This was my third time being back, and I really feel like I got a good grasp on what this country has to offer and was able to dig in deeper to all of the guts and glory that lies within Belize. And when it comes down to it, there is some pretty dark stuff going on here, but to me, all of the light and goodness of this country outshines the dark and makes me love so many aspects of it.
So where do I start with my love letter to Belize? Well, I guess I will start with what I love most. I love the people. I love how friendly and welcoming they are and how they greet you with their eyes and make eye contact while talking to you. I love the fact that when I walk down the streets in the evening that everyone greets me with “Good Night”, and I especially love that my response is “Good Night” back to them. I love how Belizeans answer the phone with “Tell me” and how they say “Rrriiiiggghhhttt Nnnooowwww” in their long, drawn-out Belizean accents. I love that it is a melting pot of people, with the Mayans, the Rastas, the Creole, The Garifuna and even all those crazy old ex-pats. I love the different languages that are sometimes all mixed into one, and I love that I can hear reggaeton, Spanish music and Michael Jackson all blasting from different houses on the same street. I absolutely love that all of the grocery stores are referred to as “The Chinese”, and I love how no one is politically correct in this country. I love that I don’t have to wear shoes and that my feet are constantly dirty, and I love how I can sit barefoot on the windowsill of a bar, drinking my Belikin, while talking to an old friend and feeling completely happy and content. I love that I have gotten addicted to coconut water and how drinking it is a daily part of my life here. And I love those thick, white flour tortillas that you can’t get anywhere else except for Belize. I love that I can swim in pristine, beautiful waterfalls and have no one else around, and I love how I can sit alone on top of a Mayan ruin and overlook Belize and Guatemala at the same time and feel the spirit flow in…. I love the beauty and intensity of the jungle (though I hate the damn bugs that come with being in paradise), and the way that life just seems so good and sparkly when I am out in nature here. And finally, I love how comfortable that I feel here. How I feel like I am at home. How people tell me that I “walk strong” when I walk down the streets - for that is the ultimate compliment - as it shows that I feel at home, that I am comfortable, that I know what is going on and that please, don’t mess with me, cause I am no longer your average, white tourist.
There are so many more things that I love about Belize – but this love letter has to end sometime. So to Belize – thank you for everything that your country has to offer. And to my friends in Belize – thank you for sharing your goodness and love with me and for opening my heart once again to all of the sweetness here. I can’t wait to come back and see you all again. Bless.
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