DAY 9 - OH AMERICA, HOW I HAVE MISSED YOU...

We made it home - at last! The day began bright and early (5 a.m.) and consisted of several plane rides and layovers. Today I was pushed out of my comfort zone because we had to fly in a small “puddle jumper” plane, which I had never done before. It was awesome to see more scenery during our flight, and the numerous shrimp farms that we flew over fascinated me! I also noticed how cool, calm and collect our pilots were (which you really have to be if you’re a pilot). When we arrived in Belize City to catch our international flight, it was a completely different scene than if we had just touched down in America. This airport was tiny, and we were allowed to walk on the tarmac and into the airport. We retrieved our luggage from a small carousel and proceeded to check in for our international flight. The people who checked us in were very helpful and pleasant, and they seemed like they enjoyed their jobs. For some reason, I expected the Belizean airport to be more “Americanized”, but it was not at all in my opinion. They had no fast food or chain restaurants, so I was a little hesitant to purchase food. When we arrived in America, I was reminded how technologically advanced we are because U.S. Customs uses automated machines, whereas Belize had to pay people to check every passport.

Today I learned how many people actually visit Belize. On our “puddle jumper” flight, I sat next to a

lady from England who was traveling the world. She told me about her diving excursions and how Belize has one of the best barrier reefs to explore. When we arrived at the international airport, I experienced a variety of people and foreigners. We even ran into some people who were students at the University of Florida. This trip is something I will never forget, but I am glad to be back in America!