Applying/Timeline:
If you decide to apply to PC, make sure you already have patience in your back pocket. The application process is long, and sometimes you could go months without hearing anything from them. But have hope, your application has not been lost. Here is how my application timeline went:
late November 2010 - Submitted my application (had been working on it for about 6 weeks)
late December 2010 - received an email offering interview times
January 5, 2011 - Interview in the Atlanta PC Regional Office - immediately received a nomination for Sub-Saharan, French-speaking Africa in July 2011
early February 2011 - received my medical packet - off to the doctors! be prepared for this, it's a lot of doctors and a fair bit of money, only some of which you can get reimbursed - but you know you're healthy!
late March 2011 - found out I was on medical hold because I needed to get my wisdom teeth out
late June 2011 - finally got my wisdom teeth out (scheduling/insurance issues made this take a while), but I knew I wasn't going to be leaving for Africa in July
early September 2011 - phone conversation with a Placement Officer in Washington -almost another interview, pretty intense, but she told me she was re-nominating me to leave in January 2012, but i didn't know where yet.
early October 2011 - I received my official Invitation! Leaving for Panama on January 11, 2012
January 10, 2012 - flew to Miami, Florida (at 5am) for Staging - a one-day orientation
January 11, 2012 - flew to Panama with the rest of Group 70!
March 14, 2012 - swore in as official Peace Corps Volunteers!! finally! one year and four months later!
Peace Corps Panama Packing List:
Of course what you need to bring will greatly depend on what your sector/assignment is and, clearly, I can best speak about the Teaching English sector – but I’m sure this can be of some help no matter what your assignment.
Things that they might tell you not to bring, but really are ok:
- Short-sleeve shirts for school – long sleeve shirts are NOT required in Panamanian schools - though all of the teachers do wear button-up blouses, which is something to keep in mind if you’re trying to blend in
- Shorts - many Panamanians wear super short shorts, especially in the city, though you might want to be a little more conservative in your site – though men, this doesn’t apply – you will hardly ever catch a Panamanian man in shorts
- Tank tops – I don’t wear spaghetti strap tank tops out, but I sometimes use them for swimming, but I have been wearing my 2-inch strap tank tops ALL the time – they’re the coolest appropriate clothing I brought
Essentials to bring:
- Light-weight skirts (just at or below the knee are good) – I brought 3
- A few pairs of breathable, nice-looking pants – I brought 2 pairs of North Face quick-dry (black and tan), one pair of Gap cotton black pants, and one pair of khakis
- Button-down shirts for working in schools (I have several ones that are long-sleeve but I roll them up and it’s fine) – either quick dry, or normal cotton/blend – I brought 4, bought 2 more since being here
- Lightweight t-shirts (like crew-neck colorful, nice-ish shirts) – I brought 5
- One or two sweaters – the PC office is ALWAYS cold, as are Panamanian buses
- Dresses are nice sometimes too – I brought 2
- One nicer dress/outfit for swear-in – you’re actually going to want to look nice for this event, and will probably be tired of all of your clothes by then, so maybe think of bringing something specifically for swear-in – you’ll also find uses for it later in your site - I didn't bring this, and wish I had
- At least one pair of jeans – I brought 3 – 2 would probably be adequate though
- t-shirts for lounging/working outside – I brought 4, sometimes wish I had 1 or 2 more
- comfy shorts – like running shorts – great for lounging/swimming/exercising – I brought 1 pair running shorts (wish I had another pair), 1 pair long Frisbee shorts
- Bathing suit – some of the people in our group didn’t bring these, and wished they had – I brought 1 bikini and 1 one-piece
- Clothes you can swim in the river in – in panama, showing your hips is apparently very promiscuous and you never see people just in a bathing suit in a river – it’s shorts and a t-shirt over the bathing suit (I use my running shorts and t-shirts)
- plenty of underwaer (at least 2 weeks worth), socks (I brought 12) and bras (I brought 3 normal, 3 sports)
- shorts & tank tops to sleep in/ PJs
- umbrella, poncho and/or rainjacket (I haven’t experienced the rainy season yet… so I’ll leave it at this for now)
Shoes:
- tennis shoes
- flip flops (for the shower and for every-day wear)
