Making traditional Garifuna hudut

Author: Vivian Brantley | Major: Horticulture

I chose this program because it is directly related to my major. As a student in the honors college, I have a research project that I must complete. My initial idea was to create a series of school gardens in elementary schools in Fayetteville AR. Due to COVID-19 this was not possible so I modified my garden plan. This trip had a focus on building a garden at the school in Belize, so it allowed me to still fulfill part of my project goals even if it will not be included in my program.

Any travel adds experience to a person and more knowledge on how to handle different situations. But this project will help me achieve my academic goals as I mentioned before by allowing me to enact the part of my honors project goal that I was unable to do here in the states. This trip will help me achieve my professional goals because a study abroad, be it a service-learning one at that, is a very desirable thing to be able to put on a resume as it has given me the real-life experience I could not get anywhere else.

The classes on this trip were very different from the traditional classes one may take at the University. They were much more hands-on and less structured than what you would find in a traditional setting. We had assignments and writing prompts but I feel that most of the actual learning and work for the classes was very in-the-moment and group-oriented, while still focusing on the individual experience.

The culture in Belize is amazing. There are so many new things to experience while you’re gone. On this trip community members are the ones who prepare most of the food you will eat. Be brave and try anything and everything at least once. There is a surprising amount of food that is similar to here in the states, but none of it is processed like food is here. Pace yourself, every meal there will be a crazy amount and variety of food available. If you go hungry on this trip that is only because you chose to do so.

The architecture is different in Belize. Most of the houses land on two ends of a spectrum. Either they are wood slat houses on stilts that sway in the wind, or they are made almost entirely of concrete. Look around and take note of how different all the houses on the same street can be.

Music in Belize is a large part of the culture. Particularly the Garifuna people’s culture revolves around drumming. We got several opportunities to learn about the drums either by speaking with those who make them, hearing the music itself, and learning how they are played and danced to.

Daily life and encounters with people in the community were some of the best parts of the trip. Living in the day-to-day and getting to know the community members was one of the most impactful elements of my time in Belize. We got to know the people at the hotel, the drum makers, the women who cooked our food, and other people our age on an intimate level where true friendships were formed and goodbyes were hard.

I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who can take it. It was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. I was able to get to know a great group of people from my school as well as get to know a beautiful community. You learn so much while you are gone from how food is prepared, music is central to the community, and how society functions.

Just embrace everything as it happens. If you are open to whatever may happen you will have more fun and miss out on fewer activities. Get up and dance when the music plays even if you don’t know how to, try the new food even if you don’t like it. Talk to everyone you meet and actually listen to what they have to say. It is easy to get overwhelmed when you’re so far away from home for so long, so make sure to stay positive and stay in the moment.

I wish that I had known a little more about the town we were staying in before we got there. I think if I had done more research on Dangriga and Belize itself I would have avoided some of the culture shock I experienced. Luckily I did not experience much culture shock at all though! Also, there is a very limited laundry service and what there is, is relatively expensive. So, I would pack some extra clothes (underwear especially) and be prepared to do my own laundry in the sink. Maybe even bring some travel laundry soap sheets.

The first thing I did when I got home was take a LONG, HOT, shower. The showers were nice and hot in Belize, but there’s just something special about being able to sit down in your shower at home and soak in the water and feel the steam fill the room! I was also super excited to sleep in my own bed again! I know that other students were most excited to have iced coffee again.