Last Day in Panama--by Liza Dolzhenko

Friday--The Last Day in Panama:

It was very hard for me to believe that Friday was going to be my last day in Panama. By then, I got really used to the Hostel, my five wonderful roommates, the beautiful surroundings and the delicious food. But I guess nice things are very easy to get used to.

In the morning we went to visit USF Health office in the City of Knowledge, where we got to hear two presentations that summed up everything that we have learned in the past week. We also got to know more about the opportunities such as scholarships and various programs offered by USF in the City of Knowledge. This definitely struck my classmates' attention, because many people began asking very specific questions and no doubt contemplating coming back to Panama some day. Although I haven't previously considered studying abroad, my experiences in Panama have made me seriously consider this option.

After our visit to USF Health, we set off to visit the US Embassy in Panama. Getting in the building was a long process; we had to be escorted inside in groups of four. After all of us were in, we met the ambassador and a group of 5 or 6 of her colleagues. This, in my opinion, was the most interesting presentation of the week. The ambassador gave us the big picture about what was going on in Panama and the US-Panamanian relations. She and her colleagues also spoke about their experiences working for the United States government and all the perks and cons associated with the job. Although I do not think that this is something that I would be interested in doing, I greatly admire these people and the lifestyle they have chosen in order to serve the US government.

After the visit to the embassy we went to have lunch at Pencas, which was, as always, delicious. Then we went to the market once again to get a few last minute souvenirs, where I purchased my first Mola. By now I was really sick of all the souvenirs, but I thought it would be kind of wrong to leave Panama without purchasing at least one.

Then we went back to the Hostel and it was time to get ready for next day's early departure. We were slowly packing, but it still didn't feel like we were leaving in a few hours. I think for most people it wasn't until the airport that they started to realize that our visit to Panama was over.

As for me, I think that it's just now hitting me that I am very far from Panama and what's even sadder, I may never see it again.