One Week Down!

I have officially been in my host town a week! Well a little over a week, since I got here last Sunday.

I'm not sure if I posted about it when I first got here, but the first Sunday night there was a party. Apparently it was my host sister's birthday (but I didn't know that until later), and there was a lot of drinking, and dancing, and eating. My sister is 25 (as of last Sunday) and has two young kids. The kids live with us, but my sister works in Panama City about three hours away and only comes home every other weekend.

The next day, a Monday, we went to Aguadulce, which is a bigger town about 15 minutes away. We were supposed to be buying school supplies, but as I have learned, the people in Panama are a lot smaller than me, and they didn't have all the stuff I needed for my uniform. Though I am about the height of the average US American, Panamanians are MUCH shorter. Today I learned that I am the tallest in my class, even out of the boys. The stores in Aguadulce didn't have skirts to fit me. They were all too short as well as too small in the waist. The rest of my Monday was spent reading on my Kindle, which I would ABSOLUTELY recommend taking on an exchange if you go on one! It's really handy for the down time and you can download books in the language of your host country.

There are three more exchange students from AFS in my town. Two are from Germany, and one is from Austria. The Austrian girl and one of the Germans are on a volunteer program here and are working at the local primary school, but the other German girl goes to school with me. The student from Austria lives really close to me, and on Tuesday I went to her house for another party. This time it was her host sisters birthday. This party was a little more tame than the first one at my house, and it was nice to spend a few hours with Ana from Austria and Veronika from Germany who both speak English. Earlier on Tuesday me and my host Dad returned to Aguadulce to see if they had a skirt for school.. they didn't.

Wednesday the local AFS volunteer took the four of us students to a dance class where local kids were learning traditional Panamanian dances. I will post a picture at the bottom of the post. It was really cool at first to see the outfits and watch the kids dance, but after about two hours it got kind of boring, not to mention HOT!

About thirty minutes away from my host town is a city called Penonome. It's not HUGE, but its bigger than Nata and Aguadulce. On Thursday we went to Penonome to look for a skirt.. we didn't find one there either. We ended up buying fabric and paying a woman to sew me one to fit. Unfortunately it's actually too big. Haha. The school uniforms are really different from the US. That night me and my host brother (19) went out with some of his friends. We started watching a video that was in half spanish and half english. It was kind of offensive from what  I gathered. One of the parts I remember said that many more people go to church in South America than the US because in the US we are all sinners and are scared to show ourselves to God. That was kind of irritating, but it turned out to be an OK night. We ended up just getting snacks and playing UNO for the rest of the night.

Friday me, my host mom, and my host sisters kids walked to my aunts house. It was kind of a long walk, but I got to meet my cousin, who happens to be in my class. We went to the park near her house, and watched some local boys and girls play baseball, volleyball, and soccer. I like their spirit. Even though they don't have a great facility to play their sports, and even though there are not teams here, they still get out there on the crappy grass fields and give it their all because they love the game so much! We came home that night to find the other exchange students at my house. It turned out that they came over to invite me to another party at Ana's! I'm not sure what this one was for, but I went with them for a little while. We had barbecue which was kind of comforting, because mostly my family here eats rice and some sort of meat. Often with plantains.

The next day me and my host Mom went back to Aguadulce to get my skirts for school ironed. It was a pretty uneventful day.. we went to the store, and the laundry shop and back to Nata. Later, I went to watch more of the dance class. I wasn't very excited about this since it was kind of boring the last time, but it's better than just sitting at home :)

Yesterday, me and the other AFS girls here planned to go to the beach in another town a few hours away. For some reason the local AFS volunteer let them go, but not me. It was kind of irritating, but it ended up being an okay day. Me and my host mom went back to my aunts house, and I spent more time with my cousins and went and watched more football. Also, I found some peanut butter and jelly at a little store in my town and made everyone sandwiches. Its SO comforting to have some of the same food you have at home, even if it's not Jif Peanut Butter, and the only kind of Jelly available is peach :)

Today I started school! It was really different from school in the US. For one, I only go to school in the morning. I am in the 'Comercias' track. There is also a 'Siencias' track of classes in the afternoon, which probably would have been easier, but I wanted to go to school with my cousin and the other exchange student, Paulina from Germany. I think my classes are different every day, but today I had informacion (which is some sort of tech class),  ingles (I think its funny that they teach english at the schools here and NOBODY speaks it!!), spanish (which is like a language arts/english class), and a class called cooperativas. I'm not sure what that one is. School was okay over all. It's nice to be in the same class as my cousin and all her friends are very nice. Unfortunately I'm not with Paulina. The uniforms we have to wear are very different and I don't like them at all! But I guess at least I don't have to pick a school outfit every day. This country is very religious. We even have mass at school, which would be illegal at a public school in the US. It's really different.

a panorama of the Panama City skyline. 

