Lime Caye is a remote island an hour and a half off the coast of Belize, only accessible by boat. I spent almost a week living and working in this tropical paradise while studying abroad with Dr. Steinberg’s Rainforests & Reefs trip. We spent our free time snorkeling in coral reefs, cracking open coconuts, hammocking in the shade of palm trees, eating mangos right off the tree, and playing card games in the island’s open air dining room. All of our accommodations were primitive— but I didn’t mind. In fact, I loved living so close to nature— waking up with the sunrise from my hammock every morning, eating fresh fruits from the land, and relaxing around such spectacular biodiversity satisfied something ancient in my DNA. I think I will try to emulate something closer to this lifestyle when I get back to the states— maybe I’ll start by leaving my window open at night, or maybe going camping more often— being out in nature and sleeping under the stars with no access to internet felt so revitalizing. We saw so many incredible things on the reef— from sea turtles to rainbow coral to brilliant luminescent fish, there was always something new to see every day. Some days we would catch our lunch out on the ocean— reeling in barracudas and horse eyed jacks from the deep. It really felt like we had returned to the way humans were meant to live! What a spectacular experience to return to this lifestyle outside of the rest of the world.