Let's begin with Friday. On Friday morning the 6 of us arrived in the Belizean jungle to take a spelunking (aka cave diving) adventure, which is just as incredible as it sounds. Basically we took a bus past a few orange groves into the heart of the Belizean jungle, and from there we hiked even further into the jungle to a giant Mayan cave, Actun Tunichil Muknal. A river runs directly through the center of the cave so you spend the entire rest of the adventure either swimming or wading through the cave (sweet, right?). And the cave itself was used by the Mayans of Belize for various religious rituals and sacrifices, so it was littered with artifacts and human remains that we were able to view and learn all about...it was an anthropology major's dream. I feel pretty certain that I looked and acted like a 5 year old child, I was so excited about everything, and several times our guide actually had to chastise me or call me back to the group because I was so over eager and giddy. It was such a crazy experience, and there is simply no way words could do it justice.
And yet the excitement didn't stop there. On Saturday my newfound friend Angela and I decided that we weren't quite finished exploring the jungle, so we packed up and went on a little hunt for waterfalls. And boy did we find them. Five Sisters Falls and Big Rock Falls are two of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, and provided us with one of the most fun afternoons I've experienced in a long time. Basically we spent the day jumping off rocks, swimming under waterfalls, hiking up the falls themselves, and laughing a lot. It was incredible and the entire time I just felt so...free. We were just enjoying each other's company, doing something we loved, and taking in God's glorious natural beauty. I told you it was a good weekend.
I had several completely new experiences this weekend, and did a lot of things I've never done before. But the part of the weekend that sticks out the most to me was how much I laughed out loud. And not just a giggle here and there, but laughing fits so intense that I was crying and people were asking if I was alright, which are my favorite kind. And when I was thinking back on the weekend I realized that it had been awhile since I've laughed that hard or that often, and what an effect laughter has on me. It's as if a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders and I just feel full of sunshine, and it's something that I think I generally take for granted.
In the past few years I've been surrounded by such incredible friends, and they have given me such joy that I think I just got used to that constant sunshine and forgot how precious that friendship was. Now that I'm in a completely new place surrounded by completely new faces, things like laughter don't come automatically because that kind of genuine enjoyment comes with relationships, most of which are still in their infancy for me here in Belize. So in the short time that I've been here, I'd forgotten just how good it feels to really delight in someone's company and have that understanding that allows you to feel the freedom of real laughter. Meeting Angela this weekend reminded me of that freedom and just how awesome it is. We hit it off immediately and became friends within 30 seconds of meeting each other, and neither of us stopped laughing the rest of the weekend.
It's so important to hold on to the relationships that bring you joy, and remember never take them for granted. The longer I'm here, the more I learn and realize how true that is, and it makes me so grateful for the wonderful relationships I have at home and so excited about the new friendships I'm building in Belize. So do yourself a favor and keep a tight grasp on the people you love the most in this world. Don't ever let them go, and don't ever stop laughing with them.
And yet the excitement didn't stop there. On Saturday my newfound friend Angela and I decided that we weren't quite finished exploring the jungle, so we packed up and went on a little hunt for waterfalls. And boy did we find them. Five Sisters Falls and Big Rock Falls are two of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, and provided us with one of the most fun afternoons I've experienced in a long time. Basically we spent the day jumping off rocks, swimming under waterfalls, hiking up the falls themselves, and laughing a lot. It was incredible and the entire time I just felt so...free. We were just enjoying each other's company, doing something we loved, and taking in God's glorious natural beauty. I told you it was a good weekend.
Five Sisters Falls
Big Rock Falls
I had several completely new experiences this weekend, and did a lot of things I've never done before. But the part of the weekend that sticks out the most to me was how much I laughed out loud. And not just a giggle here and there, but laughing fits so intense that I was crying and people were asking if I was alright, which are my favorite kind. And when I was thinking back on the weekend I realized that it had been awhile since I've laughed that hard or that often, and what an effect laughter has on me. It's as if a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders and I just feel full of sunshine, and it's something that I think I generally take for granted.
In the past few years I've been surrounded by such incredible friends, and they have given me such joy that I think I just got used to that constant sunshine and forgot how precious that friendship was. Now that I'm in a completely new place surrounded by completely new faces, things like laughter don't come automatically because that kind of genuine enjoyment comes with relationships, most of which are still in their infancy for me here in Belize. So in the short time that I've been here, I'd forgotten just how good it feels to really delight in someone's company and have that understanding that allows you to feel the freedom of real laughter. Meeting Angela this weekend reminded me of that freedom and just how awesome it is. We hit it off immediately and became friends within 30 seconds of meeting each other, and neither of us stopped laughing the rest of the weekend.
It's so important to hold on to the relationships that bring you joy, and remember never take them for granted. The longer I'm here, the more I learn and realize how true that is, and it makes me so grateful for the wonderful relationships I have at home and so excited about the new friendships I'm building in Belize. So do yourself a favor and keep a tight grasp on the people you love the most in this world. Don't ever let them go, and don't ever stop laughing with them.
