Arriving in Belize at the airport I was immediately hit with humidity that sucked the energy straight out of me. The 25 other students and I then hopped on a charter bus to go to the first island which was a 2-hour bus ride from the airport. On the bus ride, the other students and I started to get familiar with each other. It is interesting to see how the socialization of students changes when none of us had access to the internet or social media. It ended up making me feel like I connected more with these students in 3 weeks than I have with some of my friends I have known for years. On the first week of the trip, we were staying on a tiny island that was the most DIY self-sufficient island I have ever seen. It was located right next to multiple reefs that we got the chance to explore for almost 2-4 hours of snorkeling every day. I ended up sleeping in a hammock the entire time I was on this tiny island and would wake up with the sunrise. It was one of the most peaceful experiences I’ve ever had.

Pictured is the first small island we stayed at for 4-5 days: