My Favorite Spot in the City of Knowledge

By Quinton Campbell

When I landed in Panama after leaving from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to say I was looking forward to living in a tropical climate for eight months would have been an understatement.

I knew that I’d have some of the most coveted surfing locations located a matter of hours from me, but when I realized that students had access to an Olympic sized swimming pool located a block from the student housing after a tour of the facilities on my first day, I couldn’t have been more excited.

Spending Some Time by the Pool

Not only was it a great way to relax after a tough exam or a long week, but it also served as one of the only public pools in the area, so it was also a place where many locals from the community would spend time.


You could always count on there being an event at the pool, whether it was a diving competition, a swim meet, or even a birthday party, and all of this added a cultural experience that made what seemed like just another day at the pool something I loved doing regularly. 

The Swimming Pool in the City of Knowledge

As a matter of fact, I visited so often during my two semesters there that when the staff found out that my time in Panama was coming to an end, I was given one of the staff shirts worn by the lifeguards since they knew how much I enjoyed spending time there!