After a long two months of training (and an even longer 13 months of application processing!) I was officially sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer on August 22, 2013.
I made it!
The ceremony was held at the Ambassador's house in Panama City, and in addition to the snazzy hors d'oeuvres (I ate so much... so much) we also had an impressive guest list: The Ambassador, the Director of Peace Corps Panama, the Vice Minister of Health, and the Minister of Agriculture.
As if I wasn't already dealing with the full range of emotions in the days leading up to our swear in ceremony, I volunteered to speak on behalf of the agricultural program during the ceremony... in Spanish.
Thanks to countless presentations at the McKenna School and years of 4-H Public Speaking, I wasn't too nervous about my speech. However, I definitely underestimated the added challenge of presenting in a foreign language. Those little butterflies that normally don't affect my presentations scrambled a few words, which was a little disappointing for the perfectionist in me. Regardless, I'm really glad I had the guts to speak that day. If you're curious about what I said, you can check out the english version by clicking through below the photo.
