Location: Atenas, Costa Rica Next Stop: Panama City, Panama — Estimated time of arrival 4 p.m. Before I could climb into bed around 10 p.m., I packed my backpack and piled into a bus with the faculty and students for a 18 hour bus ride to Panama City where we would study for the next week. At 4 a.m. we arrived at the Border. One problem: the Costa Rica border did not open till 6 a.m. Hey, at least we secured our spot first in line! When the workers arrived, we got our passports stamped and some of us paid around 50 cents to use the bathroom and we were on our way to the Panama border. One thing I will never forget is the unique odor of the Border and parts of Panama City. It absolutely reeks– of what, I am not sure. As we waited in line for our passports to be stamped and our luggage to be checked, I reflected on the complications of country borders and the little previous knowledge I had about this important travel information. Finally, we shuffled onto the bus around 8 a.m. We ate lunch at this crappy buffet with overcooked vegetables and no other vegetarian options and then we arrived in Panama City around 3:30 and got lost among the tall building trying to find our hotel. When we arrived, it was AWESOME to stretch our legs and have a hotel room where I could browse the Internet in bed. We also had our own porch, kitchen and bathroom. I guess it was worth waiting for a little paradise.

Location: Panama City, Panama