“Now
more than ever do I realize that I will never be content with a
sedentary life, that I will always be haunted by thoughts of a
sun-drenched elsewhere.”
― Isabelle Eberhardt
― Isabelle Eberhardt
So let me start off by saying that this blog is long over due considering I have been in Belize for a little over a month now.
The truth is I have been trying really hard to put the feelings and thoughts in my head into logical words that other human beings can understand. So I guess I will start from the beginning.
Belize is a little slice of Paradise. A very hot and humid Paradise, but a Paradise nonetheless. My little house called “Sea Breeze Rooms” sits right on the Ocean and I fall asleep each night listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore and wake up every morning to the sunrise peaking over the horizon. The breeze from the Ocean is our only form of air conditioning so cold showers have become a blessing.
Belize is a place of extreme diversity. Its national Language is English but there are many other languages present here including Mayan, Spanish, Creole, And Garifuna. It has a more Caribbean Vibe near the coast and a more Latino style to the North and West.
I’ve been living in a town called Dangriga for about a month now. Dangriga is a town with a lot of poverty but also a lot of possibility. My internship here in Belize is with an organization called steadfast tourism and conservation, which manages the Billy Barquedier National Park. My project consists of composing a water conservation campaign proposal that will be administered by the local youth once I’m gone. The National Park protects the local watershed that supplies several surrounding communities with fresh water. Currently water is being used faster than supplied which is why it is so important to educate the local communities surrounding the park the importance of water conservation and the park itself. I’ve learned a lot about the environment and how critical it is that we protect it.
My forth roommate this summer in Belize besides my friends Caleb and Brooke is a girl named Zainab. SHE IS FROM MOROCCO. The Universe works is the best ways. Before deciding to come to Belize my heart was torn between this internship and returning to Morocco. Zainab made it clear to me that I made the right choice and that Belize is where I am meant to be right now. Even though my heart aches for Morocco I have a little piece here with me in Dangriga, Belize. I am always amazed how God works and answers your hearts desires in different ways. Always listen to your heart friends because when you do, you are listening to God and to the universe.
So far I have visited a town called Hopkins, Tikal Guatemala, and a peninsula town called Placencia. All have been nothing less than extraordinary. This weekend we are going to explore caves with ancient Mayan Artifacts in a town called San Ignacio. Stay tuned (:
I send my love to you from Dangriga. I promise I will write sooner than later.
Your friend,
Jess
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
