The school year is concluding rather rapidly. Highly anticipated plans for summer vacation are forming. Though some will remain local for the shortened vacation time, many students will travel to a range of locations out of America. Each of these individuals experiencing new and diverse cultures, all the while gaining valuable life lessons. 

Mylene Oyarzabal, junior, shares her summer journey to the southernmost part of Central America: Panama. Where she will enjoy the scenic mountains as she hikes often while in Panama. 

Q: What are you most excited for your trip?

“I’m excited to be able to travel around the country since I am older. Traveling around the small countries like that can give you access to a lot of smaller towns, and you’re able to see more of the country’s culture and meet more people.”

Q: Why Panama of all places?

“My mother’s family is from there; I was born there as well.”

Q: Where exactly are you going in Panama?

“I’m staying mostly in Panama city, Gorgona, El Valle de Anton and Calobre.”

Q: Who are you going with?

“I’m going with my mother and sister. But sometimes I hang with school friends since they like to explore the country on weekends.”

Q: How long will you be there?

“All of June and July.”

Q: What activities will you partake in when you are in Panama?

“I tend to do a lot of hiking there, as well as exploring small towns on our way to our country houses.”

Q: Give a remarkable memory of any other time you visited Panama.

“I once had a conversation with a man over a mountain while I was hiking. We got to the top of the mountain and were yelling at a man who was somewhere else up there, but we never saw where he was coming from.”