Giving Thanks In Panama

This year for Thanksgiving I traveled to Panama to see my best friend Jessica who is living down there working for a music foundation. Leaving the United States for Thanksgiving seems counter-intuitive; however, by being in a foreign country I found myself more grateful for all the blessings in my life than I have been in a long time.

We spent the morning at a beautiful coffee shop drinking lattes and cappuccinos with foam art, and I had the pleasure of meeting some of Jessica’s friends and their adorable dog, Manu!

Manu!!

A beautiful coffee shop in Casco Viejo with a wonderful of a church that serves amazing coffee.

Jessica!

The afternoon was spent at the foundation where Jessica works. She made sure the teachers were there, that the students took their lesson and then received lunch, and she taught a violin lesson to a little boy as I sat there adjusting to the heat by sweating through my clothing. This gave me the opportunity to sit and observe all the music filling the air around me and to catch up on my journal. I had the pleasure of hearing Christmas carols mingle in the courtyard in the swelter Panamanian heat; it was an experience so far from home, but I enjoyed every minute of it.  

The art foundation across the street.

The jazz foundation across the street. 

Site reading challenge!! 

It was at the foundation that I realized it was indeed Thanksgiving, and as I looked around at the children who were so happy to be practicing Christmas music and receiving a free meal after school it became clear that this is what the holidays are actually about. I am so thankful that I was able to travel to Panama to see Jessica for a week! And that we were able to able to eat pastel de pollo for Thanksgiving dinner (at least we had a bird of some sort!)