As many of you may know, both of my parents were members of the Peace Corps in Ecuador. Because of this, it has been something that I have been considering since I was a senior in high school. My sophomore year at Clemson, this idea became a dream of mine. I became determined to get into the Peace Corps. I began taking Spanish classes and got my certificate in public health to increase my chances of being accepted. This past January, what started as an idea in high school came to fruition as I was accepted to the Peace Corps to do health work in Belize. Currently, I don't know where exactly I will be in Belize or what exactly I will be doing in the health field. All I know is that on June 24, I will be on a plane to Miami, and June 25, I will be heading to Belize.
Though Belize is a Central American country, it is not the typical Spanish speaking country that many people tend to associate with the region. It was initially colonized by the English, not the Spanish. For this reason, it's national language is English, though most of the population speak an English Creole that sounds something like Jamaican. Even with this English influence, a large portion of the population still speaks Spanish as well as the indigenous Mayan language. Belize is a small country right below Mexico and is bordered to the south and west by Guatemala. The country is about the size of Massachusetts with a population of about 300,000, similar to St. Louis.
Because of its ideal location, Belize has become a tourist hot spot with beautiful beaches and dense, mountainous forests. Off of the coast of Belize sits one of the largest reefs in the world. Up into the mountains are where the Mayan ruins can be found. Basically, I doubt I'll have too many complaints while I'm there. If you Google some of the pictures, you'll see what I mean.
Well, I guess that's about all I know for now. I'm sure there's going to be much more to learn once I get there. All that's left to do is continue to plan for the next few years and have some fun until I leave. I'll be going on my first ever cruise! I'm going to the Keys and Mexico. It's going to be awesome! The weekend after I get back, I'll be heading to Philly to hang out with some friends and former FIMRC members. We're going to hit up a Phillies game and have a great time catching up. Finally, two weeks before I depart, I'll be heading to St. Louis with the family to watch the Cardinals play. This summer is going to be amazing and I'm planning on going out with a bang!
On that note, I'll leave you with the quote that inspired the title to the blog: "We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity." This comes from my favorite book, The Alchemist. This quote not only encompasses how I want to spend my next two plus years abroad, but how I want to live my life pre- and post-Peace Corps. I believe that having this mindset will allow me to be the most effective possible volunteer.
