Coming Home!

 

 

Our travelers are at Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport in Belize making their way home to you!  Stay tuned for flight updates!

 

 

 

 

 

Belize 2015!

To My Favorite Group of Intrepid Travelers:

 

I hope this message finds you smiling. I have so enjoyed reading your blog posts and seeing the photographs of your adventure.

 

From making corn tortillas to chopping vegetables during Aurora’s cooking class to helping a St. Jude’s student with her writing to exploring the Mayan ruins to snorkeling at night…I cannot believe the adventures you all have shared.

 

I have been moved by your reflections on topics such as inspiration and leadership and privilege; it certainly seems that this experience is making you think deeply about things.

 

I am eager to see you all at the airport tomorrow night and I am excited for you to share your stories with your peers when school resumes in the fall.

 

Oh, and who came up with:  “You Better Belize It!”? – Brilliant! J

 

Enjoy your last full day and safe travels.

 

Take care,

Mr. Shawe

 

 

Tony Shawe

Middle School Director

301.365.6018

 

Night Snorkeling

Last night we went night snorkeling and it was the most scary/awesome thing I have ever experienced. There was a small thunderstorm while we were doing it so all the fish came out of their hiding places. The coolest part of it was the bio luminescence which looked like little fireflies that lit up the deep, dark ocean. We also got to see an eel which was sleeping under the coral. Our snorkeling guides explained to us that each animal had some kind of defense and distinct characteristic. I can relate this to humans and how each of us can look like the other but we still have our own way of living and our own personality. I saw this the most in sting rays. There were big sting rays and little ones and not one looked the same but the all had the same defense which is a barb on the tail that shoots upward instantly getting rid of any predators when they feel harmed. This may sound like a good technique except for it takes a while before they grow it back in which they probably die in that time period.

Dear Mom, Dad, Alex and Bella,

I miss you all soooo much and can't wait to see you. I'm craving Mac and cheese so PLEASE buy some for Tuesday night. Tobacco Caye is really nice and underwater it's even nicer. Love you.

-Elena

P.S. I got sunburned. And have a lot of bug bites. And got stung by a lot of moon jelly:)

Day Snorkeling - Two Voices

Today the group went snorkeling and saw some pretty cool animals. The reef was like a band, all the fish living in harmony. Not one fish was bothered by another, the fish were equal. Humans tend to not coordinate well together if someone they meet is different than themselves. The fish come in many different colors, sizes and shapes but no animal has more value than the next. During this whole trip the group has seen a variety of people, social classes, occupations, and leadership styles with bias and stereotypes associated with looks and income. For example the kids at the school saw us as their teachers when truly we learned as much from them as they learned about us. Since we might be taller and speak English better we seem to be smarter and not learning anything from them. The fish on the other hand saw every other fish as something that they could learn from; A cool defensive system, an efficient way of eating, or anything that they can improve on was something that could be learned from.

The scientists on Carrie Bow Cay saw this as well. Carrie Bow Cay is a Smithsonian research center that is currently analyzing the way that coral larva settles based on water conditions. The baby coral was helping the large coral by adding onto the growing structure, but the larva weighed the different options to live gaining information about various living strategies.

The snorkeling that I experienced today was one of the coolest nature outings I had ever participated in. On this trip I have changed my perspective on leadership ways, nature, people, and learning.

Dear Mom, Dad, Max, and Declan,

Miss you and I am so glad to see you soon. A cheeseburger with jalepeños, lettuce, ketchup and also Cajun fries would be greatly appreciated.

Love,
Francesca

Before yesterday, I had never been snorkeling. I've had many opportunities to snorkel, but the idea of swimming in the deep ocean terrified me. I was also quite scared of a slimy fish touching me. We humans still don't know a lot of information about the ocean even though we're very advanced and that scares me. Yesterday as the snorkeling leaders gave us a presentation about the dangerous and scary animals in the water, my stomach started turning. As we reached the dock, I was starting to feel uncertain about going. From the encouragements of my teammates I decided to try it out. First we started skill testing. Then we started to snorkel. The feeling of being able to breathe underwater was unfamiliar, weird, and exciting. Seeing beautiful and unique fish underneath you while swimming on the surface of the water was unforgettable. I'm still a bit nervous about swimming in the ocean but my fear has improved a lot. Next time I have the chance to snorkel I will jump to the opportunity.


