Roller Coasters at R.C.

I became a celebrity on Monday. The news might not have reached home yet but it will come shortly I am sure. For my science lesson on Monday I taught a lesson on friction and energy. Using insulation tubing, masking tape, and marbles, we created roller coasters. The first part of my lesson consisted of a whole group discussion of the vocabulary terms potential energy, kinetic energy, acceleration, and friction. We went over what each word meant and I asked for volunteers to raise their hands and give examples. Friction was the most familiar and popular across the group. I then explained that the students needed to have three criteria in their coaster. They must have a hill, loop, and a turn. I modeled each criteria. I then divided the students into groups and handed out the materials. The students jumped at the opportunity for a hands on lesson outside of the classroom. We had science under the thatched gazebo in the courtyard of the school grounds.
I had anticipated chaos and enjoyment on the students part but not to the extent to which it occurred. To say the students loved this activity would be putting it lightly. The hour long lesson flew by and the students were eager to show me their progress and success. The majority of the students were able to accomplish the task with little help and prompting on my part. Some groups even extended the requirements further and tried to add 2 loops and 2 turns to their coaster. I taught this lesson to the whole Standard I group along with Kathleen who is in another Standard I class. I think this was both of our first times teaching a lesson to 120 students. We survived and passed with flying colors according to Dr. Kubasko and Dr. Catapano.
I came into school Tuesday morning and handed the Science lessons I planned for the grade to the other teachers. When I walked into the other classrooms the students attacked me with hugs and all I could hear was "miss," "teacher teacher." All the students wanted to know if we were doing roller coasters again and I broke their hearts when I responded no. Little to they know their large smiles and extreme enjoyment from Monday's lesson has my brain turning and planning more interactive science lessons for next week! Stay tuned for fun with dominoes and the transfer of energy which will come their way next week! Until then we are exploring differentiated language arts lessons and small reading groups along with decimals and transportation in Spanish! So much to do and expose them to and so little time!

Fish Tail Soup

Seafood soup complete with a whole fish tail to finish it off!

Saturday In The Sun

This past Saturday we went to Palapa Bar and Grille. The Palapa Bar and Grille is located across the bridge on the north end of the island. The bike ride was hot and long but very much worth the hard work and sweat once we got there ... well I have mixed feelings about if it was worth it but you will find out more about that in a minute. Continue reading. We arrived in groups to the Palapa Bar and Grille. The high school students had an event in the morning at the high school so the elementary students all rode up together. Once we arrived we walked around the two floors of the grille and enjoyed the scenic views of the water. This grille is located down a boardwalk out on the water. The restrooms and covered eat in area are downstairs and then there is a staircase that leads upstairs to the bar area, kitchen, and patio. There were light up palm trees and Christmas lights decorating the patio area. A couple of us were anxious to cool off in the water and asked what we thought was an employee if you could just get in the water or whether there was a certain procedure. The grille knew we were coming and had a lunch planned for us so we wanted to make sure there wasn't a pre-established schedule. The owners were not there yet and this gentlemen said no go ahead in. As we found out later he did not work there and the waters were infested with Pica Picas. For all of you that are new to Pica Picas (as I was on Saturday) they look like baby jellyfish minus the tentacles. They are the size of Runtz candy look very interesting and cute. Not so much. If they come in contact with you they leave a severe itch-like sensation/rash on your skin. Although I was the first to discover these little creatures in the water they "got me" before we could escape and climb up the ladder out of the water. Thankfully one of the employees came and told us about the Pica Pica and that they are usually just out in the morning. There are also usually not out on the other side of the dock. Needless to say for the remainder of the afternoon we went to the other side of the dock. Although I do not like vinegar on my potato chips this is the cure-all for the itch sensation. I was very thankful for vinegar on Saturday! The owners arrived and we had a wonderful experience. The food was absolutely delicious and I even tried "seafood soup" which consisted of a whole fish tale, scales and all. A garnish maybe?! The chicken burritos were fabulous and the fresh watermelon juice tasted as though you were biting into an actual watermelon. We played the coconut game with the owners and had a blast. This game consists of throwing coconuts off the top deck with the objective being to get them into the inner tubes that are tied to the dock out below. We all played in hopes of winning a free t-shirt. I did not win but bought a t-shirt to remember my experience by. This was a great way to relax after a tiring, stressful and VERY hot week!