- chacos (PC considers these appropriate “business casual” during training, plus I love the security that my foot isn’t going to slip in my shoe when I’m in a river or something)
- closed-toe shoes/flats for teaching – these ARE necessary – you can only wear open toed shoes in the schools if they are heels, and since you don’t know where your site is going to be, I would leave those at home – I brought 2 pairs of flats and bought a pair of Croc flats since being here (I swore I would never buy Crocs, but these actually aren’t so bad and can be wiped off when you get to school during the rainy season)
Miscellaneous:
- towel – a large (covers your whole body) quick-dry is the best way to go
- headlamp – if you bring no other flashlight, bring a headlamp – the strobe function is also great for dance-parties
- sleeping bag (lightweight – I have the REI Travel Sac) and sleeping pad (I brought a Thermarest inflatable) – either for camping, staying at someone’s place, or just for making your bed more comfortable – I also brought a silk sleeping sack which has proved useful on several occasions (like when the bed I was staying in smelled funny... or when my sleeping bag was too hot, but I wanted some type of cover)
- the sunscreen that you like – and aloe vera, just in case
- the make-up that makes you happy
- at least 3 months worth of shampoo and bodywash and any other products you use every day (deoderant, face lotion, face wash etc) - you won't have much time to shop during training
- razor/shaving cream – I tried the not-shaving thing, but it just bugged me, but if you think you want to go that way (a lot of Panamanians & PCVs do), then feel free to leave these at home
- toothbrush/paste, hair brush, etc
- photos of friends and family at home, and maybe of your house/city (great for both decorating and explaining to people where you’re from), map of the US (don't have this, wish I did!)
- computer – those few people in my group who didn’t bring a computer have regretted it – plus it’s a pain to figure out when/where to buy one when you get here
- external hard drive – you will most likely come across a movie library or two while you’re here, plus good for backing up your computer in case the elements break it eventually
- clock - perhaps not necessary, it was a homey comfort for me
- waterbottle (my Nalgene is always on me)
- recipes that you really love (to share with your host family, and make on your own!)
- gifts for your host family (something that represents where you’re from is nice) – bring a gift bag/tissue paper too – getting your hands on gift wrap is going to be a bit difficult in the beginning - you will probably have at least 2 host families (one in training, one in-site)
- a hand-held mirror (thanks Mom) - don't bet on your host family having a mirror that you can use
- pens/pencils for you to write with
- playing cards (always come in handy at one point or another)
- panama guide book - don't have one, wish I did
- Nook or Kindle - I have a Nook and like it, but I think every other person in my group has a Kindle)
Luggage:
- hiking backpack – most people in my group have one of these, and those that don’t struggle a little when they have to transport their luggage – it’s really the best way I’ve found to carry a lot of stuff and still having your hands free – I bought an Osprey Ariel 65 and have been very happy
- rolling bag (yea, yea Dad, I can hear you laughing and saying I told you so) that also has a shoulder strap – most places where you’ll be will have at least dirt roads that will be somewhat-rollable. But if it has a shoulder strap, or is easily carry-able in another way, that makes it easy to transport all of your luggage yourself without help
- a bag/tote that you will want to carry to school – I didn’t think about this at all when I was packing, but luckily I packed a black tote bag. Most of the teachers use briefcases or shoulder messenger bags, but I have yet to see a backpack. So keep this in mind and maybe bring one tote bag.
- I also brought my school backpack, which I've used more and more as my service has progressed (I've learned to pack lighter haha)
Miscellaneous tips:
Clothing Material: When I was packing, I was super strict about wanting to bring things that were only cotton and were super light-weight. While light-weight is definitely a key here, don’t worry so much about whether it’s all cotton, or quick dry or what not. Just make sure it’s breathable, durable, and easily washable (I guarantee you will be washing things by hand a fair bit – and most definitely when you live by yourself, unless somehow you find a house to rent that has a washer – highly unlikely - or your landlady graciously lets you use hers).