Dear Mum, Dad, and Li Shen,

I miss you guys SOOO MUCH! It's unbearable. I can't wait to see you guys again. I would like to eat at HoneyPig (it closes really late) or have sushi when I arrive home please. I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! WO AI NI MEN!

Lots of love,
Sushi/Su Shen

Tobacco Caye: Snorkeling

Changing Environments

Tobacco Caye Island

Today we left the Nu'uk Chei'l cottages for Tobacco Caye island. We drove for about thirty minutes to the city where we then hopped on a boat and rode across the sea for another thirty minutes. Tobacco Caye is a minuscule island, consisting of about 20 people, not including our group. It was such a big change from the Nu'uk Chei'l cottages, as we went from a cultural environment surrounded by the jungle, to an island surrounded by bright blue water and serenity. After the group got settled, we had a snorkeling lesson, which prepared us for later on when we went night snorkeling, where I of course managed to get stung by a jelly fish.


Because this was my first time snorkeling, I was partially freaked out. I mean breathing underwater? Being a swimmer, this was one of the strangest things in the world. But I was also very excited.


During the night snorkel, I saw a huge variety of sea life, including sting rays, eels, and bio-illuminant fish. This was one of the best experiences I have had in my lifetime, and I was glad that I could share it with my friends.


                                                                                                                                                                    Dear Mom and Dad,

I hope all is well back in Maryland and I want you guys to know that I am perfectly fine on this amazing island surrounded by CLEAR WATER! The food here is so far really good.

Can't wait to see you soon!

Rachel

TheTrue Meaning of Wealth

Today was our last day on site at St. Jude's school. We said our last goodbyes and will carry all the memories forward as we had a great time there. In the classroom today I translated an entire science exam to the students who only spoke Spanish. Once it was recess time I was reunited with some of the kids who I have made bonds with over the last couple days, in particular a little girl named Surima. Surima exhibited extreme kindness to me ever since the day we started working at the school. She came out running to me on the the first day when she saw I was struggling with moving heavy cinder blocks saying "Can I help you miss?" with open arms. Ever since, Surima always came to find me to share something, whether it was an awesome grade on her exam or a bird nest with a tiny egg that she found.

Surima has led me to realize the true definition of wealth: wealth is about the people you meet, the friends you gain, and the the memories you make. Seeing these children who have less than me who manage to be exceedingly happy makes me understand that they possess a different type of wealth that is way more powerful than any amount money in the world.

Hi Mommy, Daddy, Paloma, and Nico

I'm having a great time and miss you guys a lot I can't wait to tell you about Belize.

See you soon,
Carolina

Privilege

Today was our last day at Maya Center and working at St Jude's School. We had to say goodbye to all our new friends which was hard but we still will have the memories of them. Today I got to help out in the Kindergarten classroom where they were taking their phonetics exam. It was very different from the classrooms I am used to. There were so many kids in one room and it was hard for the teacher to control them. The teacher sometimes had to step out of the room and I was left in charge. They all began to talk and came up to me with complaints of biting, kicking, and punching. They were passing their exams to each other so they could look at eachother's answers. I wasn't really sure what to do so I just told the teacher of the complaints.

Watching them take their exam was also very frustrating for me. Most of the kids can't read and they are not fluent in English. I looked around at their papers and saw wrong answers everywhere. The teacher told me to go around and read the questions to them. She said to give them a couple opportunities to get it right. There was so many kids and even with four of us it was hard. I don't know how the teacher does it by herself. When I went around and orally asked the kids the questions on the exam, most of them new the correct answers. They would know the answer but they circled the wrong thing because they can't read.

One girl that I got close to named Andrea had a whole paper full of wrong answers. I had to sit with her for a while and repeat the questions multiple times, but she got all the right answers. This made me very sad. If no one had done that then she would have gotten a really bad grade on her exam. All the kids are very smart, it's just the teacher can't just sit with every one of them until they get it. This gives these kids a disadvantage.