Wayo's

Last night a local eatery had our group for dinner. We all went to Wayo's Bar and Grille and had a fabulous meal. We had barbecue chicken, rice and beans, tortillas, and coleslaw. Although I never have enjoyed coleslaw back in the states I love it here. There is more substance to the coleslaw here and less mayo. To me it is almost like a small side salad here in San Pedro. Wayo's was up past the high school. We all rode our bikes through the streets of San Pedro and then hopped on the beach and biked down the beach. This was an experience. Never having biked on fresh soft sand before it took a couple bumps and slides before I caught on to how to ride on the sand. I mastered it though and did not have a single fall! Success! This picture is of Michelle and myself before we began our ride to Wayo's. I received lots of compliments on my electric orange tank top. Everything from people thinking I wanted to look tanner to being the group's designated flashlight. I think with my head lamp for caving and my light up flip flops I would have been quite a site to see riding down the streets of San Pedro if I had planned accordingly. I thoroughly enjoyed our adventure to Wayo's and planned to attend barbecue Sunday's there before my trip ends!

They All Are My Favorite

Yesterday I was walking along the beach on my way home from school. It was the hottest day yet here in San Pedro and I was exhausted from teaching and the heat. You know it is hot when the locals comment on how hot it is here. As I was walking along the beach I was reflecting on my lessons and thinking over in my head what went well and what I might modify next time. I was in the zone and after taking a couple steps past a jewelry stand something seemed off to me. I glanced back at the jewelry stand only to see a very small girl standing in a plastic chair behind the counter of necklaces. I looked around and couldn't see a parent or sibling anywhere near. To make sure she was ok I turned around and approached her and asked her how she was, what her name was etc. As I get closer I notice she is maybe 3 1/2 years old. She could even be 2 1/2 years old. She starts talking to me about the jewelry as she continues beading the necklace she has started in front of her. As I look at the jewelry she informs me that the necklace she is making is for me and that I should buy it. I was beginning to think she should go into sales and then her answer to my next question convinced me she should go into sales. I asked her which was her favorite necklace thinking I would buy it and bring it back for my younger sister. She replied with "all of them, they all are my favorites." I chuckled and then realized her mom was walking down the beach. She introduced herself and I complemented her on her daughter's skills and how well she was doing trying to sell me some pieces. I told her how cute she was and that I would be back the next day (today) to get a piece of jewelry but I wanted to confirm my little sister's favorite color. I don't think the woman and her daughter believed me. I kept my word and showed up at the stand at lunch today. The little girl recognized me walking down the beach and began waving and getting excited. This warmed my heart! As I approached the stand she was working on a new necklace. I like this one even more!! I asked her mom if when the little girl finished this necklace it could be split into two anklets. I wanted to have one and I wanted my younger sister to have one. It took some explaining with the language barrier but she understood. I proceeded down the beach to my usual lunch place, Latitudes Cafe :), and told the mom and child I would be back shortly. I ate a wrap and drank my usual pineapple pleasure smoothie as I prepared myself for my afternoon lessons. After I finished lunch I went back to the stand and the anklets were ready. The little girl was even more excited this time when I showed again after saying I would. I took this picture with the girl and she is holding the anklets. I am so excited to give my younger sister one and they have so much meaning behind them now after interacting with this young girl. I have a feeling I will be visiting her on my way to Latitudes for lunch in the future. If nothing else giving this little girl the confidence, at her age, to work hard and have an adult buy her jewelry made my trip here in San Pedro a success!

