and peaceful. More so, the reason I have such an awesome
opportunity to do this is because of my amazing family, friends, education, and
experiences that led me here. Perhaps the most important thing I have
learned/reaffirmed this year is that family, friends, and the environment we
come from is so crucial for success. Living in Panama has shown me that,
although culture is subjective, beautiful, and powerful, the vast majority
humans have similar needs and priorities, such as family, friendship, love,
support, freedom, and happiness. By sharing in these sentiments/values, we can
connect with others and find common ground with people seemingly different then
us. With those who do not have such fortune, I believe it is the duty of every
one of us who comes from such loving families and communities, to reach out
with empathy and connect with people of different cultures, classes, and races. These individual acts can cause immeasurable
positive change down the line, one relationship at a time.
Summer rhythms, staying busy, ramblin’…
Summer time in Panamá is wonderful. There is a nice breeze
most days, the already relaxed pace slows a little bit, kids are out and about,
lazy days hanging at the río is a standard activity—life is good here. That said,
my summer is already flowin’ on by. I have already completed one GAD youth
development camp last week in the Azuero. I have another GAD camp in Darien in
February and then I will travel across the country to help facilitate an
Ultimate Frisbee camp in Chiriquí. Mix a couple weeks of English seminars in
there and there goes my summer! This is totally fine though; it’s good to be on
the move. I definitely feel more in my element when I am traveling. That said,
I definitely am going to soak up hammock and river time when I can. I also am
looking forward to regional meeting this week, especially the next couple days,
when a group of us will climb Chugantí, a mountain in the rainforest not too
far from Tortí, and stay up at the summit in some cabins for a few days. School
will be here before I know it. Carnavales are at the end of February, right
after school starts. I am really excited for my first Carnaval, but before, I
will be going on a 3 day jungle trek to the Caribbean coast, returning to Kuna
Yala to celebrate the Kuna independence from Panamá on the island of Ustupu
February 25. It’s all happening.
Can’t wait until we all cross paths again. Feliz Año Nuevo
mis amores, make 2014 the best one yet. Abrazos, Dani
p.s. my host family got a toucan. his name is tuki tuki, and he is super rad.
