Hey! So it has been about two months almost to the date of my return, and so much has changed since coming back from the beautiful place of Belize. I saw some friends from the study abroad trip in some of my classes and it was so strange to see them anywhere else but in the sweltering heat and surrounded by friendly bugs. As I begin to adjust to a new semester full of new classes and experiences, I am saddened that I can’t enjoy the same learning methods we got used to in Belize. I adored getting my hands dirty and learning through observation and doing rather than sitting in a classroom all day and writing or typing the day away. I feel as though I had a wealth of new knowledge after only a month of learning and there isn’t a day that goes by without reflecting and being grateful I got to experience such an opportunity. If it were up to me, I would spend the rest of my days learning in Belize under the supervision of Dr. T and Professor Kneeland. They were such amazing role models, who I love catching up with on Facebook lol, and are encyclopedias essentially! They are both unique but with this willingness to teach, a sincere acknowledgment of their students’ needs and an overall excitement for their profession! People who know me, know that I am a very excited person when I am passionate and I loved seeing that passion in my teachers. It makes me feel confident that this is a profession that I will one day be happy in. Most people after coming home from study abroad miss the place and the culture of where they were, and while I loved Belize, the people, and the hot sauce (i’m ordering some on Amazon in the future), I did get homesick towards the end and couldn’t wait to return. That is why I loved this program. It was long enough for me to gain a worldly perspective and thoroughly appreciate a lifestyle different from my own, one where I’m trying to take the simplicity and appreciation from, but also short enough that I got to return home and see the people that I love. I will definitely try to return to the great country of Belize one day for research or just to explore the depths of the place, but not for much longer than a month. Without the support of my loved ones, I would not have been able to go to Belize with such a positive attitude, and survive the four weeks away from home in an unfamiliar place. I want to thank a bunch of people for amplifying my experience. Thank you first and foremost to my family for helping me fund the trip, for facetiming and talking to me often and always being in support of my dreams. Thank you to my other loved ones, who may not be related, but still supported me and were excited for me before, during and after the trip. And thanks for not getting annoyed every time I told a story about Belize lol. Thank you to SEBS Office of Global Engagement for the scholarship, which without I wouldn’t have been able to go. And thank you to all my classmates, teachers, and program coordinators in Belize that made sure the experience went as smoothly as it possibly could. It was an experience of a lifetime and I wouldn’t have changed a second of it!
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