2) Just because your neighbors have electricity, doesn't mean you do.
3) You can eat anything with a spoon, even a plate of spaghetti and rice.
4) Children don't really need to be potty trained because they can just go to the bathroom anywhere.
5) Just because there is a telephone in your town doesn't mean it will ever work.
6) "A las 4 y adelante" really means 10:00pm.
7) Being called 'gringa' can be endearing or offensive, depending on how it's said.
8) A television can work in a town with no electricity as long as there's a old car battery and aluminum foil.
9) Two year olds drink coffee on a daily basis.
10) Never leave your house without a machete and sombrero.
11) Eating a few bugs every now and then won't kill you.
12) Cow feet soup is actually delicious.
13) In the rainy season you accept your damp clothes for dry enough.
14) You can eat plain white rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
15) Panamanian women own three pairs of shoes; flip-flops, rubber boots, and high-heels.
16) Campesinos truly believe that getting your head wet when it's sunny outside will make you sick.
17) You can eat birthday cake out of a cup with no eating utensil.
18) Roosters crow allllllllll dayyyy looooooong.
19) Two people can shower with less than 5-gallons of water.
20) You can give yourself bruises if you scratch your bug bites hard enough.
21) There is nothing better than a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice on a hot day.
22) Panamanians will judge you on how you dress. (and how clean your shoes are)
23) Laying in your hammock all day is acceptable.
24) You can survive without Internet and cell phone service.
25) You can fall asleep anywhere. Hammock, moldy mattress, concrete floor, and public transport included.
26) Customer service is relative.
27) Plastic bags will be the reason for the end of the world.
28) It is possible to get sick of fresh ripe bananas whenever every person you see gives you 10 of them.
29) It is NOT possible to get sick of fresh oranges.
30) You can be happy with very little possessions in your life.
31) Panamanian women think I don't know how to wash clothes or dishes or do anything else related to housework.
32) Eating Panamanian style tamales is not the same as eating Mexican tamales, and they make my stomach hurt.
33) My stomach is a lot stronger than I thought.
34) "Ahora" really means anytime but right now.
35)The lines on my abuelas face are beautiful.
36) Campesinos aren't poor. They just don't have money.
37) Campo children are way more well behaved than American children.
38) Living in close quarters with snakes, tarantulas, and scorpions really isn't that bad.
39) Humans are very adaptable.
40) I have learned more from Panamá than Panamá has from me.
41) Yes, Peace Corps is tough, but it is the best decision I have ever made.
I can truly say I admire you for undertaking a task like the Peace Corp. I think it's cool, cruel and an adventure like you will never have again.
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