Panama recap - summer 2018

The day after graduation, I went to Panama with The William R. Harvey Leadership Institute form Hampton University. The purpose of the trip was to participate in service activities and immerse ourselves into the Panamanian culture. This was a 10 day trip and facilitated by

WorldStrides. Overall, the trip was amazing and I am thankful for the friendships that fostered throughout the trip. Below is our journey through pictures.

...and we are off! We flew from Norfolk to Miami then Panama!

Our first meal was amazing! We went to a cafe down the street from our hotel...it was so good, we decided to go there again at the end of our trip

The first day we explored Panama City and then that night enjoyed a performance during dinner

Our first service opportunity was going to an indigenous tribe, where we gathered rocks to help them build a pathway. We had to take a hour canoe ride to get to the tribe

This is the delicious lunch they prepared for us! The fish was super fresh and the mangoes were juicy

Thanks to our professor, we were able to get a VIP tour of the Panama Canal!

In the middle of the trip some of us got a stomach bug, therefore we could not participate in the second service opportunity which was going to a food bank

After a couple of days in the bed, were were back to normal!...and enjoying this lovely hike

The Cavaliers were in playoffs...so each night I made it my mission to find a TV

Our final service project was going to an orphanage(...we were not allowed to take pictures of the children's face). We were able to play with the babies/toddlers and then go teach the older students English

We went to the University of Panama and went into their art museum.

Our last night, we had a fun boat party where we danced, enjoyed the Skyline, and reminisced on our trip!

I took an earlier flight to Tampa, so that I could see my god sisters graduate high school!

Overall, I loved this trip to Panama! Compared to my other mission trips, it was not as gruesome or tedious. Nevertheless, we were able to participate in multiple projects and truly enjoy the country. I was so glad that I was able to connect and learn from people outside of my friend group as well!