San Pedro Playground

The only playground we have seen on the island. The playground is located in the middle of the town square near the tents where various families and vendors set up food stands starting at 6 pm from Tues-Sat. Some vendors stay open until 4 am. This is a populated area where children and people roam during the evenings and nights.

After walking down the beach on our lunch break we stopped and took an individual picture of each of us so we would have at leas one picture of ourselves on this trip!

Legends!

Michelle and I before our bike ride across the bridge to Legends. We ate tasty burgers and fries and listened to live music!

A gorgeous sunset from our balcony at Pedro's Inn!

Lunch Time

At lunch one day during my first week of teaching with one of my students. Her name is Nayobie and she is always bursting with energy and ready to give hugs. Nayobie comes in every morning and says "good morning teacher Griffin." It is such a warm and welcoming way to start the day.

I had the opportunity to help out with a P.E. lesson yesterday. At RC Standard I has P.E. once a week on Wednesday afternoons. The male students change into their uniform shirts for P.E. when they are at home for lunch and are allowed to keep on their navy blue shorts and pants. The girls change into their uniform shirts during the afternoon break and also change into shorts. The girls are required to wear navy uniform jumpers and white collared blouses throughout the day. The children get excited to change for P.E. and this subject is definitely an activity the students look forward to all week. The students in my class practiced for their futbol (soccer) tournament that is taking place school wide. This weekend is the end of a term and report cards go home so there are no games but the following weekend there are games on Friday evening and all day Saturday. I am planning to go to the games on Friday to support my students and help out as part of my service project.
Today I will stay after school for the Standard I planning meeting. There is a standard wide meeting every Thursday to plan for the following week. I was very intrigued when I learned about this meeting seeing as we have grade level meetings back home. I was able to attend a couple of them while in my internship at Eaton and am anxious to compare and contrast the differences this afternoon. I will be sure to update you on these similarities and differences later this afternoon!

Fractions! Fractions! Fractions!

On Tuesday for math we reviewed fractions and the difference between improper and proper fractions as well as mixed numbers. Each student was required to write one of the three on a slip of paper given to them. The students then switched papers in hopes of them getting a slip of paper with a fraction, either in a different format from the one they wrote down, or a fraction that was not familiar to them. This would require them to draw upon their past experiences and interactions with fractions as well as the definitions reviewed to classify the fraction correctly. Having taught fractions back home to my fifth grade class I was very pleased with their knowledge an understanding of fractions as third graders. This objective is part of the Standard I Belizean "standard course of study."

A Warm Welcome

We walked as a group to RC on Monday for our first day in the schools. There are picnic tables right across from the school grounds and we sat down to wait for the classrooms and office to open and were greeted by a friendly young girl. She told us all about the school and the rules, what class she is in (Infant II) and everything she wanted us to know about the school as well as herself. Each morning she has greeted me with a hug as I arrive in plenty of time to sit on these picnic tables and take in the scene of children arriving in the morning. She was not at school on Tuesday and I was informed in great detail yesterday about her cough and sore throat. She stayed home from school and takes medicine "every 6 o'clock." She is always looking for a hug and to talk for couple minutes. Each day I look forward to getting to school and sitting on those picnic tables and learning more about her and her life as we talk. All the children here are very welcoming and friendly. How can you not have a good day when you receive at least one hundred hugs? Some children are just in need of a positive experience at school or with an adult and if I can be that positive experience and give them a hug, then I am there!

Sara's Kitchen

This past Sunday we went to Sara's Kitchen as a group to eat breakfast/brunch. We walked a couple blocks South to the restaurant and were seated outside on the back patio. There was gorgeous view from our tables. Sara and her husband came out to greet us and were kind enough to arrange a buffet breakfast for us. There were Mayan eggs which consist of scrambled eggs mixed with salsa, diced potatoes with chopped onions, pancakes, fresh coffee and juice and strawberry yogurt with granola. Blueberry bagels and cream cheese too! This breakfast was delicious! Some of us are going back this Sunday and I have the feeling I will be a regular guest on Sunday's for breakfast!

