Revisiting Panama
The Crew!!!!
Darius mentioned going on a brigade the fall of 2014 for the spring break of 2015. Plans fell through, so I wasn’t expecting much when he mentioned another brigade for the spring break of 2016 a year later in the fall of 2015. A couple of meetings, a couple of deposits, and a couple of months later, we were on a flight from Charlotte-Douglas to Panama City. That was my first time out of the country, and still is the only time I’ve left the United States. I was anxious due to it being my first time leaving the country and the several vaccinations we had to get prior to going (Zika Virus was prominent in the region during that time). The flight was approximately 6 hours in total. When we landed, I couldn’t believe it. I was really out here getting my passport stamped on some IG thottie-type lifestyle lol. We spent one night in Panama City, then spent the next 5 at a compound in Darien.
It was extremely hot and humid with no A/C. We were there to provide basic healthcare needs and to build aqueducts for the village we served. The meals were phenomenal as they were all home-cooked back at the compound. We had limited amounts of water each day as well, and if we went over the limit, the water would shut off. The brigade was a successful collaboration effort between the UVA Cavaliers and the UNCC 49’ers. I remember getting off the plane, waiting in line at customs, and falling in love with a girl wearing an orange UVA shirt holding a pillow. Come to find out--after she added me on Facebook days after the brigade—that she had been with her boyfriend for 6 years or so up to that point. Life’s funny sometimes. I get disappointed by romance in women I find to be attractive by way of intelligence and humor when I find they have prior engagements. Yet, I would not be able to fulfill their commitment needs due to my dissatisfaction of my own personal progress in life. For this case specifically, we didn’t even know each other beyond the surface, I was simply caught up in my imagination and my lust. Regardless, during my time there, I made good friends. Darius and I were already brothers, so the brigade strengthened our relationship. My brother Obeezy, that’s my guy forever. Shout Maressa and Gigi as well! The homies! Can’t forget about Domenica and Sam. I love them for life. I also made friends with people from Panama and UVA as well. I talk to Jhismael and Jonathan from time. They’re both doing well. Jonathan has helped with plenty more brigades and Jhismael is traveling the world with his airline job. Iris came thru a couple of months ago on her way back from Atlanta to Virginia. I got dinner with Abby in NYC a month before with Obed the day of a snowstorm at a pretty good Thai place. All good people, who somehow crossed paths for one week in Panama, and now look at us 2 years later: on our own paths, fulfilling our own destinies one step at a time.
Below are some of my favorite photos I took during my time in Panama, as well as a personal entry I wrote as well.
(Click on the photos to enlarge and right key progress through photos. If photos appear pixelated while enlarged, wait a few seconds for the display to adjust. Thanks!)
Darius picked up on something fairly quick, within the first day or so, and comes up to me telling me how amazing it is that kids are kids regardless of where they are or where they come from. I was tired so I threw out the phrase "human nature" and kind of blew it off. He rants on about how incredible it is that they resembled kids in the US and were reminiscent of us in a way by a few of their mannerisms. They laugh at the same things we used to laugh at. They smile when they're nervous. They even love being outside despite whatever the weather. Unaware of their innocence, these children were so welcoming to everything in a world in which they were just introduced to.
When I thought about it on the bus, I found it pretty fascinating as well, but it didn't resonate with me until the last day of clinical's. Jonathan, a translator/brigadier and now a good friend of mine, came up to me in the pharmacy and sparked up a conversation. We spoke on a bunch of things, but this initial interaction led to another conversation that was held at the compound later that night. In the midst of the humidity, the bugs, and the unfamiliarity of it all, we as two humans had a conversation about life and love. This was quite amazing to me. It was at that moment, that I was experiencing what Darius was so enthused about. I was in awe. We related to each other through shared emotions stemming from completely different experiences in very different settings and different cultures. As we kept conversing, I kept thinking to myself how mind-boggling this all was. It was beautiful to say the least. After the conversation, I headed to the dining room, and Fernando, another translator/brigadier and now also a friend of mine, was standing outside sipping water from a blue plastic tea cup. It was all so cinematic in a way. We conversed about how he has 12 (or was it 13?) siblings and about his dreams to be a translator. He is an older gentleman and is getting his bachelors in English at the end of this semester! He asked about my aspirations and when I told him, he responded by telling me that anything is possible and encouraging me to do it. We exchanged information and I am currently awaiting for that email from him in May attached with pictures of him in his cap and gown.
After a few more exchanges, I walked into the dining room eager to share these conversational gems that I had just acquired. You must collect as many of these gems as you can for the value of your experiences increases with wisdom. So fast forward to the last day at the airport. A few of us were eating before our flights and I turned around to tell Abby that this was probably going to be the last time we would see each other, and although I hope it's not true, only time will tell. We are all connected to each other in ways we may not see nor understand, but understand it is a team effort to help and to improve the collective human experience for us all, regardless of where we come from or who we are. I am now convinced more than ever that we are much more similar than we are different. The only difference is that we are unaware, but I guess that's just the human nature in us.