An “UnBelizeable” Adventure

Students on the Belize trip donned harnesses in the jungle as they prepared for a zip lining excursion.

Andrea Fogarty, Contributing Writer

In all honesty, I didn’t even want to go on the Belize trip after I signed up. I was afraid of having no friends, which would have been a horrible reason not to go. Words cannot describe how grateful I am that I couldn’t back out. We arrived after an exhausting day of travel. We met other school groups from Virginia and Canada as soon as we boarded our tour bus from the airport. We told them we were from Cape Cod (they would later refer to us as a popular choice name for Massachusetts residents). I think that was the last time we identified ourselves as separate groups.

Our tour guide, David, was extremely enthusiastic. He started off by telling us Belize folklore and common sayings that we wouldn’t soon forget. We all listened and laughed and spent the next week repeating them. That night after dinner we conked out early, completely unaware of the adventures we would be waking up to.

The first day we departed by boat down a long river to the Lamani ruins. We stopped every so often to appreciate the various flora and fauna. We even drove through rain–that’s right, through it. We arrived at the Mayan temples soaked and excited. They were amazingly crafted and a fun challenge to climb. The steps were so steep, as only a select few were supposed to ascend them in their culture. A wave of accomplishment fell over our group as we reached the top of every ruin. That night when we got back to the hotel, our group remained inseparable. Regardless of where we were from, we shared stories and jokes as if we had been old friends. It was a different type of unity we all felt due to being on our own far from home. After that, the trip really kicked into high gear.

We flew high above the jungle on a thousand foot zip line course. We jumped down into crystal clear water amidst nurse sharks and sting rays. We swam surrounded by fish and other divers to pet the sharks and rays. A couple manatees even paid us a visit. It was an unforgettable day under the hot Belize sun. In the jungle, we learned to hunt and what to eat and what not to eat; we became survivors. A few girls in our group had a nice conversation with a parrot at the local zoo. Our entire day was full of adventure, yet at night we were hardly tired. Occasionally we walked into town and shopped around, but mostly we just gather together at the hotel.

The people on the trip made the entire vacation worth it in the end. We were making memories within a week that would bond us forever. Even after tearful goodbyes, the friendships did not end. We all keep in contact and embrace the bittersweet moments we shared. The chaperones also made the trip extremely memorable. Ms. Jarzobski and Mrs. Peck offered us something teenagers long for– mutual respect. It was understood that they were not there to babysit and we were not there to take away from their vacation. They embraced our group with a fun attitude, even taking selfies or photobombing us.

I would recommend anyone to try and join a tour group if looking at travelling abroad. David stressed how important tourism was for the community, and we believed it. We felt wanted there. Every person who we adventured with was kind and considerate. The people made the trip worth it. A positive attitude and outlook is the first thing anyone should pack. I came home with more friends than I could ever imagine. It was truly unBelizeable.