Arrival Into Belize

We officially made it to Belize! I arrived only about 15 minutes before the rest of the group did. We made it through customs smoothly, although it did take a while. The ride into San Ignacio brought back a flood of memories. We passed by the old tire junkyard, the houses with colorful clothing hanging out to dry, the kids on bikes to get a tow by grabbing onto the back of moving cars, the dogs in the road, signs for Belkin Beer (the country’s exclusive beer company and huge industry), the bridge where a lifejacket hangs from the top of a nearby tree… evidence from the floodwaters that ravaged the area not long ago. What’s even better was looking behind myself on the bus at the 20 new student nurses here seeing these things for the first time. You see wonder in their eyes, a bit of disbelief that we’re actually in Belize, excitement about what this journey will hold, and a bit of shock at the way they are starting to see these people actually live. Finally, we got to the place we’re staying around 8pm and had dinner. I spent the rest of the evening settling in. Three very simple things, a candle to warm my room, a stick of Nag Champa incense to take out the musky smell, and music from the Garden State soundtrack all take me to a place of peace and centeredness. The sounds of the rainforest, chirping and all feel so wonderfully familiar. I’m back and I’m blessed to be here.