The Time Has Come...

...For me to leave for Belize!

Why am I going to Belize you ask?? I'll be spending 5 and half weeks there studying abroad through UNCW for an International Field Experience with the Watson College of Education!

I'm going to give you a little background on how all of this came about in the shortest and sweetest way possible (which is going to be REALLY HARD for me because I am a very detailed person and there are definitely MANY MORE details that I could tell you but to spare us both time so that you have less to read and so I can get get as much sleep as possible before I leave the country, here goes nothing)...I took Educational Psychology with Dr. Catapano in the Fall 2012 Semester. It was my first semester at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and I was taking 5 Introduction to Education Classes. I learned on the first day of my EDN-203 Class that Dr. Catapano was a Leader for a Trip to Belize and after hearing her explain what it was I knew without a doubt that I wanted to go. I had a while until it would be my Internship Semester where I would have the opportunity to go to Belize but I knew AS SOON as I heard about it that I would be doing EVERYTHING I could to go.

I had a friend of mine who went to Belize in Spring 2013 and I also had a few more friends as well as quite a few people I knew who went to Belize in Spring 2014. After hearing about their experiences and keeping up with their blogs it only encouraged me to want to go to Belize EVEN MORE.

In August 2014 I attended the Belize Interest Meeting and I submitted my Application to go to Belize not long after. I had my Interview with Dr. C and Dr. K in September. I found out that I got accepted to go to Belize in early October and then the Pre-Departure Meetings started right away! We had a meeting in October, one meeting in November, one meeting in December, one meeting in January, and one meeting in February to prepare for Belize. I had to order my Passport and pay my Deposit for the Trip by November. I started my Internship on January 5th, phased in really quickly (I was Full-Time Teaching by the first week of February), and had my Last Day of Student Teaching on March 13th (I didn't even get to phase out). I attended the Departure Meeting for Belize just on Monday, finished packing, drove home from Wilmington, and had a Going-Away Dinner on Tuesday.

Going to Belize has been a dream of mine for 2 and a half years now and I can't believe that it's now a reality. I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO BELIZE. It hasn't sunk in yet...I remember when I was getting my Passport in October and as I was signing the form I said, "This feels so surreal" and the lady assisting me said, "Wait until you get on the plane." In less than 5 hours I will be have that moment.

If you would like to know more about what all my International Field Experience to Belize will be like then feel free to check out Dr. K's Website or information about it on UNCW's Website.

& Be sure to stay updated by checking out my  Blog as well our Facebook Page!

In the meantime...I'm going to get a nap before I have to get up BRIGHT AND EARLY to go to the Airport. I can't believe that the next time I update my Blog I WILL BE IN BELIZE.

I don't know how this is real life right now...