I have been in Caye Caulker, Belize for about a week now! I arrived on Sunday afternoon. When I was getting off the water taxi I was in complete awe. There were palm trees, colorful store fronts and beautiful blue waters. I just couldn’t believe I was here! Once I got settled I was just in time to watch the sunset. I was exhausted from my day of travels and went to sleep not too long after the sunset because it was my first day of school on Monday! It was a busy first week here at L.I.C.A but everyone on the island and at school are so friendly and welcoming. L.I.C.A is about a 10 minute walk from where I am staying. Every morning I get my coffee at “Ice and Beans” and walk to school. It is a great way to start my day. At L.I.C.A I am teaching in the Standard 1 class (which is 3rd grade) and there are only 6 students!! Most of the time not every one isn’t even here! They have all been so kind and friendly and they love having another teacher in the class. During the week the students read the postcards from the students back home and they even wrote back to my students home in Massachusetts. I brought the book “Make Way for Ducklings” to give to the classroom teacher for the class to have. My teacher (what is her name, Danielle?) let me read it to them and we talked about what it’s like to live in Massachusetts. I even made a PowerPoint of me and what life was like in Massachusetts. They loved looking at pictures and learning about where I come from. They even shared somethings about themselves.

Every Monday they have a staff meeting after school. I was introduced to everyone and they all welcomed me with open arms. This meeting was extra special because they were preparing for the Governor General of Belize to come the next day! He was visiting the public school here on the island but wanted to stop by all the schools including L.I.C.A. On Tuesday afternoon students met outside to welcome him to the school. They had a short presentation for him including a cultural dance, a gift and a tour of the school. He even sat around and told all the students, staff and parents a story! It was a very exciting day. On Thursday I stayed late again after school to help set up for the “Mommy and Me” tea party that was happening later on that night. It was such a beautiful night. Everyone dressed up and the mommy’s and students were served tea, chocolate milk and cookies. It was nice to meet some of the parents and get to know the staff a little better!

I have been adjusting to life here on the island very well and have already found my way around. The island is very small and everything is in walking distance. There are no cars on the island so everyone walks, rides their bikes or gets around on golf carts! Since I am here by myself I have enjoyed the time being by myself. I have had time to exercise, read my books and just enjoy being here. Over the weekend I walked all around the island to try to find new places to explore. I sat down by The Split, soaking up the sun and going for a nice refreshing dip in the water! It was the relaxation I needed after a long week! The food here is amazing and, believe it or not, the street food is to die for and is much cheaper than sitting down at a restaurant. If you ever get a chance to come here bring cash! Most places do accept cards so, obviously, it is much easier to just have cash!

Every morning I am still so shocked that I am here on this beautiful island. I cannot wait to keep exploring!