"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others" --Mahatma Gandhi

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Knee Deep in the Water Somewhere

Feel like I have sooooo much to write about because I haven't been having the time at night. We have been so busy I couldn't even tell you what I did on Thursday, but this weekend was one of the most memorable of my life. We left for Caye Caulker on Friday morning. We all love Dangriga, but everyone was so excited to just get some time for ourselves. We took another old beaten up school bus to Belize City, which is about three hours away. Belize City is definitely an interesting place. It is dirty and there are tons and tons of people and its loud and not very pretty, so I'm glad we didn't spend time there. Once we got to Belize City we took an hour long boat ride to Caye Caulker. This island is literally a hidden gem. I almost want to say that it is the prettiest place I have ever been, but you all know nothing beats Mountain Home. We were split between a couple different hotels but luckily all of the business team was close. The view from my balcony was unreal. The minute we stepped off the boat we all threw on our swimsuits and were at the pool and bar within 15 minutes, trying to make the most of our limited time on the island.  After dinner, we ended the night dancing at a Reggae bar with everyone. I love being in Dangriga and I don't ever want to lose sight of my true purpose in being here, but after a full week of hard work the island was exactly the type of getaway I think we all needed. We woke up early early Saturday morning, had amazing breakfast on the beach, and headed to snorkel. The Belize Barrier Reef is the second largest and most recognized reef in the world. I had snorkeled some before but not like this. First we went to the shallow part of the reef where there were sand patches and we could stand up if we needed to. The water was turquoise blue and everything was beautiful. Luckily that was the only site that I dropped my phone. The next spot we went to was much deeper and longer and we had to follow our guide. There were eighteen people on my boat and everyone wore life jackets except for me and two of my friends. I felt like a pro snorkeler. Anyways the deeper site was fun because we dove down deeper and saw an eel and such amazing marine life. Finally, we stopped at our last stop; Shark and Stingray Alley. It was AWESOMEEEE. Every time our boat anchored at each new location I was the first to get in the water and the last to get out, including shark alley. When I first jumped in the water there were probably about twenty sharks and fifteen stingrays within a small vicinity. I got to pet a shark and a stingray, it was seriously so cool. So we are at this last sight and it starts looking like it is going to storm and most people start freaking out and I'm just so excited. It started pouring rain on our way in and while everyone was running to the back of the boat, I went and sat at the very front. Little did we know, there was even more to our excursion. We went to the back of the island and got to feed tarpons and look at a little seahorse. This part of the island was so calm and smooth and it was thundering, lightening, and raining and I was loving every single second. Finally some of the girls got too freaked out and made them take us back to the dock. Definitely one of the coolest things I've ever done though. The combination of nature in that moment is what I live for. I was so in my element. My happy place. Right after snorkeling we headed to The Split, which is a big hangout area with a swim up bar, hammocks, food, really the place to go to relax and hangout. We got there around 3:30 and didn't leave till about midnight, we shut the place down.  We had the best time together. We were all in our swimsuit with saltwater in our hair doing the cha cha slide in some sand at a bar. We were two stepping, cartwheeling, swimming, and most importantly enjoying each other. Altogether, the day was unforgettable. We woke up early this morning and got back on our water taxi to make our way back home to Dangriga. On our bus ride home we stopped at the Belize Zoo. All the animals in the zoo are Belizean and most of them are rescues. My favorite was this little jaguar looking thing. He was being very social and climbing the fence swatting at people in a playful way. I, of course, am so excited to see the kitty so I stuck the string of my camera into the cage and swung it around. He started to purr, knowing I already loved him, and then he ran over to get the string. He jumped up on the cage and was swatting and biting at the swing and it actually got stuck on the cage. I was able to pet his paws and stuff, it was adorable but he really wanted my camera. Well he swatted again and I dropped my camera on the ground and I was kind of relieved because I didn't think he could get it from the ground outside his cage, but I was wrong. He immediately starts digging and pawing for the string and starts dragging it into his cage!! I didn't know what to do! Luckily my friend was brave and picked up the camera, basically tearing it from the cats mouth. I could've played with him all day. Overall this weekend was an amazing time. I thank God everyday for sending me here with this group of people. I feel like I have already grown as a person and have made lasting relationships with some inspiring people. It is kind of crazy how well and quickly you get to know people when you spend so much time out of your comfort zone, together. I feel like a big sister to some of them. We are already planning a one year reunion on Caye Caulker. 














More to come tomorrow!










2 comments:

  1. This post made me smile especially to hear that you were in your happy place. You are part fish, you know and come by that very honestly. I love that you find Mountain Home as beautiful as what you are experiencing there. Can't wait to read more. I love you, have a beautiful day!

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  2. I'm living vicariously through your adventures....loving every minute of it. 😉. You really are having the time of your life...this is something you will always remember. Love the pictures!!
    Be careful and continue to work hard and play hard. 😊

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