Feel good clothing: Bring that one shirt that you love and that makes you feel good when you wear it. I know I’ve felt like I look like a bag half of the time since I’ve been here because I brought a lot of looser-fitting clothing (good for working in the schools though), and I find myself wishing pretty frequently that I had brought that black v-neck shirt that I wear all the time, or that pink and white skirt that I love. So bring at least a few things that you do wear all the time and that make you feel good – odds are you’re going to find times to wear it, even if it’s not to school.
Basically, the gist of this is to bring some of your normal clothing. I spent a lot of time looking for quick-dry or all cotton clothing, and it’s not all that necessary. Just think light and airy, and you’ll be fine.
Packing: those airlock/compressible bags are great for packing
What NOT to bring:
- Multiple long sleeve shirts thinking you need them for school (bring one or two longsleeve t-shirts in case you go to the mountains for a night or something, and button downs that you can roll the sleeves up are also ok)
- hiking boots – while useful, tennis shoes work just fine. If you decide you really need them, you can buy them here. Though if you're an agriculture volunteer, they may be useful, I can't speak for that.
- hair dryer – if it turns out you get a site where you have enough electricity, buy one then, but during training it’s really not necessary and might blow your family’s circuit
- solar panels/portable showers/water treatments/those things you think you’ll need if you don’t have water or electricity – all but 1 of the TE volunteers has water , and only a few more don’t have electricity – so if you find that you are REALLY in need of these things once you get to your site, you can either buy them here (though it might be kind of tough) or have your family send them to you
- mosquito net – PC will provide this for you
- tons of medicine – of course bringing the essentials, like Advil, Tylenol, and cortisone are good, but don’t bring much more than that because PC will give you a HUGE medical kit that has just about anything you will need (though do bring things that you find yourself using often, the kit might not have it or it might not be the kind you like)
- converter/adapter – in case you haven’t found this info elsewhere, Panama’s plugs are the same size, shape, and voltage as in the US
Language/Teaching:
If you like to learn languages in a certain way – like out of a textbook for example – bring one with you. PC told my group not to and that they would give us a book, but they never did. We also never got the promised 501 Spanish Verbs book. So if you have a basic Spanish book from high school or college, it will come in handy if you want grammar explanations in English (the Spanish teachers are good – but they can’t provide adequate explanations in English for those times when your Spanish just isn’t cutting it). But PC WILL give you a dictionary, so feel free to leave that one at home.
Bring any teaching resources/materials that you feel would be really useful – like a useful book on teaching techniques, teaching ESL/EFL/TOEFL, or even an English grammar book would all come in handy.
A warning about packing:
PC gives you a bunch of stuff when you first get here. Like a 10 x 14 x 4 inch medical kit, a mosquito net that probably is 6 x 15 x 4, a 3-inch 3-ring binder, and a book on teaching in other countries. Suffice it to say, all of this had to go in another bag since my luggage was packed to the max.
Also, while everyone says that you can find anything you really need down here, and this is true – it is also true that you have very little free time during training. And then during your first 3 months in-site you aren’t supposed to leave your province (unless you need to go to the PC office, or have permission for some reason). So bring what you think you’ll need at least for the first 3 months, then you’ll have a little bit more flexibility to go shopping. Albrook Mall in Panama City (also the national bus terminal) has just about anything you could want (including a Gap, which was my heaven at the end of training, and other American stores, though they’re more expensive here), but the regional capitals also have local stores where you can get most things.
Money – Check with your country desk about this, but when we got to Staging, they gave us about $150, of which I might have spent $20 in the first week. And I brought a fair amount of money with me from home, so I ended up with more cash than I was comfortable carrying. Getting money down here isn’t difficult, so just bring an ATM card, money for a week or two (maybe $100 or $150, to give you some cushion), and you’ll be fine. PC also gives you cash for your weekly payments during training, so you don’t have to worry about going to a bank.
Of course this is a lot of information, and you will probably still get down here with things you don't need and things you wish you had, but hopefully this helps with packing thoughts! I know it was an extensive/stressful process for me and hopefully this helps!
