On Becoming an Adult

My Little brother turned the big Dos Uno this week. Yes, according to bouncers, bar tenders and ritzy hotels, he has finally come of age. Strange that this week I feel like I have hit a similar milestone. No one checked my ID or gave me a cake. No, but I did get charged $.60 less for cab fare. Don’t worry, I will explain a bit more in detail.


I took my first “mental health day” today. Something that really surprised me (happily) about Peace Corps is their openness, acknowledgment and willingness to address mental health. While I wouldn’t say my stress level was so high that I needed a day to escape anything, I definitely appreciate the free, no questions asked, night out from my site. And yes, I am happy I took it alone.

Flying solo (or sola en espanol) makes me feel like I am finally a grown up. Eating in a new place and navigating busy city streets alone can be stressful. Going to the movies alone is a whole other level. I decided to get myself out of my hotel and off the internet to go see Cars 2 (dubbed of course). When I asked for una adulta por favor at the ticket window, the women asked if I meant two. No una. Cue the music “One is the loneliest number….” I sat alone, ate my pop corn alone, and enjoyed every minute of being lost in a movie I could almost understand completely (all the while being completely alone). Afterwards I took myself out to dinner, AND bought myself some dessert. I felt happy and safe. I didn’t mind the solitude and I wasn’t stressed out about the little things like I normally seem to be when on my own. In a responsible move, I even opted for a Coke Zero over a Bud Lite. On the ride home I was friendly with the cab driver. He must have been impressed by me or my Spanish, or maybe just happy to have someone talk to him about his day, because he gave me sixty cents back from our agreed price at the hotel door. Score!

The little things in my day really affected me. Feeling in my element alone, not being afraid to put myself out there, and being friendly have paid off. I feel older. I feel like I am growing up in Panama, in another language, and it feels pretty good.

The part I didn’t mention was successfully surviving the sales pitches of 3 separate cell phone salesmen at two different companies, in Spanish. Yeah so far, unsold. I have enough problems negotiating cell phone contracts in English. I still feel like owning a BlackBerry while in Peace Corps would be like going against my religion. Vamos a ver.

Only got one photo to load, but at least it's a cute one. This is our town's library built by two former Peace Corps volunteers in El Cedro.