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!