I realized I am privileged because I was taught how to read at a young age. I went to a school with a reading teacher and I had parents and grandparents who exposed me to books and helped me to learn. These kids did not have this privilege. This made me think about how I can use the privileges I have to help others. It really felt good when the kids I helped figured out the right answer. Though it's a couple of questions on a kindergarten exam, it meant more to me and I am really glad I had the opportunity to work with them.

Hi Mom and Dad,
I am having so much fun in Belize! I can't wait to see you in a couple of days. I hope you are not too depressed without me. I love you and I miss you.
Keshini
PS: There are a lot of chickens here.

Reaching New Heights

Today, we visited the Mayan ruins at Xunantunich. After traveling almost the entire width of Belize by bus, crossing a river by ferry, and hiking up a gargantuan hill, we arrived in a vast plaza. Towering above us all loomed a huge plaza by the name of El Castillo. After learning more about it, we began our ascent to the top. Personally, being afraid of heights, I was nervous about scaling such an unenclosed structure, but I began climbing the steep first set of steps. We had reached about the halfway point of the plaza when we were directed to a smaller, more precarious set of stairs. At this point I figured that I must scale the entire building since I had made it that far. I was uneasy at first since there were no railings, but I just kept climbing because I knew the view would be unforgettable.
When I finally reached the top of El Castillo, I was astounded by the sheer beauty of what we saw over a hundred feet below us. Our view stretched far across Belize and even into Guatemala. The people truly resembled ants, walking around in clusters. It is difficult to fully explain the wonder of the world lying below. I realized that it didn't matter that I was afraid to climb. All that mattered was that I had reached the top and experienced the view. I learned that I should always take a chance if the reward is great and unforgettable.

Dear Mom, Dad, Henry, George, and Red,

I'm having a great time here in Belize. All my teammates are super nice and I'm surprisingly not sick of anyone!! My favorite part so far has been visiting the Mayan ruins today. Hope you're having fun in Maryland/VA and I'll see you soon!

Love,
Lillian

Discovering New Things

The school here is awesome. Although it doesn't look like the nicest school, the kids inside are full of joy. Our second day here when we were building the back wall for the school, we were getting really tired. The kids were on their break time, so a lot of them came to help us build. In this generous act of kindness, I met a new friend. His name is Edwin and he is in second grade. He helped me carry the blocks to the wall. He did this with all of the blocks. It was awesome.

The next day, we had fun in the classrooms. Not many of the kids seemed to like me, except for one. He came up to me and asked if I play soccer. In turn, I replied yes, so we went outside to play. A lot of kids joined so we started a game. I did a few fancy moves to which everybody shouted olé! It was really fun.

Dear Mom, Dad, Burke, and Maeve,

Things are going great here. Today, we had a bus ride down to some Mayan Ruins, and climbed to the top of the tallest building. It made me feel pretty tall for once. The school here is awesome and so are the kids. Two days ago during our community hour, I took some time to play some soccer with the kids. They were really good. Anyways, I miss you all and I'll see you when I get back home.

Love,
Conor

Leader

leader
[ ˈliːdə ]
NOUN
noun: leader · plural noun: leaders
The person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country.

But is this really the only thing that can define a leader?

From today's experience, I say no.

Today we spoke with local leaders in the community. I got the chance to speak to one in specific-- a healer (traditional doctor) named Aurora. She told three of us her life story, and how, at one point, she wanted to be an artisan. In the meantime, she also was training with her uncle, who was a Mayan healer that was renowned throughout Central America. One day, her uncle got very sick and told her that she was to take over.

However, Aurora still wanted to be an artisan. This changed upon her uncle's death, when she put aside her personal wishes and decided to go become a healer for the sake of her community.

A leader, as I have discovered today, does not just need to be as defined by the dictionary-- "a person who leads or commands a group." A leader is someone who is, more than anything, unselfish. Aurora knew that this was must she must do, and as stated above, put the community and every stranger, every person she lived with, before herself. Any leader should strive to be like that. Then, they are not just a "commander."

They are a true leader.




Dear Mom and Dad (and Whiskey)--

There is a frog that makes goat noises. It's driving me crazy. Send help and cheeseballs.


See you soon--
Anu

Passion Leads to Inspiration

Passion leads to inspiration

Inspiration comes from different places, different moments, and from people with different perspectives. Leaders of this community have to be truly passionate and hard working to get where they are today.

