“The more we talk about it the more excited I get,” senior Reese Randall said.

During Spring Break, Randall and 23 other students of BHS will be headed to Panama with Spanish Teacher Katie Marten to experience a new culture and to practice a foreign language. The students of the trip will also live with a Panamanian family for a week of their stay.

The excitement is obvious among other students as well.

“I’m excited now, and once I get there I’ll just have to take it all in,” junior Maddie Ogle said. “The family stay is what I’m looking most forward to, learning about their life and culture.”

However, among the excitement there are concerns.

“I think I’ll have a lot of fun, but it might be a little scary at times,” sophomore Analise Gill said. “I’m excited for the family stay, but I’m also nervous because I might forget how to say something in Spanish, and I’m also worried about other things like getting sick. Overall, I’m very excited about being able to zipline, the new food, and meeting new people.”

Eager expectations and excitement to learn is also spread among the students.

“My expectations are really high, I think we are all ready to be immersed in a Spanish speaking country,” Randall said. “At first I was kind of scared to stay with a family that doesn’t speak the same language as me and I don’t even know, but the more we talk about it the more excited I get.”

In contrast of the students, Marten, the lead Panama advisor, has a lot more responsibilities to think of for the trip.

“I hope that we will represent BHS and America positively. I think that some students will push the limits because thats what teenagers do, but I trust the students will keep each other in check,” Marten said. “Honestly, I’m stressed about all the things that still need to be done, but our meetings have been fun, our students get along, and it’s going to be a very fun trip.”