Summer so far

As of today I am 25% done with my last semester in Panama. This summer I'm taking Calculus 3, Public Speaking, Brain & Behavior, and Microeconomics. I'm also working a couple of hours a week in the "Math Learning Center" at school, which basically involves doing my homework in the library and wondering if anyone will ever come in to get tutored. It's a job I enjoy.

Here are some semi-recent photos:

The crazy bus ride to the Spring Final Dinner

Super silly Zac

During the break I hung out with Mimi, my friend since jr high, at UC Riverside

I turned 19

Lots of new people in Panama

Summer study sesh.

Spring 2008 Final Dinner

With finals finally over, last night most of us International Programs students went out to dinner at the restaurant at the Miraflores Locks. The private buffet was super fancy and delicious. And the fact that a lot of the boys showed up wasted made it quite a rowdy experience.

Balcony view of the Locks

Housemates! We are going to miss Seana to death :(

Darien, Libby, Stephanie, Me, Seana, Kirby
A litte reunion of our Peace Corps trip to Chiriqui - Shannon, me, Zac, Stephanie

It hasn't sunk it yet that tomorrow night I will be in Fullerton... I guess I have a lot of laundry and packing to do before the bus takes us to the airport in 15 hours.

Also

I forgot to mention in my last post that I now have really short hair.

Gamboa Rainforest Resort

This was a pretty successful excursion: we rode an "aerial tram," saw some toucans, and had a fabulous lunch buffet.

Aerial tram

Canal

A few weeks ago I also went hiking at the Metropolitan Natural Park... here's a view:

I can't believe I only have 1 more week of school before finals. This semester went by even more quickly than the last.

San Blas Revisited

Some guys decided to try fishing while standing at the end of the dock in the first picture. They caught a black-tip reef shark. I always knew that all ocean waters are completely infested with man-eaters.

Santa Clara and exciting times ahead...

Last Saturday we went to Santa Clara, one of my favorite beaches on the Pacific side.

But the exciting news is that a bunch of visitors are coming! Sunday Stephanie's friend Luci is coming to visit, AND Jake, our next-door neighbor from last semester, will be here Sunday! AND we're having a Chiva (party bus) next Tuesday! AND going to San Blas March 28th!

Jake!

and a random club photo from ONE

Jungle Expedition

We went on an excursion to Gatun Lake and saw 4 kinds of monkeys, a sloth, and a crocodile!

Also my friends have the sweetest apartments with the best views

Isla Taboga

I finally revisited Taboga Island yesterday.

+ William's birthday extravaganza
Next weekend we're going on a Jungle Expedition!

The Smallest Country in the World, it seems

So you always hear the saying "It's a small world," but it's never more true than in Panama, which is definitely a small country. By area it's actually smaller than South Carolina! Anyways 2 weeks ago I was in Bocas del Toro (which is as far north-east from here as one can go without leaving the country) and met a bunch of people from all over the world who I never expected to see again. Then Last Tuesday I ran into a group of people from Norway at a club who I'd stayed at the hostel with and hung out with in Bocas. And when we met then we had already seen eachother a few days earlier in Costa Rica. And then... this Thursday I was at a club and ran into some guys from Italy who I had also met in Bocas!

The other day I went to Diablo, the part of the canal where cayuco teams practice paddling

There will be an ocean-to-ocean cayuco race through canal next month
And a random shot of the family on Christmas

In other news, it seems that the famous Panamanian rapper/reggae star DangerMan has died. I have no clue as to the details.

Puerto Viejo/Bocas del Toro

I can't possibly explain all the details of the trip, so I will just say that Costa Rica was absolutely awesome.

One of my cool chairs!


And then on the way home we spent a night in Bocas del Toro, which are Panamanian islands in the Caribbean up near Costa Rica. We stayed at a hostel/bar called the Aqua Lounge and it was tons of fun.