Favorite High School Experience!

Hi, my name is Mikaela and I am a 17-year-old incoming high school senior. Traveling with Global Glimpse to Panama was truly such an unforgettable experience. Going into the trip, I did not have any set expectations and while I knew it would be a valuable experience, I never expected it to impact me in the way it did. It was so incredible to intentionally experience a new country's culture, history, and biodiversity. The most prominent difference between traveling on one's own and with an organization such as Global Glimpse is that with Global Glimpse, forming a global perspective and exploring the different foundations that keep a country afloat (like the locals, the small towns, and the nonprofit organizations) is at the forefront of the trip. As someone who has traveled internationally before, my trip to Panama was so distinct from my other experiences, which is something I did not entirely expect. I felt like I was intentionally seeking out and learning about unique perspectives from the people we interacted with on our field trips. Additionally, not having access to my phone made bonding with my fellow glimpsers and leaders easier and all the more fun. I think it allowed us to form long-lasting friendships with each other that would not have been possible otherwise. Don't let the no phones scare you away!! Overall, forming friendships, having conversations with my program coordinators, and experiencing Panama up close created such a memorable experience! My advice to future glimpsers would be to go into the program with an open mind because that is what allowed me to experience it to the fullest!