Settling In

I have officially been in Panama for a week! I started work on Monday at Logistic Services Panama (http://www.lspty.com/). LSP is a 3PL in the warehousing and distribution industry. I work in the newly constructed Randolph Distribution Center in the Colon Free Trade Zone.  I have already started working on a variety of projects and have toured two of the LSP operations. I was amazed by their complexity and the companys’ ability to handle such a large system with ease.

Besides having a great job, I have great coworkers and amazing bosses! I am making many friends who are not only teaching me about the business, but who are helping me with my Spanish as well. Today a group of students from the University of Kansas visited to see one of the LSP operations and to learn about logistics in the free zone. I gave the LSP presentation which I created earlier this week. It was great practice at public speaking!

So far my favorite thing is the commute to work. The views are breath taking; to get to Colon we (the carpool group from Panama City) take a highway that was built in the middle of the rain forest! In my free time I have been busy hammocking but will have to start brushing up on my game of checkers. One of my bosses challenged me to a match!

This evening I went to Cinta Costera for a few hours. I saw the sunset and sat on the breaker wall watching the waves come in. All in all, a great way to end any day.

Bienvenidos!

   Welcome!

Panama City is vibrant and welcoming.  I have only just settled in and I already feel right at home. Panama seems to be a place where everyone knows each other. I have been contacted by friends of the University of Arkansas and members of their alumni group, as well as from people from La Universidad Católica Santa María la Antigua (USMA). Additionally, my home-stay family is great. They have been extremely helpful and are very patient with my limited knowledge of Spanish.

I have already learned a lot about Panama and the area I am living in. Here a few things that I found interesting:

• Where I am living was built in the 1950’s, primarily by the teaching community
• There are over 16,000 species of butterflies in Panama
• Hibiscus plants attract iguanas
• Criollos are people who descended from Iberian Indians

Although I have only been here a few days, I feel like I have accomplished a lot. I have a new local phone number, have mastered (mostly) the Metro System, and up next are the busses! I have been travelling the city in my free time and have visited the Canal, Albrook Mall and the Amador Causeway. I have also been introduced to some great restaurants that I cannot wait to visit again.

Tomorrow is my first day of work. I will be interning with Logistics Services Panama located in Colón. Logistics Services Panama is a 3PL firm. The company has four different locations throughout in Panama and oversees several large operations. I’m excited for my first day!

Hello!

 Hello! My name is Claire Beach and I am a student at the University of Arkansas, in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, where I study International Business with a minor in Economics and a second major in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences in German Language.

This summer (2015) I will be going to Panama to complete an International Internship. I chose Panama because I want to  observe the Panama Canal and the Colon Free Trade Zone. I am very interested in learning about emerging markets and high volume trade areas. A few of my professional and academic goals for this program include networking, observing international business first hand and applying knowledge learned in school while earning credit towards my degree.

I would like to thank the George and Charlene Edwards Honors College International Experience Endowment administered by the Sam M. Walton College Global Engagement Office for giving me this opportunity to spend my summer abroad, working and learning about future career options.

I can’t wait to begin my journey!