The Invisible Souvenirs

There are only two things I enjoy shopping for: shoes and books. Granted, I have a bit of an addiction to shoe and book shopping (I may have just ordered a pair of gorgeous cognac riding boots and a book on tiger attacks in the Russian wilderness), but other than that, I'm not much of a "stuff" person. I'd rather be dipped in a vat of boiling oil than spend my whole weekend at the mall (AKA, the evil windowless box that eats your money). And our apartment is too small to house a truckoad of random decorative objects. So it's probably unsurprising that I avoid shopping like the plague while travelling.

That doesn't mean I come back empty-handed. My camera memory card is almost always filled to capacity. I usually have at least one good story: "So, I was almost arrested in Amsterdam," or, "We went on a garden tour at 2 AM, and I got attacked by a lemon." (There's more to both of those stories, but I'll spare you.) And of course, there are the invisible souvenirs.

I've been in Panama for over three months now, and it won't be that long before I'm heading home to Washington. While I'm very excited to be going back to my city, I have to confess, I'm also going to be sad to leave. But like with any trip, long or short, there are pieces I'll be taking with me. Here is the top five list of the invisible souvenirs I'll be bringing home from Panama.

1. Watermelon Juice
Inevitably, everytime I go to a new country, I come back with a new food/drink obsession. In Hungary, it was cherry soup. In Germany, I discovered Riesling (still my favorite wine). A trip to the Philippines set off an all-consuming love of mangoes. And in Panama? Watermelon juice. I have consumed an obscene amount of watermelon juice. And I can pretty much guarantee that when I get home, our blender will be working overtime. (Recipe: Select watermelon. Split watermelon. Scoop watermelon meat into blender. Blend.)

NOTE: If you are currently thinking "Wait! Watermelons aren't invisible!", don't worry, I know that. But I think you probably get the point anyway.

2. Slight Trepidation about Men with Hairless Arms
As many of you know, I didn't actually see the face of the man who mugged me my third week in Panama, given the difficulties of turning around while in a headlock. While my friend was able to give a few more details to the police, the only description I could provide was that I was attacked by a burly hairless arm. Since then, I am constantly noticing burly hairless arms. And inevitably my first thought is, "Hmm, you have hairless arms. Are you, by any chance, a mugger?" Irrationality: 1; Lani: 0.

3. The Verb "Pegar"
I really didn't get this verb pre-Panama. Largely because it is used for so many things. But now I can use it! Here are some real-life examples of the verb "pegar" in action:
La pantalla está pegada.
The screen is frozen.
Mis zapatos estaban pegados al suelo.
My shoes were stuck to the floor.
Quiero pegarlo.
I want to slap him.

4. Several Animals Crossed off my To-See List
Three-toed sloth, crocodile, basilisk (also called the Jesus Christ Lizard) running across the water, marmoset, howler monkey, capuchin monkey, agouti, coati, iguana, toucan, and a ton of other birds.

5. An Improved Resume
I get to add a three-month internship with a major international organization, which adds some diversity to my work experience. And my first publication came out this month (through the organization I interned with last semester in Washington). Of course, implied in this list item is everything I learned while doing the work, not just getting to put the experience on a piece of paper.

Minus the hairless arms thing, I think those are a lot better than a mass-produced Panama hat. Especially since "Panama hats" are actually from Ecuador. And instead, I can buy books for my upcoming western Panama and Costa Rica vacation. (I did say it was an addiction.) Recommendations, anyone? :-)