I can’t believe I only have two weeks left here! For their Easter break/ April vacation we got two weeks off from school! It was a time to have fun, relax and travel!

One of my good friends from home(who actually student taught on San Pedro last year) came down to stay with me for two weeks! She got  here the Tuesday before vacation and stayed until Tuesday of my second week of vacation. It was very exciting to be on vacation we did a lot rest and relaxation and swimming! On Monday of my first week we went over to San Pedro for a couple nights. Since she knew the area very well she showed me all the good spots to eat, hangout and swim! We rented a golf cart so we could go to Secret Beach! If you ever go to San Pedro I highly reccomend going. One, because of the golf cart ride and two, becasue it’s a beautiful beach! Surprisingly enough there arent as many beaches here as you think! There is plenty of water here but you have to jump in or use a ladder to get into the water. On Friday we came back to Caye Caulker for Easter weekend.

Easter here is a very big holiday and lots of people from the mainland come to Caye Caulker and San Pedro to visit. There were so many more people on the island! There was a party in the streets everywhere we went. On Saturday I helped Miss Val with a bake sale to raise money for the school and swam a lot and then on Monday and Tuesday I got really sick. I think I had a very fun weekend so I was just exhausted. My friend left Tuesday morning and my mom, aunt and cousin came in on Thursday! I had plenty of time to relax before they came which was perfect timing. My family has been going going going so they were so excited to just hang out and swim. I showed them around the island, got some good for and did lots of swimming! They even got to see lots of fish, we fed tarpon fish and saw seahorses! They had lots of fun!

On Monday it was time to go back to school and now we only have two weeks left! Time has been flying!

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!