Learning to understand Creole, seeing another part of Belize, playing football (soccer for all you Americans) at least 3 hours a day, learning how to make tortillas from scratch, and understanding that Avril Lavigne is still cool were just some of the additional pleasures I got to enjoy during my two week home stay and internship. I interned with Mr. Julio Innes, the Athletic Director and Physical Education teacher at Sacred Heart College (which is really a high school) in San Ignacio, Belize. Sacred Heart is a Catholic High school of about 750 teens, ranging from ages 13-18. My days were filled with sports, teens, and a hot, hot sun. Three of my favorite things! I had the opportunity to teach softball and basketball classes and coach a girls Junior Varsity football team. I was also able to go to a conference tournament with the team I was helping coach and watch them come in 2nd place out of 8 teams! My internship experience gave me a better understanding of the Belizean education system, but also gave me the chance to get to know some teens and get a glimpse into their lives. Along with that experience, I lived with the Torres Family in Benque, Belize for those two weeks. Talk about being immersed in the culture! This was a wonderful time; I played football, volleyball, or went on bike rides every afternoon with Karim (11yrs) and Arelli (9yrs) and I went on walks around town and to band practice with Yesi (15). We also got a family game of family monopoly going on and had amazing home-cooked meals of tortillas, empanadas, rice, beans, chicken, and more every night! It was a huge blessing to be so welcomed into the family. Belize is a beautiful place, filled with beautiful people and these two weeks just made me love and appreciate the culture even more.
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