D's Visit

While I was presenting several consecutive weeks of workshops to different teacher groups during January and February, I kept thinking about the treat at the end: a trip to Panama City and some sightseeing with E's parents. Because they don't do a lot of international travel, it was exciting to help them get ready for the trip to Panama. We headed straight for empanadas for lunch when they arrived, and we ate lots of adventurous Panamanian food during the rest of their stay.

We took them on what has become our visitor tour: the canal, Gamboa, and Casco Viejo. We also had some tickets to the BioMuseo from when the girls attended camp there, and it was very cool. Many of the animals and habitats featured were ones we've become familiar with while living here. I enjoyed understanding how the land bridge of Panama was formed. We all loved the building and gardens.

We came back to Santiago for a few days so I could work a bit, and the girls got to enjoy some down time with the grandparents. We took Cora to swim lessons, toured my school, and drove to Montijo for a seafood lunch. While I was working, E took them to explore the market and nearby San Francisco.

It was so interesting to me to see Panama through their eyes. The details that they noticed are things I take for granted or got used to a while back. The standard of living in the interior/rural parts of Panama, especially outside town, is noticeably different than back home, and I think it's helpful to us all to see in order to understand and appreciate what we have. Most of all, E and I love sharing a country we've gotten to know and love with others.