El Fin — The End of the SAP Social Sabbatical in Panama
After four weeks, three island adventures, thousands of Post-it notes, and countless memories, the SAP Social Sabbatical in Panama City has come to an end.
Our group said “adios” to Panama with final presentations on Friday. In just four weeks each team made incredible progress on a range of projects, from custom databases and new processes to an updated communications strategy.
It was hard to leave the wonderful people of Fundación Calicanto, Esperanza, Movimiento Nueva Generación, and Ciudad del Saber, but incredibly rewarding to leave each organization with tools to support their common mission to help the people of Panama, a country we have come to love.
For me, the last two weeks were a whirlwind as we continued to work on our final deliverables and explore Panama’s beautiful scenery.
But as time seemed to accelerate, I learned to slow down. In the workplace I adjusted to what we quickly dubbed “Panamanian time”, with every meeting or activity starting at least 15 minutes late. Those extra minutes became time for conversation and contemplation. And in our weekend travels I learned the healing power of disconnecting from Wi-Fi, lounging in a hammock, and getting to know the people around you.
The best thing about this experience has been the people, and I will be forever grateful to the SAP Social Sabbatical for bringing together these wonderful colleagues from around the world. From the Marriott breakfast table to long cross-country car rides, from the shores of San Blas to the woods of Isla Contadora, we have bonded over our work, our cultures, and our mixed feelings about reggaeton and rice. And if our WhatsApp group is any indication, the conversation isn’t going to stop anytime soon.
