First Week in Belize

The first few days in Belize have been nothing short of an adventure! We started our time here in San Ignacio, Belize because the  schools are closed for two weeks for Easter break. On our first day there, we visited a Mayan community. We learned about how the Mayan’s cooked corn tortillas, and we got to make our own… hopefully a skill I will bring home with me! 

Then, we visited a Mennonite family. It was interesting to learn from them about their lifestyle, and how it worked in Belize. The next day we did the coolest thing ever… we got to go through the Actun Tunichil Muknal Mayan Cave! We were swimming through the most beautiful water, sliding through tiny crevices, and climbing up to seventy-five feet all while learning about the Mayan history that took place in that cave. This was definitely an experience I will never forget! 

On Saturday, we had a free, so some of us decided to go zip-lining in Guatemala. Best. Free. Day. Ever. It was seriously so much fun (and slightly terrifying)! We spent a couple hours in Flores, which is a beautiful island in Guatemala. 

On our last day in San Ignacio, we visited Carocal, one of the Mayan ruins in Belize. It was so incredible to get to learn about the importance of the ruins to the Mayans, and the view wasn’t bad either! Our time in San Ignacio was a great start to our time here in Belize. 

Then we moved on to San Pedro on Monday! We headed to the water taxi in Belize City, and made our way to the beautiful island of San Pedro…and I mean BEAUTIFUL! We have been exploring and learning about the island the past few days. The rest of the week will be spent learning about the island and beginning our service projects. The students are on Easter break for the rest of the week, so we will begin in the schools next week.

This experience has been incredible so far! I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to experience a new culture, and really understand the people and life here in San Pedro. I am enjoying this week settling in, but I am really excited to start in the schools and meet the students I will be working with! 

Next Stop: Belize!

I am currently in route to Belize, and I am so excited for my time there! I am looking forward to meeting the people, understanding the culture, and getting to teach in a new place. I am most excited about teaching abroad. This has been a dream of mine, and it is something I have wanted to do for a while. I am excited to learn through my time in Belize, if this is something I could see myself doing. I am eager to live there, and to understand what life is like in San Pedro. I want to get involved in the community, and have a true understanding of what life is like there. I feel like this will help me relate to the students I teach, and have a better appreciation for where I will be living for the next five weeks. I think the biggest challenge will be teaching immediately after meeting the students and teachers we will be working with. This challenge will be one of the ways I grow the most during my time in Belize. I can't wait to be there and begin teaching!