Panama!

So right now I am in Panama!! This trip has been an amazing experience and one that I will never forget. I have been here for 2 weeks already even though it feels I just stepped off of the plane yesterday. I am here for Community Health nursing and am really getting to experience the full essence of community nursing and the reasons why community nursing is so important. In the clinics we have been working at, the nurses go out into the community to check on patients and give them vaccines etc. The nurses also perform PAP smears, give vaccines, assess child growth and development, and they go into the elementary schools to teach children about different topics (the day I went the nurse talked about STD's etc). As a whole Panama is more community focused than in the US. We are staying in homestays we people in the community so we are immersed in the culture and community of Panama. The family we are staying with is amazing, they are so kind and really make us feel welcome in their home.
This experience has really made me thankful for things that most people take advantage of in the US like AC, a warm shower, a washer AND a dryer :) but at the same time there are things that I will miss in Panama like the best and freshest fruits EVER, getting a full meal for under $3 (at the cafeteria at the universidad its $1.25), our homestay family and the great sense of community Panamanians have. Overall, I have loved my experience so far in this beautiful country and the memories I am making here will stay with me forever :)