....unless you are in Panama.
Thanksgiving
After our in-service training, G68 decided that taking several buses out to Chiriqui was not going to work. So we chartered a bus and all 40 ish of us headed west to spend Thanksgiving in Cerro Punta, Chiriqui. This is how Thanksgiving works in Peace Corps Panama. The majority of volunteers head out to this mountain resort to spend an American holiday with Americans. The volunteers make and serve all the delicious food and we just get to hang out. It was incredibly beautiful there, with a fireplace in our room and beautiful gardens, and hammocks. I also got a hot stone massage, with no fake babbling brook or bird noises, because those noises were real outside. Also this area is well known for strawberries and cream, so you betcha I had some of those. I was really worried about spending my first holiday away from my family, but I really couldn't have spent it better! I got to spend time with my PC family and had dinner with some of my best friends here and we shared what we were thankful for and ate way too much. And truly I am so grateful for them! I complain about leaving site, but I don't know where I would be with out my gringas!
Christmas
Christmas was a little bit trickier. My host mom, Melania, had invited me ages ago to spend Christmas with them, either with her sister in Las Tablas or her daughter in Panama. One week before Christmas her daughter got really sick and she went to Panama to take care of her. Now of course I was concerned for her daughter and of course she had to go, but I felt super selfish because now what the heck was I going to do for Christmas? I was feeling super bummed and had no clue what to do. The Wednesday before Christmas my host brother came over and said I could still go to Las Tablas. That it would be him and my other host brother, and I already knew the family of Melania's sister. So I agreed!
Christmas is a little different down here. They do the lights (if they have electricity) and tree (some people) which made me happy. Traditions include rice with guandu, also turkey and ham, and of course lots of rice. Also apples, pears, and grapes. No one knew how to make a ham, so I took on ham making responsibilities. Its tradition to stay up until midnight, then open your presents, and eat more. So we stayed up watching Christmas movies and talking. My ham was excellent! And they even gave me a little gift. It was just some cookies and candy, but it was so sweet!
For Christmas Day, it is a day of visiting. Eat lots more and visit your family. I was playing with the kids and the new toy they each got and just hanging out. I got to talk to my family which I thought might make me sad, but it just pumped me up! My mom (my real my that is) brought a photo of me to Christmas Day at my grandma's and said she was going to set me up at the table when they were playing cards. I felt really grown up. That I can be happy in another place for the holidays. That night I made chocolate chip cookies, which turned out looking awful, but tasted delicious! Christmas success!
New Year's
I am going to start off my saying I am not a huge NYE fan. I had been planning on going to Las Tablas again, but upcoming travel plans made it not a good idea for me to leave. On NYE Mila (another host mom) killed a chicken and made some soup with chicha. She had this box of cookies that we ate too. Some of the boys had fireworks, so they were shooting off bottle rockets. Carlos (a host dad) was playing the guitar. It was pretty cold out and I was tired so I went to bed at 11, perfectly happy. Slept right into the New Year.
I was invited for New Year's Day to go to the next community La Desbarancada. One of the families was going to be killing a pig and were inviting people over. The day was just spent chatting and preparing food and eating. I helped to make the potato salad and we had rice mixed with pork and vegetables. It was excellent!
First holidays away from my family have been deemed a sucess! (But don't worry family, I won't try to spend too many away from home!)
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