When I found out about the study abroad trip to Belize — and that my scholarship would help pay for it — I got pretty excited. For many years I have been interested in exploring different ecosystems and learning about the role each organism plays, taking advantage of opportunities in high school to take a field ecology course over the summer and complete an ornithology internship. However, as my career goals pulled me down a different path towards chemical engineering, I disappointedly thought I would have to relegate these interests to hobbies pursued in my little available free time as an engineering student. For a respite from the rigors of upper-level chemical engineering courses, I decided to add a minor in Natural Resources and with it obtain field experience through this study abroad experience in Belize. So far it feels like a refreshing return to my childhood interests and an intriguing opportunity to learn more.
As I write this, I am on the flight to Belize and very excited to arrive. Preparation, although simple, has taken several weeks, continuing to pique my enthusiasm for this opportunity. One of the trickier things to prepare was a finding a snorkeling mask that would fit me adequately. Although many stores sell snorkels, even places like Walmart or Academy, I found out they are not one size fits all and can vary widely in quality. Fortunately there was a dive shop near the location of my internship this spring, so I was able to try on various masks and find some that fit reasonably well. That said, I didn’t want to judge the fit of a mask from just trying it on for a few seconds, so the next steps were ordering these masks online and testing them in my bathtub. Although it sounds a little silly, it helped me confidently select a mask to use everyday while abroad in Belize.
With all my gear gathered and packed, the realization finally hit me yesterday that I was about to leave the country to live on an island for a few weeks. Although it feels a little weird, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. I couldn’t be more excited.