simplicity

Since I know that you are all dying of curiosity, the answer is yes, I did in fact see the one and only Prince Harry. In fact I did not only see him, but I also shook his hand and made eye contact with him...pretty big deal. But if you have no idea what I'm talking about, I'll explain the situation a little better. Last Friday, Prince Harry was in Belize during his tour of Central America, in honor of Queen Elizabeth's 60th year on the throne. I live in the country's capital, which was the location of Prince Harry's big arrival, and they arranged a presentation and block party in his honor. For the presentation, tents were aligned all along the street with various cultural aspects of Belize for Harry to interact with, and in between the tents were areas for the public to stand and observe his royal highness. Well as luck would have it, my 2 roommates and I found a front and center spot along the street, and as Prince Harry walked by, he stopped to give his hellos, and he happened to do so right where we were standing. Thus I got to meet the youngest prince of Wales. Pretty successful for a Friday night. 

people waiting for the prince to arrive

There he is! It was difficult to get a satisfactory photo

On a not so exciting note, things have been pretty routine around here the past week (aside from Harry of course), but last night a very unseasonal cold front moved in, and it hasn't stopped raining since. So instead of my usual tank top and shorts ensemble, I am layered up today, enjoying the drizzling, dreary, dismal Monday. However, as I believe I've mentioned before, this is some of my absolute favorite weather, so I am having a pretty enjoyable day. In fact, earlier I was sitting on the porch with a cup of hot tea, watching the rain fall, and I realized just how content I was in that moment.


Being in Belize has taught me a lot, especially about myself, and one of the greatest lessons I've learned is how to find joy in simplicity. My lifestyle here is generally very quiet and uncomplicated, which is a complete one-eighty from my life up until this point. Yet it has been a huge blessing for me, as I've removed all of the noise and clutter and chaos from my life and learned to create happiness in the simplest things. It's also allowed me to focus on myself: the person that I am and the one that I want to be. With so many of the distractions from my life removed, all that is left are the most basic elements, which requires me to redefine my wants and needs in a very positive way. It's almost as if Belize was a mental and emotional detox for me, and has provided me with a fresh start. And even though it can get difficult at times, especially when I endure bouts of homesickness, it's taught me to prepare for the future by living for today. Take in every moment, and discover what truly brings you happiness in life, and you'll be ready to tackle whatever lies ahead. It's that simple.