I first set foot on Barro Colorado Island almost a month ago. I was tired from my long trip to Panama and anxious about all the differences I would have to get used to over the coming three months.
For one, I was nervous about speaking Spanish. I realized in the airport that I could hardly communicate with anyone because I hadn't practiced my Spanish since graduating from high school two years ago. It seemed like everyone was speaking so quickly! I felt embarrassed to ask people to repeat themselves so I could understand. Plus, Panamanian Spanish is spoken with a different accent than the Mexican Spanish I was used to hearing in California, so I had to listen very closely to those with whom I was speaking.
Now, I find myself speaking some Spanish every day! My partner in the field, Alexis, is from Panama City. He is in college, too, and he is learning English. He is very patient with my beginner-level Spanish because he understands how hard it is to learn a new language. We have a fun time practicing our second languages, though. He will ask a question in English that I will answer in Spanish, and then I will ask a question in Spanish for him to answer in English. He also likes to teach me Panamanian slang.
