I recently had the pleasure of taking a vacation with my brother and his family. His kids are between four and ten years old. It’s fabulous! They all have their own personalities and the best part, they still want to hang out with me. #so very lucky
Anyways, we went for eight days to Belize. I have never been and neither had they. My kids are all grown up so being with them is just so much fun. They said funny things, they did funny things, even when people were misbehaving they were cute. Now I know it sounds like I am being one sided and I am. They are the best and I am happy to declare that. I often found myself thinking about my own kids and when they were little, in watching some of the things they did. It really happens all too fast. One minute you are planning your vacations around pools and the next, you are planning graduations. Sigh. I miss the days when life was simple and conversations were pure.
My favourite lines from our vacation are as follows.
Line #1. The second morning after we travelled on three planes with little sleep, I had asked the middle one who had bunked with me, if he had slept well. He very seriously replied, “It would have been better if the people above me had not been dancing and snoring, that would have made my sleep better”. I couldn’t help but roar. The ‘people’ whom had referred to were his parents! And really I don’t think they were dancing or doing anything but sleeping for that matter. Next, poor guy, I was probably the snoring culprit. I had been exhausted that night. Oh yes, even as I typed this I am dying.
The next best line was when the youngest was watching a cartoon named Lolo on his IPad. The oldest sibling and I were listening and conversing about what language it was. We were thinking it was Arabic of sorts when the 4-year-old picked up our conversation and chimed in, “Hey, you guys. I swear it’s French!”. We looked at each other and started to laugh. Good try little buddy but definitely not French!
Over the vacation, there were so many funny lines and comments. I loved the ones that highlighted the youngest’s skills in grammar and rhetoric. The best part about him is that he had good timing with a dash of humour. It made things much better. The oldest guy, too smart for his own good sometimes was keen to pick up on my enjoyment of such things. I could appreciate how much he was growing up. Sigh. I still remember driving through a snowstorm to meet him. Ten years old. Wow! How could ten years fly by so fast? He was starting to get to the stage where wrestling him was risky. He jokingly referred to me as frail a couple of times. Although I wasn’t frail, I definitely wasn’t as strong as I once was and adding in his increasing strength, yikes! I knew the next thing that would happen is when he would be taller than me. Lastly, the middle kid. The guy with the big brown eyes. He was really starting to ask good questions. He wanted to know everything. He was at that pivotal moment as he was learning to read and the world was opening up for him. He was really maturing and it showed.
The boys were uniquely themselves and not alike one little bit. That was the best part. This trip allowed me to spend time with each one of them-together and separately. It was the ultimate gift and with all that had been happening in my life, it was so refreshing. I probably laughed too much and at things I shouldn’t have. I know I was the guilty party of causing chaos a couple times, not intentionally. Ugh. You know what I am talking about. You are playing and things take a turn and then you feel bad. I will need to make it up to their parents somehow. They were so patient.
But all these interactions. All these moments. They reminded me to put things in perspective. Sometimes I got myself worked up about things that just aren’t important and spending a week with these gems reminded me what I needed to do. Keep it simple. Just one day at a time. One fried egg or chocolate milk. A gummy bear or a plate of noodles. Oh and let’s not forget a gum ball. How satisfying is that?
Really though- You’d Better Belize it!
So let’s talk about vacation in Belize. What a beautiful country with beautiful people. As always I enjoy the culture. I like seeing how other people live. I find it thought provoking to say the least. In the words of Rick Steves, the travel writer, he talks about the concept that if your world is small you are aware there is so much more out there and that your culture is not the mainstream. However if your world is big, you assume that your culture is the way the world is. So stepping out of your world has benefits both ways because you are exposed to what is not the norm in your world. The first time I heard this concept it was a little mind boggling. But when I think about it, it totally makes sense. Every time I leave I am reminded to be grateful. I am reminded to use my privilege to help others.
So let me tell you a little bit about what I learned about Belize. First thing- the people are kind. My best example is after our lunch I was carrying a pizza box with the leftovers inside. The box was not huge but big enough to be somewhat awkward. As I walked down the narrow street, I bumped into a Belizean man. He apologized to me. I apologized to him, it was my fault. He replied but saying as long as I was ok. When I shared this story with my brother he replied that he read somewhere that Belizeans are nicer than Canadians. We then talked about that statement. Who said that? How do they know? Interestingly enough it falls into the category of ‘people say’ or ‘they say’ but who are the ‘people’ and these ‘they’ the sayings refer to? I don’t know. But what I do know is that the people in Belize are nice. Everywhere we went, people were eager to chat you up, help you out, or smile and say hello. I also want to outline that I was travelling with a family that included small children. So I wasn’t clubbing at 2 am to test out the waters. However, my opinion is not to be taken as the gospel truth. According to the Government of Canada as found on their travel advisory “violent crime is also a major concern elsewhere in the country [of Belize], including in Belmopan. Belize has one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world” (2024). Did I see that no, so I would say travel with caution but sometimes I take for granted that people do.
In any event I think you should check out Belize. Here are my top reasons why:
-English speaking. Belize began as part of the British Commonwealth. In 1981 Belize gained its full independence from Britain and formed its own country. So it is actually as new as Canada. The perks for me as a tourist though who only speaks one language is I can get around easily.
-Roads. The roads in Belize are very good. My example would be that I would rather drive in Belize on their roads than the roads in Saskatchewan. True story! A few years back I took my kids on a road trip through Saskatchewan and there were potholes that could swallow a small Ford Taurus whole! Belize had great roads, also something left behind from the British.
-Cost. Currently at the time that I am writing this. 73 cents Canadian buys 1 Belizean dollar. If you are from the States then 50 cents USD buys a Belizean dollar. Crazy but make a vacation way better as you can stretch a dollar.
-Weather. You knew weather was going to be one. In 8 days I only had to use sunscreen once. So it wasn’t crazy hot but still nice and warm. It was one of those deals where as a tourist I was in a summer dress or tank top watching locals dressed in layers and coats. You know what I mean. It was nice. Comfortable. The negative to this humid climate was my hair was climbing on top of my head in a frizzy mess of tangley grey and brown. Did I mention my hair is poker straight? It is complete, so this was quite the sight. In any event, I would encourage you to go and check it out!
But I digress. This trip was a beautiful reminder of what truly matters: the joy of simple moments, the laughter of loved ones, and the importance of being present. It wasn’t just a vacation—it was a gift of connection, reflection, and inspiration. Life moves quickly, and it’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of it all, but moments like these ground us and remind us to focus on what’s important.
As I return to my everyday life, I carry with me a renewed sense of purpose to cherish these experiences, embrace new adventures, and continue checking things off my bucket list. Life is meant to be lived fully, unapologetically, and with a little humor along the way—just like the kids taught me this week.
References
(2024, December 12). Britannica. Retrieved December 28, 2024, from https://www.britannica.com/place/Belize
Belize Travel Advice. (2024, December 12). Government of Canada. Retrieved December 28, 2024, from
https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/belize
(n.d.). https://www.youtube.com/@learnwithlolo
(n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved December 28, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Honduras
The Ugly Tourist (n.d.). Rick Steve’s Europe. Retrieved December 28, 2024, from
https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/the-ugly-tourist-and-how-not-to-be-one