Are we 12 days out from traveling to Belize? Yes.
Will I start packing before 11 days from now? Probably not.
I am though, starting to get my summer clothes together for travel. I’ve almost forgotten how to dress for warmer weather since I’ve spent the last several months wrapped up in puffy jackets, gloves, and scarves. This will definitely be a break from the cold weather. On the other hand, I’ve bought more than enough 70 spf sunscreen, and aloe vera.
Besides packing, my mental preparedness is stronger than ever. My classmates and I are getting closer, and I am learning so much about the country and it’s makeup of many cultures. In class, we’ve had speakers of all backgrounds. We learned about the importance of indigenous knowledge, we learned about Mayan values and customs, we learned about how we can interact with cultures that are different from ours, and so much more.
One of the most influential lessons we had was when we were split into two groups, and made our own cultures. This simulation really pushed me out of my comfort zone, and it honestly made me frustrated. Not only was this different from what I knew, but it was against everything I stood for. Patriarchal, where women bowed to men; It took everything in me to play along. I realized the influence that my own personal values and culture had on me.
BUT when we were tasked to interact with the culture of the other group, I made no attempts to back down from my newfound “values”. I didn’t even realize I did that until after when we were reflecting from the experience, and it woke me up to the possibility of meeting someone halfway. When we are in Belize, we can’t expect to just come in with our American values and expect Belizeans to accommodate us. That would be incredibly insensitive. In the same way, we won’t know everything about the customs there, and they will probably have to be gracious with us. It’s all about meeting people where they are. Understanding, and having compassion for others.
Something I am so excited to start working on is our in-country presentation. I’m excited to see what my classmates and I come up with to present. We all come from different backgrounds, and everyone has something awesome to bring to the table. The DIY Factbook presentation really showed what we were all passionate about in relation to our travels to Belize, and it was so cool to see that none of us presented on the same topic. We talked about climate change, biodiversity, water, education, and so much more. I’m really excited to see the direction we choose to go in. As a future educator, I can’t wait to meet with students and not only teach them about us, but learn from them. This is something that a spring break vacation doesn’t give you the opportunity to do, and a big reason as to why I wanted to be a part of this course.
We talk about lifelong learning a lot, and it’s experiences like this that really highlight that concept. I can’t wait to broaden my horizons, and face adventure head-on. I believe (or should I say, Belize) it’s how I’ll learn, and grow from this experience the most.
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