Adventure Is Out There!

This past Saturday I went on an adventure!

I love adventures.

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary was the chosen location,

and it was beautiful.

One of the trails – Tiger Fern – is 2 kilometres long, and aptly marked as “strenuous”.

I was afraid it would kill me, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised.

Don't get me wrong, I was plenty tired and hungry.

I wasn't sore, though, which was pretty amazing.

I've been in Belize for almost 2 months, and that gave me the advantage I needed.

Life here consists of walking or bicycling everywhere – everyday.

Here's some pictures for you!

What Makes A Writer?

I've known I'm a writer for a long time.

I felt it growing up,
when the thoughts in my head demanded to be written down.
It wasn't a choice.

Our family had a tradition.
Once a month, we made a trip to the city for work supplies and groceries.
The day would always end the same way – a special treat:
perusing overpriced books and home decor at Chapters, whilst drinking overpriced coffee.
Afterwards, we would escape reality for a few hours.

Some people say that going to the theatre is dying off.

I, however, am not one of those people.

Movies are special.
Going to the theatre is like being immersed in their world.

The lights in the theatre dim,
and I can barely see the person sitting next to me.
The sounds surround and echo through me.
I close my eyes.
I'm there,
in that world.
The characters are real,
alive.
For a little while,
there's nothing else.

Afterwards, sitting in the back of our blue Caravan on the two hour drive home,
stars studding the night sky,
I would contemplate the deep and hidden meaning of the movie we had just watched.
Even if there wasn't one,
that didn't stop me from trying to find it.
If there was a character I related to,
or one I aspired to be like,
it would consume my thoughts.

I felt a surge of life and new energy.
Despite just watching something that wasn't real,
I now had a renewed desire to live life to the full.

It was a reminder to me that:
just like a writer can create a character,
I can create myself.
I can be whoever I choose to be.


Amidst all these thoughts darting through my mind like shooting stars,
I would attempt to write them down in a logical way- if only to me.
Not because I wanted to,
but because I had to.

As a thought started taking shape in my head,
I would scramble for paper and a pen,
hoping to get it down before I lost it forever.

That is a terrible tragedy -
losing something you never really had,
knowing it could have been special.
It could have been great.
Like a life that was never lived,
but should have been.

What would they have done?
Who would they have been?
I'll never know,
and that makes me sad.

Lost forever.

I'm not a great writer,
but my thoughts are pieces of me.
When I lose them,
I feel it.

That's how I know.
I'm a writer.

Are you?

Bottle or Bag?

I missed a week.

It feels that way, too.

I've been a touch busy.

Along with moving in to a new place and suddenly having a packed schedule,

I've also had a few misadventures:

nearly blowing myself up,

and the cat attempting suicide - or trying to get high; I'm not sure which.

I've been in Belize for about a month and 10 days.

Slowly, I'm adapting and learning how not to look like an idiot.

It's going to be a while...

On Sunday, my roommate and I went to get some pop from the store.

As I was buying mine, she passed me a small plastic bag that was hanging beside the counter.

I found it a bit odd –

I hardly need a bag.

It costs $1.25 to buy a pop in a glass bottle, but there is a money saving trick:

if you return the empty glass bottle to the store right away, then it only costs $1.00.

The cashier only charged $1.00, 

but she had never asked if I was going to give the bottle back or not,

so I didn't think about it.

My roommate opened her pop, and proceeded to pour it into the plastic bag.

What are you doing?

A bit confused, and very clueless, I proceed to leave the store.

She reminds me that I need to return the bottle, and I finally clue in -

Wow, I'm an idiot.

“Have you ever drank pop from a bag before?”

“Nope, this is my first time.”

I'd like to say that I'm normally sharper, but I can't promise you.

What I can say is that

when the cat licks a poisonous frog and starts drooling,

I'm handy to have around.

I'll save that story for next week – The Cat and The Frog.