Language Arts Here I Come!

Today I will be teaching a language arts lesson in my classroom. I observed all day yesterday and helped my teacher out with various aspects of her lessons. I will have an hour and fifteen minutes to teach the language arts which includes both a reading and writing component. My students will read "The Frog Who Wanted To Be Tall" by alternating readers throughout the class. Prior to this we will take a look at the pictures in the story and try to anticipate actions and the plot through the use of these images. Upon reading the story we will go over vocabulary words used in the story and review with answering comprehension questions. The writing aspect of my lesson includes a review of what adjectives are and how to use them. We will explore our story and the use of adjectives by looking at three questions that require the students to go back in the text and locate adjectives and how they are being used in the fiction text. We will then record in their language arts note books the definition of an adjective. The last part of the lesson will require the students to draw a scene from the story and write two sentences using adjectives discussed to describe the characters in this fiction text.
I am excited to see how the students handle this lesson. After observing yesterday and looking at my teachers plans and what she ended up having time to do I noticed that not all the activities she planned for made it into the time frame for that given subject. This reminded me of my internship back home and one of the joys of teaching: you never know what questions will come your way or how the students will specifically handle a text. Sometimes if you get through half of what you planned for a difficult concept in a given subject you are thrilled and sometimes you get to the end of your lesson and make use of that extension activity you had planned. I am anxious and excited to teach today.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to look at the Belizean Standards for education. I noticed a lot of similarities among the curriculum as a whole. The presentation of the standards is different from that of the NCSCOS but the general idea of their being an objective to meet, form of assessment, and over all goal of mastery of a concept is similar.
This afternoon we will meet between 5:00 pm and 5:30 to ride our bikes North as a group and go across the bridge to eat dinner. I am looking forward to this activity this evening. After school I am going to come home and put my stuff down and then go to SAGA Humane Society to walk a dog there. We had the chance to do this last Saturday and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity. Although it is very hot here and the dogs are not interested in running around forever, they are very energetic and appreciative of the break from their kennel and opportunity to exercise and sniff!
I will be sure to write about how my lesson went as well as what I observed and experience on Day 2. The local newspaper comes to my school this morning to take a picture of the UNCW interns to post in the paper alongside an article about our experience and purpose here in San Pedro. I am hoping to get a copy of this while I am here!

Differences between Belizean and American elementary schools.

The first similarity I noticed about the schools here in Belize compared to those back home is the length of the school day. RC starts at 8:30 and ends for Infant I and Infant II at 2:30 pm and for Standard I-VI at 3:30 pm. Other similarities that I noticed are the structure of the school day, arrangement of furniture in the classroom, and presence of administration and a "office." The structure of the school day consists of a morning routine. Although the routine itself is different from that of a school schedule back home, the idea is the same. The arrangement of furniture is similar in that all students sit in desks, in rows, facing the board. The teacher has a designated area and desk in the classroom and there are windows and doors, book shelves, and student work displayed on the walls. There is an office where you will find the administrative assistant and principal Mrs. K. The day is divided into blocks of time designated for certain subjects. The subjects are different but the daily schedule is similar including a break or snack time, lunch, and curriculum based instruction time. Macmillan makes some of the text books and student books used in schools here which is another similarity to that of elementary schools back home. Schools here have terms similar to that of elementary schools in the states and also final exams and graded work and report cards which was all very familiar to me.
Differences that I noticed include the subjects taught here in Belize, definition of classroom management and various ways of keeping students on task. Punishments for poor behavior are different in the schools here as well as the behavior of the students during instruction time. There is a level of communication that takes place during work time here in the schools that is normal and allowed and that is different from schools back home. Students say prayers multiple times a day in school which is something that I have not found in traditional schools back in North Carolina. The text books and materials are present just as they are in the states, however, the format is slightly different. Each student records what is written on the board during lessons. These sentences, pictures, and phrases are recorded in composition notebooks. Each student has a composition notebook for each subject. Subjects include Religion and H.F.L.E as well as penmanship here in Belize. This is different from what I have observed back in the states as well. Another difference is that students are allowed 1 hour and 30 minutes for lunch here at RC. Students are allowed to leave the school grounds and go home, play on the beach, go to the library, play in the courtyard etc. during lunch time.
These are some similarities and differences I noticed about the school I am assigned to just after the first day. I enjoyed my first day and received many hugs and "I love you's" throughout the day. I am exhausted and anxious for another day. I teach Language Arts to my class tomorrow and I am interested to see how this lesson goes. I will be sure to share my experience tomorrow!