My first day in Panama

At Orientation Camp in Panama City, the kids from Thailand did a traditional dance in costume.

Some fresh coconut from the tree in our back yard.

The kids dancing

First day of school! I'm a sweaty mess, but you can see the uniforms and tell that I am a giant compared to the kids here.

The first week

As of today, I've been gone from Oregon for about a week. I've been to sleep away camps that were longer than this, but I have never been through anything this challenging.

I left Oregon on Wednesday, the fifth, and arrived in Miami for an orientation. Unfortunately, I didnt really find it very helpful. On friday, a group of eight students left the US for Panama. We had another orientation, this time in Panama city, and left for our new homes on sunday.

Since I have arrived in my small town of Nata, I have gone through a roller coaster of emotions. Luckily, my host family is very understanding and does their best to make me feel better. I will try to post pictures soon of my house and family, but right now everything is kind of crazy!
Hasta luego

One more day

At this point, I will be on a plane leaving Oregon in less than 24 hours. It's just hitting me that I am actually leaving for 11 months. I've been so busy these last few weeks with getting everything together to leave, and packing my bags that it didn't even hit me that I won't see my friends or family for eleven months! I know its not permanent, but it's still a long time.

Now I know why people tell me I'm brave for going on an exchange year. Saying goodbye is possibly the hardest thing I have ever done. Also, even though I know that I will absolutely love Panama when I get down there, but right now I just want to stay in the comfort of my home and my home country. I want to be surrounded by my friends and family, I want to go to a traditional american high school, and be able to walk down the street and hear passers by speaking English!
But I also want to be challenged.. and what about staying in my comfortable little life is challenging!!

So I'm leaving.. as hard as it is gonna be to go. I'm gonna weather the hard times, because I know there will be good ones to come! And next July, when I am back home in my comfortable Oregonian box, I know I'll be glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone and left.

Next time you hear from me, chances are I'll be in Nata, with my host family! If you wanna contact me in Panama, email me! brelyn.rose@gmail.com

Buenas noche!!

Host Family!

This week I finally received the email I have been waiting on for months! I got my host family in Nata, Panama! Nata is a small town with only about 6,000 residents. I can't find much about the town online other than that it is the oldest town in Panama, and was originally colonized by Spanish settlers when they invaded Central America.

My host family is much bigger than I'm used to, but it will be a good experience! I will have a mother, father, two brothers (19 and 10), a sister (24), and my sisters children live there too. I think she has a girl and boy, around 4 and 5! They also have three dogs and a cat! Definitely gonna be different from what I'm used to with my two sisters and outside pets.

I have talked to my host mother, brother, and sister and look forward to meeting them in two weeks! It's been hard to communicate since my spanish isn't so great, and none of my family in Panama speaks english, but I'll make it through. Since I leave so soon I've been rushing around getting immunizations, having doctors appointments and making sure my passport and everything is good to go! I have to finish my online english class this weekend, and then I'm in the home stretch, packing and saying my goodbyes!

Firsts and Lasts

Hey everybody! Sorry I haven't blogged in a while, things have been crazy!

From here on out I will only be home in Oregon about a month! I fly out of Medford September 5th, and wont return until next July. As excited as I am, I'm also kind of sad. Only one more month with my friends and family!

Though I still haven't received my host family placement in Panama I am getting more and more prepared for the trip every day. Whether it's shopping, packing, seeing friends and family, working on my spanish and online classes, or just reading up on Panama online, I hope that when I get on the plane I'll be as prepared as I can.

August and September will no doubt bring many firsts and lasts. The last times I will see my friends and family, the last time I will walk out of my home in Oregon, the last time I'll be able to drive! There's a lot of things I'm going to miss, but I know all of the firsts in Panama will be even more rewarding. The first time I meet my host family, or am in a Spanish speaking country, or  leave my home and family for more than a few weeks at a time. It's kind of surreal, being fifteen and moving farther away from home than many adults ever do.

Sorry for the delay on this blog, I hope everyone's having a great summer and staying cool!
-brelyn

Europe!

