Health and Safety while Abroad #HogsAbroad in Belize

Time is flying by here in Belize. I can’t believe my time here is already half way over! Last week was a rough one. We came home last Sunday to our house broken into. Luckily we only had very minor things like shampoo and laundry detergent stolen. Unfortunately theft is a harsh reality of travel. In fact it’s a harsh reality of life in general. If there is one thing I have learned from all my travels it’s that there are good people and not so good people everywhere. Break ins can happen anywhere. I have had friends who have had their cars and homes broken into in Fayetteville, Arkansas so don’t let this scare you away from travel (I’m talking to you future Belize Interns). 

Instead be aware. If you leave where you are staying for a weekend away make sure to leave some house lights on to make it seem like someone is still home (we didn’t do this). Also tell your trusted neighbors you will be leaving for the weekend and ask them to keep an eye on the house for you. If you are paranoid about leaving valuables then bring them with you. Make sure to bring a small lock that you can use to lock up your valuables in your hostel. Always be aware of your surroundings and trust yourself. If you feel that something is wrong don’t ignore that feeling. Travel doesn’t have to be scary in fact it shouldn’t be! Taking precautions and being aware can help you stay safe and avoid unwanted situations. We ended up moving out of our sea breeze house to the peace work house on the other side of town.

On top of the break in I ended up getting really sick. I went to bed last Thursday with a fever and intense lower back pain. I originally thought the back pain was cramps but soon realized something was wrong because I had never experienced that kind of pain before. I went to the doctor the next morning with a 103-degree fever and ended up having a kidney infection that came from a UTI. These are very common for girls to get while traveling. Luckily we caught my kidney infection early enough and I was better within a few days. 

Whenever you are traveling and get sick make sure to trust yourself. You know your body better than anyone and if something doesn’t feel right then something is probably wrong. It is always better safe than sorry. I could have ended up in the hospital if I would not have caught my kidney infection as early as I did. You can never be to careful when it comes to your health and safety while traveling so make sure you come prepared and do your research. Non of this should scare you off from having your own travel adventure. My purpose in sharing my experiences are to help you avoid and learn from them. Stay well friends and never stop traveling.

To the ends of the earth.

​Jess
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To learn more about the U of A Community Development in Belize program, visit http://studyabroad.uark.edu/belize 

For more information on international placement opportunities with Peacework, check out  http://www.peacework.org/how_we_work.php#/how_we_work.php