View of RC from the Courtyard in the middle.

First Day of School

Good morning! It is 6:37 a.m. on Monday, March 21^st and our first day of teaching in the schools here in San Pedro, Belize. I am filled will lots of emotions this morning. I am excited to meet my teacher at the Roman Catholic Academy along with all of my 3^rd graders. I am also nervous seeing as it is our first day and I also miss my class of 5^th graders back home at Eaton Elementary.

Class sizes here at this particular school look to range between 35 and 45 students. This is one difference I immediately observed when at the schools last week. My school starts at 8:00 in the morning and goes until 3:30 in the afternoon. Younger grades get out at 2:30. There are three 15 minute break times from 10:00 am until 10:45 divided by grade level. This seems to be similar to that of our recess back in the states. At 11:30 the school disperses for lunch and classes do not resume until 1:00 pm in the afternoon. Students AND teachers are allowed to leave school grounds, go home for lunch, go to the beach, or eat in the school courtyard during this time. From what I observed on Friday this time during the day is a time for the students to see family and release bottle up energy. I saw students on the beach playing, being picked up on golf carts by parents or by parents on foot, some students playing in the courtyard and others doing various activities. When I walked in to the public library, which is directly across the street from my school, I noticed some children taking this opportunity to read books and be tutored by volunteers and parents. This dedication and desire to learn is something that intrigued me and I am looking forward to finding out more about.

Last week RC Academy was taking exams and the students were very focused on their tests when we visited. I noticed in a younger grade that not all students knew English yet and, therefore, the teacher was reading/giving directions in both Spanish and English. Grades here are not called by the names we use back in the states. There is not a Kindergarten in the schools we have visited and Kindergarten does not seem to be a common thing here in Belize. The grades start at Infant I (first grade), then Infant II (second grade), then switches to Standard I (third grade), Standard II (fourth grade), Standard III (fifth grade), Standard IV (sixth grade), Standard V (seventh grade) and Standard VI (eighth grade). Together these make up the elementary school grades here in Belize. The high school here is called San Pedro High. I have also learned that while Elementary School seems to be mandatory here in San Pedro, high school is much easier to get out of compared to dropping out of high school back in the states.

I am off to go back across the street to put away my computer and get my things for school. I look forward to sharing all the exciting and interesting details about my day later this afternoon. We have a meeting with Dr. K and Dr. C at 5:00 pm. Hope everyone back in the states is doing well. Miss you all!

My pesto chicken wrap with cilantro salsa from Latitudes Cafe.

Friday festivities at RC Elementary.