Tomorrow I will be on a plane headed out of North America for the first time! We fly out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, have a brief layover in Detroit, then on to Frankfurt, Germany. While in Europe I will get to see Trier, Saarbrucken, and Heidelburg in Germany! I'm excited to see Trier especially, because there's apparently Roman ruins that are still pretty well preserved there!
We also get the chance to go to Amsterdam, Paris, and Strassburg, France! I'm SO excited for my first international adventure and will post pictures as soon as I am home.

Though this month of traveling and seeing family has been, and will continue to be, really really fun, I'm sad that I will only have one more month with my friends and family back home before leaving for Panama! I am still waiting on my host family and my definite travel itinerary, but I will be leaving the US in the first week of September, just under two months away. The Chip-In widget on my blog doesn't work anymore, with the trip so close. However, if you are still interested in donating, or have any questions about my trip, please email me at brelyn.rose@gmail.com . Thanks! Hope everyone's summer's going as good as mine :) I've got to go get packed!

Summer!

Since June 21st passed, its officially summer! For me, this summer started off early with traveling to see family, and next month traveling to Europe!
We left Oregon the seventeenth, and loaded in the car to head to Michigan. On the way we got to see the Grand Canyon, which was really really cool. We finally made it to Michigan the 21st. Another super exciting trip is going to be going to Europe in July! We get to see Germany and France, so it'll be really cool! I'm hoping this international travel will prepare me a little more for Panama!
Earlier this month, there was a conference call with the rest of the students who are going to Panama, and a few returnees. Even though I have done a lot of research online, I didn't know anything about most of what they said. It's making me even more excited!
The Chip-In widget for my blog stops working two months prior to my departure, and since I am leaving two short months after July, you can no longer donate online after the first week of July.
Hope everyone's having a great summer!
Brelyn

Pomp and Circumstance

Tonight was graduation for the senior class of 2012 at my high school! Graduations always make me sad, because it's the end of something, and seeing all my friends move on with out me is tough. This year, though, I have something new coming as well! Sure, the class of 2012 might be going off to college all across the country, and moving out of their homes to start their own lives, but I am moving to Panama!  A whole year away from my family, my friends, and the comfort of my home. It's crazy to even think about. At fifteen years old, I am travelling farther away from Oregon than most of the students that graduated tonight will ever have the chance to!
Another reason that this graduation was so sad for me is because it was the last one I will see before my own high school graduation in 2014! It seems so far away now, but time flies, and it's only going to fly by more once I leave on this exciting adventure. Here in Oregon, there are things I would be able to count on doing next year. My junior prom, spirit week, getting my license, and playing soccer would be a few of those things. In Panama, I am not even sure where I will be living! I could be with a big family, or a single parent. I could be in a city, or a town even smaller than the one I live in now. It's weird to think that the kids I have grown up with and am lucky enough to call my friends will all be back in Oregon, going to junior prom, and celebrating homecoming week, and I will be living in a different country with a family that is not my own (though I am sure I will love them!).
I leave for Panama in early September, and don't return until July of 2013. I wonder what will change here while I am gone? But more than that I wonder how much I will change. Next year at this time I will be in Panama. One more year, and I will be walking across the stage getting my diploma. A year later I'll be completing my freshmen year of college. Even though graduations are the end of something, they are the beginning of something else. This year, I may not be leaving high school forever, but I am graduating my sophomore year and moving on to Panama, and I have never been more excited for anything.

Also, a side note, my fundraising dinner Tuesday night went really well! I raised just over 1000 dollars! Thanks to everyone who came and supported me.

A Taste of Panama

The coming Tuesday, June 5, I am holding a fundraiser dinner! "A Taste Of Panama" will take place at Going Deep Sushi in Cave Junction, with two seatings; one at 5:30 and one at 6:30. I'll be cooking traditional Panamanian foods to raise money for my exchange. Tickets will be ten dollars a piece and will include dinner, dessert and a beverage. Come check it out! Good food for a good cause :)

Hope to see you there! 

Connections

This school year is drawing to a close, and as exciting is that is, it makes me nervous as well! I won't be returning to high school in the US until my senior year! That's September of 2013! I'm more excited than anything to go on this exciting adventure and study in Panama, but I'm so sad to be leaving my friends and family for a whole year.
As scared as I am about leaving everyone I know at home, making new friends and having my host family become a second family is something I'm really excited about! So far I have met about fifty other students who are also going to Panama with AFS this year. Though I won't meet any of them until September, it's still really nice to talk to them, and be able to learn not only about the Panamanian culture but a little bit about where all the other kids are from as well! So far I have talked to students from Belgium, Amsterdam, Germany, and Thailand! It makes me smile to know that even though we are from all different places and backgrounds, we have a lot in common.
It's great to know that wherever I want to go in the world after Panama, I will have these connections and friends to see!

