Why did you choose Belize?

I had never been to a tropical location and knew that my next trip would involve blue waters and warm weather. We narrowed it down to Central America and finally chose Belize because we could lounge on the beach, hang out in the jungle and see some Mayan ruins.

Why can’t you stop talking about it?

The weather was so nice. Of course we had a few days that were cloudy and rainy but the warm nights sure made up for it! I really enjoyed being able to wear the same outfit through the whole day. I miss that from my time living in Austin. Also the water really is that blue!

When we first arrived we stayed on Caye Caulker and the general attitude on the island is to slow down. It was frustrating at first but once we settled into that mindset it was really calming and forced us to relax, look around, and enjoy the present.

I’m also a nut for tropical fruit so on one of the rainy days Walker and I went to one of the produce stands and I picked out a whole bunch of fruit. Then we brought it back to the place we were staying and tried them all. It might not sound thrilling but it was one of my favorite days.

Do you have a funny travel story?

While we were staying on Caye Caulker we took a day trip Ambergris Caye. We spent the day in the water and when we returned to the ferry and were waiting in line I was only wearing a long tank top and my bathing suit. I had been waiting for my bottoms to dry a bit before putting on my shorts and I figured while I was waiting it would be a good time to put the shorts back on. I reached in my bag and pulled my shorts out not realizing was that my underwear were still inside. When I went to put them on they fell to the ground. Typically this wouldn’t be a big deal-just bend over pick them up and no one is the wiser. BUT…they fell right on the foot of the young girl standing next to me. (oh the horror). For a split second I considered leaving them there and pretending they weren’t mine but I packed light and knew I’d need them later on the trip. So I bent down as gracefully as I could manage and picked them up mumbling something about if they were my bathing suit bottoms it wouldn’t be that bad. I tried to act cool but as the girl and her young friend began giggling (I mean who wouldn’t?!) I felt the embarrassment of my junior high self. In a perfect world we would have parted ways immediately and I could pretend like it never happened but of course we all were on the ferry together. As least they seemed to be over their giggle fit and I began to think of it as my funny travel story I could share. Also I learned a valuable lesson. Always take your underwear out of your shorts…just in case.

Any tips for someone traveling to Belize for the first time?

Yes! We were there for 12 days. We spent 5 days on Caye Caulker, 4 days in the jungle, and then 2 days back at the beach, and a final day near the airport. I would say 5 days on Caye Caulker was a bit too long but it was nice to have extra time to really and truly relax. After the island we traveled into the jungle for some adventures. My friend who traveled with us found this great place called Martz Farms (read more about that here). We all fell in love with the family and all they do for their guests. I highly, highly recommend a stay there.

How did you commemorate your trip to Belize?

While we were traveling I wore a Belize necklace and when I got back it was a great way for me to keep my memories close. We also bought a blanket while we were there and I love looking at it on our bed at home. And finally a little while after our trip I made one of my favorite meals from Belize for my friends (although it wasn’t nearly as good). It was a fun reminder of our trip and a way to share it with our friends.