I never travel alone...

...I always meet a friend.

One thing I love about traveling by bus throughout Belize is all the people I have met, and it seems like I meet more people when I'm making a trip by myself for one reason or another. I'm not sure you'll enjoy reading this entry as much as I'll enjoy writing it, but if anything you'll realize, if you didn't know already, how much I enjoy meeting new people and finding connections. Once while waiting for the bus in Independence I met a couple volunteering in Antigua. Within minutes not only were we chatting about our nice stay in Placencia but were already sharing for sure, snacks we had just bought at the shop. One was from London and the other Argentina. I loved hearing about their organization which focused on training Guatemalans in business development. Awhile later a man from Montana joined us answering questions about his own life story and was curious to hear each of ours. He was a researcher, spending much time out in the wild. One thing we all had in common was our daily breakfast of oatmeal which brought a few laughs and suggestions one what to add to spice it up a little. The best part, none of us knew what time the bus would reach, nor were we too stressed about it. We ended up waiting quite a while. I feel like this wouldn't happen in the States, first of all, you wouldn't wait at a "bus stop" (the sidewalk in front of a store) for an hour and a half and maybe that's the biggest difference. I did enjoy, too, seeing another volunteer through a different organization I had met once in Punta Gorda on her way north to Belize City while waiting for the bus south. She opened her window to talk to me and I was reminded of Belize's smallness and how much I love being here for that reason. Then once I finally got on the bus I ended up sitting next to another white girl. I was curious to ask about her stay in Belize, feeling talkative after such a fun wait and found out she lived with her family outside PG. They run an outreach center, putting on a camp each summer. They also own a coffee house next to the University, which I have yet to go to. I guess they put Bible verses on their take-out boxes as they use the place for their ministry. The Antigua couple were wondering about the water taxi and I did all I could to help and make sure to point them in the right direction once we got to town, which reminds me of another time being on the bus with some volunteers from Germany traveling a bit during their stay in Guatemala. We talked about the wonderfulness of home-stay families and I just loved how before we made it to Punta Gorda, they knew all they needed to know about the Toledo District, luckily a PCV who lived in town was there to give them the whole scoop. I do have to say Peace Corps appeals to a certain group of individuals that are more willing to go out of their way to help others, but being in Belize encourages this even more. Everyone here is amazingly helpful. Helpful and inviting.
I'll never forget sitting next to a girl on the last bus from Belmopan to PG. I always seem to start the conversation with, "You coming from Belize (City)? / Going all the way to PG?" And from there the responses are limitless, usually finding out more information than I would have asked for. This girl was heading home for her sister's wedding after a week of work at the hospital in Belize City. She told me about her about her year studying nursing in the States, how nice the family was that she stayed with and how it would be great to visit again, but there was no place like home. I was curious which hospital she worked at, feeling I knew Belize Heath Care Partners facility quite well having been there my fair share of times and that's exactly where she worked! Before I knew it I was invited to her sister's wedding. Ha ha! Now that's Belize!
Another waiting for the bus conversation was with a guy from Guatemala now living in Red Bank. He talked up the beauty of the village and all the scarlet macaws and went on to share his education hardships. I must have a sign on me that says, "Talk to me. I'm listening." And I hope that never goes away because I love it! Like another time riding the express from Belmopan to PG I sat next to Calvin Choco from San Miguel and couldn't believe how talkative he was, then saw him in town a few days later. I won't see him much because he works at a resort in Cayo which I heard all about. I was able to throw in some K'ekchi and he was surprised to find out I knew how to make kuxtals.
And now for a couple marked bus experiences. One morning a young girl from Blue Creek sat next to me, telling me all about her visit to Silver Creek, her family, her friends, school, anything and everything. I think she tested my K'ekchi vocabulary and if only I always traveled with cards, we would have played cards, too. It's amazing all you can do during a bus ride. She was the sweetest little girl that Vivianna Ack and before getting off at Dump she said, "I will always remember you," which she actually might. I was getting off the bus another time and while walking past her window she opened it to say hello and once while in Blue Creek I went to the shop and found out it is her family that owns it. She again asked if I knew her, of course I did. The other was on the way back to Santa Teresa on the Poite bus. One of the high school girls from Poite was in the seat across from me and asked if I was the Peace Corps in Santa Teresa. We talked about the Mas boys, my host brothers she went to high school with and Miss Lilly, her best friend. And apparently this five minute conversation made us best friends as well because the next time I saw Lilly she had a message for me from her. "May God bless all your friends as you are traveling to Belmopan for your meeting and especially may God bless Miss Amy in Santa Teresa." Are you feeling the love that I am? I need to write a whole post about how wonderful it is to visit other villages and know the people there, namely Poite and Silver Creek and soon Barranco, I'm sure.
With all these fun experiences one can only expect I was looking for conversations when traveling for my visit home. I was sure to talk to those sitting next to me on each plane ride, the first flight sat next to Belizeans living in New York with high thoughts of Peace Corps. Once in Houston on my way back to Belize not only was I wishing for conversation, scoping out the passengers wondering who I would sit next to, I was also looking for people I knew which seemed crazy, but I did end up seeing a preschool teacher from Toledo. I never got the chance to talk to her but did enjoy seeing a familiar face. I did however guess who I would be sitting by. I noticed a 20 something guy with long curly hair and a guitar and thought to myself, "that's who I want to sit by," and sure enough! Ha ha! Miguel was from California and doing a work exchange somewhere in Cayo. I got a little nervous for him while he was explaining the situation and latest contact with the place, but felt much better before getting off the bus in Belmopan, leaving him to keep going on to San Ignacio. So anyways... there are more stories for sure, but I think you've had enough for now.
Loves and Hugs!