As everyone is posting their farewell blog posts, now is the time for reflection. However, I feel like a lot of our posts will be similar, so let me try to keep this short for you…
As I look back on this past month, I still can’t believe how fast it’s gone by and all that I was able to do because of it. I’ve done more than I thought was possible to squeeze into a month, and I don’t regret a second of it.
During the course of this trip, I went from the metropolis of Houston, Texas to the Highlands of Guatemala, the black shores of Monterrico, Belize’s New River, and then out to the Caribbean at Caye Caulker. From Ocean to Ocean, this trip was an experience that I will never forget. It was also filled with a bunch of firsts…
This trip included my first time…
Traveling to Guatemala and Belize,
Staying in a homestay,
Hiking a Volcano and seeing it erupt,
Seeing the Pacific Ocean and black sand beaches of Monterrico,
Coming back to a city covered in ash,
(this is only a tiny fraction of the ash that covered the city)
Attending class in a foreign country,
Making chocolate from scratch (and then drinking it!),
Standing in ruins in the downtown of Antigua,
Wearing a hairnet (and looking great),
Bartering for souvenirs (I got a lot… oops)
Seeing a Tapir, jaguar, toucan, bushdog, and a whole zoo of other Native Belizean animals,
Standing on top of an ancient pyramid higher than the trees,
(multiple, I might add),
Eating Lobster,
Seeing a manta ray, Shark, and Green Turtle (all in the same day too),
Getting bit by a bird,
Going kayaking on the sea,
Seeing a Seahorse (can you find it?),
going swimming with my professors,
And feeling truly at home in a foreign country.
This month has been one to remember, and one that I won’t forget. And who knows, maybe you’ll see me in another new country getting some more firsts under my belt next summer.
- Natalie
PS… If you’re ever going to Antigua, PLEASE BRING ME WITH YOU.