Next Big Step

This month of March has been a whirlwind of fun and new experiences. Throughout the whole month I have probably had 3 nights by myself. I started the month off in Guna Yala on a sailboat. A few days after coming back to the city, Rebecca, a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, came into town for a week. She headed out to Santiago only a couple days before Samantha, a Fulbright Researcher, came into town for a week. I had one night to myself before Elizabeth, the final Fulbrighter to arrive, came to stay with me until I leave for Guna Yala.

While it has been a major distraction for my research, I have absolutely loved serving as a host for these women. I remember how grateful I was to have someone pick me up from the airport and give me a place to stay my first night here, and now I am paying it forward. I could see the relief on each of their faces when I first welcomed them to Panama, and they have all repeatedly told me how wonderful it has been to have someone show them around and give them a home for the first few days. Each of these intelligent women have incredible stories and are hungry to learn and gain new experiences. Being able to spend so much time with them has been a gift that has greatly enhanced my experience here in Panama. It is amazing how many new opportunities I am able to take advantage of just with the added social and personal security of a second person. I traveled to a new city because of Rebecca's placement in Santiago, Panama, I have met a host of new friends thanks to Sam's outgoing nature, and I am already excited to experience life in Panama City with my new neighbor, Elizabeth.

For over a month my life has been in constant flux, and Monday morning, around 5am, everything will change again. For the month of April and most of May I am moving out to the island of Nargana in Guna Yala.

There I will be living with a Guna family who will serve as my hosts for my 7 weeks of intensive research. From my base in Nargana, I plan to travel to many Guna islands to interview and observe the culture and experience of these people, particularly surrounding their understanding and treatment of albinism.

I have an official letter from the Guna Congress approving my research, my bags are (mostly) packed and Captain Kevin has agreed to take me from Carti to Nargana. Once in Nargana I have been told I have a home to stay in for the month of April and May. I still have to book my taxi to Carti, Guna Yala and beyond the information I just shared, I really know little else. I feel as though I should be freaking out, but by this point I seem to have developed the skill of just going with the flow.

Though I finally feel as though I am really getting the hang of Panama City, and I am sad to leave the new friends I have made, I am excited for Guna Yala both in terms of my research and personal growth. In Guna Yala I will have the opportunity to fully immerse myself in my work. The island does have electricity, but my internet will be minimal. The city is a distracting place, and I find my research harder and harder to focus on the longer I stay. In Guna Yala I hope to find a similar degree of focus and intensity in my work as what I had while in Uganda. (The elimination of constant connection to Facebook should help with that a lot). Personally I am excited to see how much my Spanish improves while I am Guna Yala. Besides learning Guna, I hope to enhance my proficiency in Spanish as there will be fewer opportunities to speak English. I am also excited to see what new things I learn about the Guna and myself while I am living in a new community without the support of a home institution or other foreigners.

My travels and experience have lead me to this point and I feel a wonderful sense of excitement and confidence in my abilities to take this next big step.