It is currently 7:40 a.m. here and I have been up for a good two hours. It is a gorgeous morning here in Belize and I have come to really enjoy the fact that I have trouble sleeping in after my internship back in the states. I enjoy waking up here first thing in the morning, coming down across the street, sitting at the picnic tables under the palm trees, and beginning my day by checking my email, blogging, loading my pictures from my camera from the previous day, and listening to San Pedro wake up.
Planes begin to take off around 6:00 a.m. here and the TropicAir airstrip is directly behind Pedro's Inn where we are staying. The airstrip is a dirt path and quite an experience that adds to this journey we are taking here in San Pedro.
For lunch yesterday a few of us discovered a great find called "Latitudes Cafe" and it was a cafe/deli along the beach right past the elementary school I am assigned to. They had amazing wraps that came with homemade pasta salad which was delicious. Different from the traditional past salad back home that is made with a mayonnaise or sour cream base, this past salad had a thin dark base to it similar to that of a soy sauce in a way. They also had bottle water for an inexpensive price so that was nice to find! We ate lunch and paid and then met at the picnic tables next to the public library outside before all walking into the elementary school some of us are assigned to.
Yesterday we had a chance to go to the schools to meet our teachers and get assigned a grade level. I am at the local Roman Catholic school and was assigned to 3rd grade. I am very excited about 3rd grade and have already begun to think about all the challenges and triumphs ahead that I will face not only teaching in another country but also another grade level. Back home I was at Eaton Elementary School in Wilmington, NC in a 5th grade class. I had a wonderful experience there and really grew to love 5th grade. I have an eleven year old sister back home in Washington, D.C. and found it very interesting to teach students her age and compare and contrast the 5th grade curriculum and classroom dynamic of two 5th grade classes in two different states. My younger sister goes to school in Northern Virginia and she found the idea of me teaching children her age interesting as well.
Commonly referred to as "RC" here, the Roman Catholic school I am assigned to is new to this partnership with UNCW and I feel very lucky to be part of the group of students paving the way for future Belize Interns from Wilmington, NC. The school has 896 students and is K-8. There is a courtyard in the middle of the school and I was amazed at the size of the school compared to some other elementary schools we have seen. It is quite large in size. The principal was extremely welcoming and seems to have a positive vision for the school and her students. They had a futbol (soccer) tournament yesterday evening among all grade levels which is a new event for RC. The principal said she hopes to connect with other schools next year and have this be a town-wide event!
Upon completing our visit to the schools the group from RC went with Dr. K and Dr. C to Maneli's for ice-cream and oh boy was that a bad idea. It was sooo good. The ice-cream is nice and creamy here and very fresh tasting. Having traveled abroad before with my family, this ice-cream was the closest I have found to Italian gelato in Italy. I have a feeling I will be a frequent visitor to Maneli's and even more because they have mint-chip ice-cream and cake cones! My favorite!!
In the afternoon we had a meeting with Dr. Kubasko and Dr. Catapano. We discussed our experiences in the schools. Possible questions or concerns and also about what we anticipate finding in our experience here. We talked about the differences we see in behavior management her in Belize as well as the differences in classroom materials and resources from that of our classrooms back in the states. At this seminar we also discussed our service hours that we are required to complete while here and possible venues to give back to and opportunities we have.
After our meeting we all walked to "The Reef" and had a fabulous meal. Laura, the travel agent from Romantic Travel, set up a dinner for us at this restaurant and it was delicious. For an appetizer they brought us chips and salsa and then for our meal we had the choice of grilled chicken or fresh snapper with a tomato, onion, and cilantro relish on top, served with slaw and beans and rice. There was a fresh lime to squeeze over the fish and my plate was definitely clean at the end. This was very yummy!
Some students went with Dr. Kubasko to get icecream and others went with Dr. Catapano to stop by a local convenient store to find underwater cameras, notebooks, and other forgotten items back home.
This morning we are meeting with a representative from the Humane Society to discuss dog walking opportunities for those homeless animals that are locked up in cages all day. I am excited to help out with this organization and get those puppies out and about and sniffing fun smells! There is a dog whisperer here that walks anywhere from 5-8 dogs at a time it looked liked and I think I might need some tips from him on how to keep control of some of the dogs because boy are they excellent runners here. Seeing these poor dogs makes me very thankful that my black lab puppy Koa is safe back home, loved and cared for. If I can help provide that to any other animal while I am here teaching, sign me up!

Meet Princess!

