We are happy to report we safely landed in Fargo this morning shortly after 11 a.m.! After two weeks away from our family and friends, we can’t wait to give you all a big hug and deliver our souvenirs!

Flying home has been very bittersweet reflecting on this incredible experience, knowing it was a once in a lifetime trip. Pictures will never do the beautiful countries of Belize and Guatemala justice. It is also very difficult to sum up the past two weeks, but one word which has often been used to describe this experience is ‘serendipitous’. Everything that has occurred to make Project Belize possible and for all of us to travel to Belize together is nothing short of sweet serendipity.

As we unpack our bags, take care of our stinky laundry, and scroll through the photos, our minds are flooded with the powerful memories of the people of Belize. We traveled to Belize to provide nursing care for 16 different villages with the hope that we could leave an impact on each villager we cared for. It was evident we left an impact on each patient seen, but at the end of the day, the villagers left an even greater impact on us. They taught us what gratitude looks like, which was extremely humbling. They showed us that joy is not defined by what we have or own. They expressed a deep level of thankfulness we have rarely experienced. The people of Belize taught us some of life’s greatest lessons and we have a new level of gratitude and appreciation for the luxuries we have back at home now.

Through Project Belize, we sharpened our nursing assessment skills, became more familiar with tropical diseases, and grew in confidence working with translators. We were so blessed to work alongside some of the most incredible, caring, and wise doctors and providers. It was truly an honor to learn from them and we can’t thank them enough for all they contributed to make Project Belize possible. Because of them, we will all be better nurses someday.

We’d also like to thank Osprey for providing us with all of our outstanding gear! Our durable hiking backpacks and 3 liter water bladders were our lifesavers on hot, humid hikes to clinics. We can’t forget our fanny packs with the fun shaped water bottles we came to love by calling them our ‘kidneys’. Finding all our bags at the various airport stops was quite easy, since we all had our nifty Osprey duffel bags. We put our gear through a lot of sweat, heat, jungle terrain, rain, and dirt. Osprey exceeded our expectations and allowed us to be fully and properly equipped to serve the people of Belize. Thank you, Osprey!! (Shameless plug to check out their gear) 😉

As Gustav Flaubert said, “Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world”. After the past two weeks visiting Belize and Guatemala, we feel blessed to have explored a little corner of our magnificent world. The need for health care in developing countries is great and our professor, Abigail, said that her vision is to see us go and reach other underprivileged countries and provide them with healthcare. Although we are presented with language barriers in other parts of the world, a smile is still a smile that carries the most genuine thanks. We’d love to spread that to other corners of our beautiful earth.

The stories and memories from our experience abroad are endless. The friendships and bonds we built are lifelong. The knowledge we acquired is powerful. We are forever grateful for this serendipitous experience.

Thank you for following along on our journeys and adventures across Belize and Guatemala!

~Heather & Britta

“You were chosen to be here”

Some of the other fabulous people we worked with and learned from during Project Belize.

The kids were fascinated with Ashley’s blonde hair and thought it was a wig 😊

Our hikes were challenging, but the view was always worth it.

We were so grateful to see so many children during our clinics ❤️

Kids are kids, no matter where you go 🥰

Our fabulous leaders and mentors, Abigail and Adam, who adopted the affectionate names “Mommagail and Dadam” as they guided us through our trip.

We sure will miss these stunning views!

We have safely (and sweatily) arrived! After 3 airports, 4 1/2 hours in a van, and hauling around 15 trunks of supplies, we are happy to be here! Our team started the day arriving at Hector Airport at 4 a.m., landed in Belize City around 2 p.m., and then finally arrived in Punta Gorda at 7:30 p.m.

The staff at the Sea Front Inn are very kind, helpful, and were generous enough to cook us a meal upon our arrival! The sun sets shortly after 6 p.m. here, but we are excited to see the full beauty of the ocean out our window in the morning! For now, we’ll settle on hearing the waves crashing in. On our drive to Punta Gorda, we all noticed pretty quickly that the speed limit is not enforced and some common sights on our drive included: goats, banana trees, and plenty of speed bumps!

This evening, we met up with the rest of the Project Belize team from Texas – together we are a group of about 60!! We discussed what clinics will look like and how we will visit 16 different villages. Tomorrow, our NDSU team is headed out to an orphanage in the morning. On a serious note, we talked about how the humidity will effect our bodies and our need to stay hydrated. Luckily, we have an awesome team who will remind each other to keep drinkin!!

Well, it’s bedtime for us after a long day of travel! Time to rest up for our first full day in Belize!

Warmly,

Britta & Emily

Our evening meal at the Sea Front Inn!

At Hector Airport checking in!

All our bags arrived and we are getting settled in.