"Puente del Mundo, Corazon del Universo"

Yesterday I learned that Panama is sometimes called "Puente del Mundo, Corazon del Universo". In English, this translates to Bridge of the World, Heart of the Universe. In addition to just being a beautiful nickname, there's a great reason behind this. "Bridge of the World" comes from the Panama Canal. The Canal, in Panama city, was the first way for ships to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean without going all the way around the southern  tip of South America. The "Heart of the Universe" part of the name comes from the fact that if you look at a world map, apparently Panama is on the left side of the planet, in the position that the heart would be in a human body.
Just a fun fact, but it makes me that much more excited! :) Only four and a half months to go!

Voy a Panama!

As you may, or may not be able to tell from the title of this post, I'm going to Panama! The AFS organization  emailed me to let me know that my application has been accepted in Panama, and they are searching for a host family for me! (Unfortunately, the email also said I may not be notified of my host family until a month before departure) Below is the subject line of the exciting email AFS sent me!!

Now I really have my work cut out for me! Up until now, fundraising has not been the most important part of this process, because I was waiting to hear if I was accepted, but now I am really working hard to save my money, and raise more for my trip! You can still donate by using the chip-in widget on the right side of the page, and any help would be REALLY appreciated!
I am also planning a Panama themed dinner for June 5, at Going Deep Sushi in Cave Junction. I  will be cooking and serving traditional Panamanian foods, such as honey chicken, arroz con guando, and empanadas! I am really excited to let the community sample these foods, as well as help raise money for my exchange! :) I will add a new post with the times and a menu for my dinner! Hope to see all of you that live in Oregon there!

Update

Today, I got emails from AFS-USA; one saying that AFS-Panama was reviewing my application and I will hear in about a month about my acceptance through their branch of the program, and another with a link to more information on Panama.

The information AFS sent me outlined more about what would happen at orientation before going abroad, what would happen at the orientation in Panama, and some visa information. Luckily I won't need to obtain a visa to travel to Panama, but I will need a permit to stay once I get there. AFS also sent me a packet of information about Panamanian culture and how some things in everyday life work. Before this, I've only known about Panama from a more tourist-y perspective, from what I've read online. It was amazing to learn more about some of the little things like how school, government, and how the cities/ provinces are set up.

Accepted!!

Hey guys-
I just got a call from AFS-USA (which is the US branch of the study abroad program) and they have accepted my application and are sending it to Panama!!
I have been hoping and praying for this phone call/e-mail since I turned in my application!

Also, earlier this week I had my interview with an AFS liaison here in Oregon. She came to our house asked me questions about my family, what kind of rules and chores we had, what kind of places I have been to, and how long I have been away from home. This was pretty exciting because it really made me excited to meet my host family!  I know I am jumping the gun a little bit because my application is still being reviewed, but I can't wait for this experience to really start!

 Hola!
       I'm Brelyn Dhenin, a sophomore in high school in rural Oregon, and this fall I will be traveling to Panama for a year abroad!
       I have wanted to study abroad for some time, but didn't know if I would have the means to do so. When I discovered AFS, a non for profit intercultural program for students, I was overjoyed. They allow you not only to pick where you want to study abroad, but the duration and focus of your stay.
       When I originally looked at the site, I didn't really know where I wanted to travel to. I know some Spanish from taking classes in school, and I knew I wanted to go to a Spanish speaking country.  Panama really jumped out at me! The description on the AFS website talks about Panama's beautiful beaches with coral gardens, and rain forests full of exotic animals and rare birds. However, as beautiful as Panama may be, a real selling point for me was the 97% literacy rate, and the opportunity to participate in sports, clubs, and music while on exchange.  While in Panama, I would like to improve my language skills, and learn more about Panamanian culture.  I really look forward to not only learning about their culture, but being able to share more about the United States!
       I know my year abroad will be full of challenges, but the first one I have to face is raising the money! So far, I have been saving all my money from my part time job. I am doing odd jobs for family and friends to cover the tuition and expenses of this trip. Anything you could contribute to help make this dream come true would be greatly appreciated! You can donate by clicking the “chip-in” icon on the right side of the screen. My goal is to raise $3,000 before I leave, near the end of August. Even if you are unable to contribute financially, I would appreciate your encouragement and support. I will be updating this blog leading up to, and during my adventure in Panama, so stay tuned!
       Hasta luego!
Brelyn