This is Princess. This is a little boy's pet. Yes this is a baby raccoon and she is 2 months old. We were eating dinner in the park square yesterday evening and a little boy approached us selling jewelry and introduced us to his pet. According to him she does not bite. He found her along with his brother and they decided to keep her. She was very well trained for a raccoon I think. She knew her name and stayed close to him. How interesting is this that most children grow up wanting a puppy or a kitty maybe some fish or a bird ... this little boy has a pet raccoon! Yikes! :)

Fabulous Friday!

Today is going to be an exciting day here in San Pedro! We get the chance to spend some time in our schools and meet the principals of our assigned schools. We should also get assigned out partnership teachers today and class! This will take place at 1:30 pm our time (+2 hours if you are back home). After this we have a seminar with Dr. Kubasko and Dr. Catapano at 4:00 pm to discuss the details of the requirements of our assignments and requirements while we are here. I am looking forward to this so the planning can begin on what I want to do for my service project! We have a group dinner this evening that was arranged by Laura from Romantic Travel.

Yesterday we got the chance to sit down and get to know Laura and where she is from and why she moved to Belize. She spoke to us about the culture here in San Pedro and told us some eye-opening facts. 50% of the population here is under the age of 18. Wow! Take a minute to think about that, how different that is from where we are from back in the United States and what exactly that means! I loved learning this because that makes me feel that my work and experience here is that much more influential on the lives of the students in San Pedro.

The sun is out and when I woke up at 6 am I could already feel the intensity of the sun! I think I am looking at SPF 100 applied a couple times today! :)

Out and to the left of our building!

View out and to the right of our building!

View from across where I am staying. This is Pedro's Inn's restaurant and establishment across the street.

City street view from the airport.

TropAir Airport with a dirt landing strip!

A picture of some houses.

View from the airplane of San Pedro.

Pretty island and water view from above.

Some blue wa-wa.

I can't believe I will live here for 6 weeks!

Our little tiny airplane!

So pretty!

Made It Through The Storm

Good morning everyone! What a storm last night. I felt like I was back in North Carolina in the middle of a hurricane. The winds were strong, the rain on the tin roof sounded like marbles on a stone counter top, and the sound overall was intense. My roommate and I both woke up and for a second or two could not figure out what was going on. It sounded more severe than the rain we are used to hearing back home. It was rain.
I just woke up and am ready for our breakfast at George's and tour through town and through the schools.

I made it to Belize! I am currently on the top floor deck of Pedro's Inn where I get a decent internet signal. I arrived in San Pedro this afternoon around 4 pm. The flight from Belize City to San Pedro was quite the experience. It was an 8 passenger plane right next to the pilot. At first I was pulled aside along with two other women and I was worried my bags were going to get checked or I was being pulled aside because I had too much stuff (guilty), but it turns out they needed to balance the weight and needed the three women on the fight to sit in the back to balance out the men up in the front and middle. This was a relief. I got to take some neat pictures while we were up in the air and will load those tomorrow.

After arriving and unpacking for a couple minutes we all headed downstairs and across the street to Pedro's Restaurant and ate pizza. We met Paul and Peter along with Laura who have all done a fantastic job of arranging our rooms and excursions here in Belize. It was nice to finally put faces with names and all of them were very welcoming and warm to us which was a very nice first impression of San Pedro.

As I sit here typing I am listening to the live music that is currently going on in that restaurant across the street. People are arriving by bikes and some on golf carts to join in on the fun. There is a small child downstairs who is have a less than pleasant evening and as I sit here trying to describe San Pedro all I can think about is how much of my experience just in the past couples hours is hard to tell. I now understand why Dr. K and Dr. C said all last semester "you will see when you get there."

I am off to bed the traveling got the best of me. I am excited for this experience and feel blessed to have the opportunity to be here. Tomorrow we will all get breakfast at George's and then tour the town and get a chance to walk through all the schools (elementary and middle school). Until next time I love you all and thank you for following me through this blog as I go through this journey. Good night!