Day 1 - January 3, 2010.

I'M HERE... safe and sound for all you worry warts out there! Let me give you a little run down of what has happened so far... (and it's only day one)

I knew that this was going to be the start of a great adventure when I was driving to my parents house near O'Hare at 2:00 this morning on no sleep after a phenomenal Dave Matthews cover band with friends that lasted a touch too long. A few last minute packing changes, a quick shower, and no power nap... off I went to O'Hare. If you can believe it, there was a line at 3:30am!! I sure couldn't believe it but I couldn't believe that I was still awake either. I breezed through O'Hare with no problems, found a Starbucks open very early and curled up in the international terminal to rest until takeoff. I was out cold from Chicago to Houston and then hopped onto a beautiful flight from Houston into Belize with a local Belizean on one side of me and a non-local who's family lived in Belize on the other side of me. You better believe I chatted it up with them! Best advice... do as much as you can crammed into as much time as you have.

We arrived in Belize City about 30 minutes delayed... which was only a problem since I had 20 minutes to catch a puddle jumper but low and behold, everything worked out fine! I flew through customs in a large open room... might I add that Belize is a very easy country to get into! :) I walked up to the counter of Tropic Air (Belize's local airline company) and was greeted by name (makes you feel very important)! I hurried out to the runway and walked right onto a plane that looked a lot like the plane I jumped out of last October.

So here's the puddle jumper & the inside of the plane!! Seriously, some of the BEST aerial views of Belize ever!

So although Mom told me not to talk to strangers down here, I just couldn't resist. I met a fellow businessman traveling to Punta Gorda to work on a forum about the orange trees that were destroyed in the hurricane. He taught me more about Belize than I could have read in a book... AND he didn't follow me out of the airport!! :)

Here's what I learned...
1. Belize City = "there's no need for you to ever be here... it's just not a good place" (note to self.)
2. Runways in Belize = "you either make it in the air or you get wet" (we made it in the air!!)
3. There are these crazy grids of water ponds... turns out they are shrimp farms.
4. There are areas with rows and rows of trees... turns out they grow bananas.
5. This is a rainforest... it will always be wet.

(See what good talking to a local does for you Mom?)

Anyway, we're here safe at the clinic and it's beautiful. I share a bedroom with a girl named Cynda from the UK whom I haven't met yet. There are about a half dozen people here. Chris, you would love it because there are random dogs roaming around all over the place. Janice lives next door in a pink house and has generously offered to cook all of our meals for us. Based on how sweet her house smelled, I think I may enjoy this feature very much! Nurse Betty lives on clinic grounds with us as well and she's a sweet little lady! She's given us tons of advice so far and I think she'll be a blessing in disguise for us.

Ok... time to kick back, relax and await the arrival of the rest of the crew. Tomorrow morning starts orientation, tours, market!

xoxoxo..
ps it's definitely at least 70 down here!!!