Panama: Day 1

Hi Mama! I’m writing you from Fuerte Amador, Panama this evening! Panama is a fascinating country. Today I did a tour of Panama City, which was a contrast to the other places we have visited with its high rises and skyscrapers.

We dropped anchor at the entrance to the Panama Canal, which is super cool. This is a tendering port as opposed to a docking port. That means that instead of dropping anchor at a dock and walking off the ship, we drop anchor in the middle of the water, and take the tenders (lifeboats) to the dock. The sea swells have been intense today, and they almost had to suspend tendering because the rocking was too intense to go from the tender to the ship and vice versa.

I really, really liked Panama, Mom. Out of all the places we’ve been, this is the first place I could see myself actually living (well…if I could get over the heat). It’s so beautiful here. Tomorrow I am going on the field program I am most looking forward to! I am going to the Embera Indian Village, an indigenous Indian tribe here in Panama. I cannot wait!

I’m so exhausted and need to crash, otherwise I’d go into much more detail of my day for you, but I have something really special that I wanted to tell you. You, my beautiful Mama, are certainly going out in style. I have confirmed your shipboard memorial to be at sunrise the day after tomorrow while we are on our way to Ecuador. First of all, let me just say, you better realize how much I love you simply by the fact that I am electing to wake up at such an hour just for you. Not only do you have a sunrise burial at sea on the MV Explorer, but I was surprised with the news tonight that the acapella group, The Exchange, who were contestants on NBC’s The Sing-Off, will be singing at your service. I ran into some of the guys in the group tonight, and they told me that they are so honored to be singing at your memorial and that it was more important to them than the shows they are doing here on the MV. You are a special lady, Mama. One of the most important people in the SAS community, Lloyd, who will be saying a few words at your service, told me that you are now a SAS Alum, and that he will always consider you one. You got your dream, Mama. You are a lifelong learner. Everyone is coming together to make this as special for you (and for me) as possible. I am so unbelievably blessed. Also…I kind of hope that one day my kids do something as ridiculously cool for me as I am for you. Not many people get a send-off like this. Only the best for my Mama though! I love you so much.