Today we spoke with leaders of the Mayan community. I sat down with two girls and Liberato Saqui, the principal of St. Jude's school. This man was the most inspirational man I have ever met and he showed us the true meaning of passion. He was dedicated to his work and single handedly ran the school. I had never met a man as inspiring as him because when he was a kid, he grew up in a poor family. His family barely had enough money for shoes, let alone high school. He always wanted to be a teacher but with no education this could not happen. He
went to high school with aid from the school and even in poor conditions at home, he never stopped believing. Later in life, he was asked to run St. Jude's school and immediately said yes. Today, Liberato strives to Improve his school because he cares about his kids. I was extremely inspired about his dedication because he dealt with the stress of upset parents and frustrated teachers. When a teacher was sick he covered the class and ran the school. He was so passionate about his work that the stress never threw him. Inspiration and passion go hand in hand when shaping leaders.

Dear Mom, Dad, Claire, and Nellie,

I miss you so much and I'm having a great time! I hope everything is going well at home and Claire is having fun in Spain! Love you!

Love,
Brooke

Fear

Fear - Noun
|fi(e)r|

An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat to someone's or something's well being.

Everybody has fears. They sit in your head and play with your mind. They make you scared, frightened, and distressed. The only way to beat them is to conquer them- and that's what being part of a team is for. In a team, everybody has to bring something to the table. Whether it be excellence in math, or knowing how to pitch a tent, every single person has something to offer. And, teammates can help you with your fears. Just like I do.

Growing up with outdoorsy parents meant that I would have to adapt to the outdoor surroundings. Because of my parents (and my natural born adventurer side) any type of bug, frog, beetle, snake, and anything else does not bother me. My goal for this trip has nothing to do with my well-being. It has to do with others'. I'm the person called upon when there is a frog in the room to be removed. I'm the person to go first down the path at night. I'm the one who tries the super spicy peppers before anyone else to tell them if they will survive. I'm the person who makes people face their fears.

Here in Belize we are all just one big team. We all help each other in different ways, and this one is mine.

Mom, Dad, Grayden, Eve and Annie,

I am having a really good time! I can't wait to see you and I hope you are all safe and sound. I love you!

PS: I did have a good birthday! Just be sure to check in on Kate and Peggy!

Love,
Taylor Mitchell

Connecting Through Language

Today when I visited the Saint Jude R.C. school for the second time, I experienced the feeling of gratitude. I chose to help a class of third graders take their English writing exam. Because the classes were so big, and there was only one teacher, the writing skill levels varied. The English literacy rate being very low in the classroom in which I helped played a large role in this. The kids who could speak English well were the ones writing two page essays while the kids who could speak very little English barely wrote anything at all. I tried my best to use my knowledge of Spanish to help the kids translate their essays, and I had fun doing so. This experience has helped me see the best in things, and has made me appreciate the things in life that I may take for granted.

Hi Mom and Dad,

I am having a great time in Belize and I love and miss you all so much. I can't wait to share the experiences I have had when I return to Maryland, and to find out who won the Cleveland vs Golden State games.

Love,
Rachel

You better Belize it!

Cooking Class with Aurora

Smiling Faces

Working Together

Today we began our community project at St. Jude's School. I was assigned along with Conor, Anu, and Carolina to help put cinder blocks up for the fence that they were building. The cinder blocks were pretty heavy but we were doing pretty good. After around 30 minutes of working, the kids that attended the school came out and started watching us. Soon after, the kids started to help us put down cinder blocks during their lunch break, which really surprised us. They were all kind and helped us out a lot. We went a lot faster with them helping and we couldn't have done it without them.

Later, we went to the Mayan Museum where we learned about the ancient Mayans and how they cooked, slept, and the type of pottery they made. We got to try out grinding corn, coffee, and making a corn tortilla (mine was the best). After that we were shown how to make fresh chocolate and how to grind and mold the cacao beans. I'm not a big fan of dark chocolate myself, but it was really cool to watch and taste real Belizean chocolate. I hope tomorrow is as fun as it was today.

Dear Mom,
I'm doing good and having a great time. The kids are really sweet and I wish you could meet them. I can't wait to see you in 9 days. Love you soooo much.
Love,
Ben

P.S. Happy Birthday Taylor!