Day 1 in Panama was a huge success!
After a long night of storms in Wichita (some kids slept and weren't aware anything happened, others were up all night due to wind and rain), we arrived at the airport at 3:30AM with friends and family in tow! Shout out to all of the siblings that came along to wish them a fun journey! We had our shirts on, luggage packed and sleepy smiles galore!
While we waited for the ticket gate to open, students said goodbye to loved ones, we passed out their activity books for the trips and learned who roommates and trip buddies would be!
The picture below shows how much support these students have waiting for them at home. Although this is not a school-sponsored/sanctioned activity, I am thankful for a community where student learning, language exploration and global travel are supported and encouraged.
THIS is one of the best parts of what I do!
Students navigated through security, took funny photos, ate 4:00AM donuts and coffee and left their space in Wichita neater than they found it! Houston...ready or not, here they come!
We had two students who experienced their first flights! Many were nervous but our short flight to Houston helped them prepare and be comfortable with the flight from Houston to Panama!
While flying the "friendly skies" students saw the sunrise and the ariel views of Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua! Just prior to landing, they also saw ships waiting to navigate the canal.
Having an early start to our morning means we arrived in Panama just after 2:00PM, with plenty of day left for exploration and getting settled in our hotel!
Students learned about customs and immigration at the airport.
The airport was about 25-30 minutes away from our hotel (located right on the Panama Canal). On the way to the hotel we discussed the three areas of Panama:
Panama Viejo - Original Ruins of Panama
Casco Viejo - First Spanish Settlements in Panama (Colonial Style)
Panama City - Skyscrapers and Big City Feels
They will learn even more about this on our walking tour tomorrow!
Nafi (short for Nafisa) is our amazing guide on our adventure! She started the morning with lessons on the various parts of Panama City and the currencies used in Panama (the Balboa and the US Dollar).
Panama doesn't have an army/military. They have the National Police to take care of safety. We have witnessed several officers throughout various areas to make sure all are safe!
We arrived at our hotel, discussed rooms and procedures and then some kiddos spent time in the pool, others made phone calls home and rested before dinner.
We eat lunch on tour at a different location daily. Breakfasts and dinners are typically at the hotel but provide a wide array of typical Panamanian dishes, foods the kids are comfortable with, and amazing desserts as well!
Each evening we wrap up our day with a Potter Puntos Competition! Students are on teams with their roommates and answer trivia questions about information they learned that day! It's definitely a competitive group!
Random images students sent from the hotel:
1. Snacks
2. Best bread ever!
3. Watching the OKC Thunder game
4. The Panama Canal view from our bedroom window!
Quotes from the day:
(Parents, feel free to guess who said what!)
1. "I am scared." (x500 on the plane)
2. "There's no turning back now. We're in the sky."
3. "She will just fart to keep you warm."
4. "I'm so hungry to eat!"
This was a great start to our trip to Panama! Stay tuned for our adventures tomorrow!
What an amazing opportunity! Thank you, Heather, for sharing your passion with our kiddos! After watching your groups travel for years, it’s so fun to see one of my own kiddos get to experience it! ❤️
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