I’ve been home for a day, and already I’ve craved refried black beans and plantains three separate times. I tried to sleep in, but woke up at 7am out of habit. The coffee here already tastes… bleh. And I keep forgetting that I can throw toilet paper actually in the toilet. It’s been an abrupt change from my life in Antigua and my life in Belize to my life in the US; I really was surprised when I realized I had stopped sweating everywhere I went. As thrilled as I am to see my friends, my family, and my dogs, I can’t help but miss Antigua, Tikal, Lake Atitlan and Caye Caulker. We had a beyond incredible month doing everything you could possibly think of and more, and I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. I want the next group of students to have a FANTASTIC time on this study abroad, just like I did. So let me make a few suggestions:
- Stuffed fried jacks in Caye Caulker. A must. It’s the perfect breakfast AND midday snack.
- Choco Museo is worth your time!!! Say hi to Orlando at the Choco Museo by the arch for me. He’s super enthusiastic, and a great teacher.
- Bring an extra suitcase. I came home with my whole suitcase full of wonderful things I had bought and all my clothes in a laundry bag.
- Ask your host mother to teach you how to make fried plantains!
- Eat all the tortillas you can.
- Snorkel in Caye Caulker, even if you aren’t a great swimmer. Marine wildlife is the most fascinating to observe in its natural habitat, or at least I think so. Put sunscreen on your butt.
- When you go to Tikal, go back into the ruins after your first hike. Take time to explore them on your own, get a little lost in a palace. Who knows when you’ll go back!
- Go see the seahorses at the marine reserve in Caye Caulker! They’re endangered, and might be gone soon.
- Hike Pacaya. It’s really not that hard. If you think you can’t do it, take a horse up. Very little compares to the view you get from the top.
- Monterrico is a perfect place to practice body surfing. The waves are gigantic and not to be missed!
- Never say ‘no’ because you’re tired. You can sleep when you’re dead in America, or wherever you call home. Don’t lose a second in Guatemala or Belize that you won’t be able to get back!
I won’t say that this trip *changed* me, because that’s cliche. But I will say that I’ve never been somewhere that I’ve been itching to return to from the second that I got home. Antigua, I love you!
