This past fall semester I worked as an intern at St. John's College in the Central American/Caribbean amalgamation known as Belize. As a country comparable in size to the state of Massachusetts, it would be easy to imagine that Belize would suffer from a corresponding lack of opportunity, diversity, and beauty. However, Belize stands in direct opposition to these presumptions and clearly demonstrates that its political boundaries in fact separate a tremendously unique country from its neighbors.
From the east, Belize's entire shore lies on the idyllic waters of the Caribbean. It is within these waters that the Belize barrier reef, the second largest barrier reef in the world, resides. From any one of the hundreds of cayes, (pronounced keys) that lie offshore, reef diving, snorkeling, fishing, and essentially any other water sport are easily accessible.
Nine hundred full-time residents who seem to live the essence of a carefree lifestyle inhabit Caye Caulker, which can be reached by a forty-minute boat trip from the Belize City marine terminal. Sand streets devoid of names tour through the town on this pristine caye which is comprised of inexpensive lodging, restaurants, dive shops and bars; and for the rare occasion that an urgent situation arises, golf carts are the preferred mode of transportation.
My home was in Belize City - a city rumored to have been constructed on rum bottles and perched on a peninsula where the Belize River meets the Caribbean. The city itself is comprised of small, unpainted houses perched on stilts, almost always surrounded by high fences that generally conceal a guard dog or two. Open drains and a lack of hot water characterize the undeveloped nature of this country, which is ironically contrasted with a nationwide reliance on stolen satellite television that provides the average household with more channels than I have ever had back home.
Aesthetics are not the forte of this developing metropolis of approximately 60,000; however, the populous made up of Mestizo Indians, Creoles, and Garifuna has provided me with some of the most important and touching friendships of my life. Lessons in satisfaction with simplicity are impossible to avoid as a pace of life that seems to thrive on patience, while holding punctuality in disdain produces a lifestyle that relishes being as opposed to doing.
Additionally, the Belizean people take great pride in their distinct cultural heritage. As a former British colony, they hold English as their national language yet communicate predominantly in Belizean Creole, which is indecipherable to the untrained ear. Spanish is spoken frequently, and most Belizeans understand a fair bit yet it is rarely their exclusive language.
A more Spanish and less Caribbean culture dominates the interior of Belize where a mountainous terrain is smothered in a seemingly impenetrable jungle. Massive cave networks and thousands of Mayan sites comprise this landscape that is steeped in history and inhabited by Toucan, Jaguar, Spider and Howler Monkeys, Tapir and countless other exotic fauna. The Belizean government's emphasis on preservation of these natural gifts has garnered Belize a reputation as a popular eco-tourism site.
Amidst this endlessly fascinating environment, I found myself working with students not much younger than myself and performing numerous roles as a tutor, administrator of the Learning Resource Center, and assistant to the director of the Belizean Studies Resource Center. As an intern in Belize I was considered a valuable asset to the school, which is often not the case as an intern in the United States. I had a large degree of responsibility and found that with a little effort I could seriously contribute to the school and the community, which in the end was the most memorable aspect of this truly amazing experience.
