When I started this blog, every post was about the new things my family was experiencing in Belize. We moved here in 2017, when Fay was 9 years old and Rex was 7 years old. The four of us explored the country together and figured out how to run a hotel in Hopkins. We did everything together as a family. Fast forward to today. Fay and Rex are 18 and 16. Fay is off at college in the States, Rex is busy with high school here in Belize and Ryan and I are apparently so comfortable as hotel owners, that we built a second resort. There are not so many “crazy” and new things to write about. But, that being said, I want to write a blog post dedicated to a family update.
From Belize High School to Union College
When we moved to Belize, I wondered what it would be like when the kids finally applied to college. I didn’t know if the Belize school system would be competitive enough to get the kids what they needed to be accepted into college. We came from NYC, where it was highly competitive even at the High School level. In my opinion, the schooling has been just fine in Belize, and I believe the experience of living in a different culture gives the kids a different perspective, which adds to their eduction. I think it also gives them a unique sense of identity. They don’t relate 100% to kids their age in the States nor in Belize. There has been good and bad. In the early years, it was hard for my kids to fit in and make friends. But, on the up side, there is a lot of kindness here and expectations of respect and fairness. We found a great high school where the kids feel comfortable, have made friends and the education is good. End result? Fay got accepted into a college and is thriving. She is majoring in English. She has thrown herself into her college theater program and is enjoying it immensely. There is no theater program here in Belize, so I didn’t even realize how much she would love that.
College Summers - A New Challenge
After Fay’s first year of college, summer of 2025, Fay came home to Belize. I didn’t even think twice about this. I wanted my girl home with me after missing her all year. But after a week or two, it was obvious, she should be working a job! I felt like we had dropped the ball by not helping her prepare for her first college summer. But, it was also a bit complicated. Fay graduated high school at 16, and was only 17 for her first college summer. And she does not have a driver’s license. So living in the US, away from her parents would have been difficult. As a solution, for her first summer, we put her to work at the resort, interacting with guests, going on tours and writing on this blog.
Now, our second summer is approaching, summer of 2026. Fay is 18, which makes things easier. But, the fact that neither her parents nor her home are located in the US presents a challenge. We want her to get a summer job in the States, but we cannot entertain the idea of just getting a job at the grocery store or local fast food, because, where would she live. It crossed my mind that she could get a job near her college, we could pay for her to remain on campus, and she could take a bus to work. But that seemed super lonely and she would have no support system – no friends, family or community.
Camp Provides! A Job, a Bed, and a Community
Then, it finally came to us, the perfect solution – to work as a camp counselor for a sleepaway camp. She would have room and board built in, and she would have community built in! So, in January, Fay searched for job openings, applied to about 10 camps, did three video interviews and landed her first job. I am so proud of her and moreover, I am overjoyed that she will have this for her first job experience. The camp has proven to be very well organized, well managed, and she will get extensive training before she starts. I won’t get to see much of Fay this summer, but I know she will be in a great environment and community.
BHS - Science Track and Competitive Track
Rex is in his third year of high school at BHS. In most high schools in Belize, students choose an emphasis for their Jr/Sr years. Rex chose the science track and he is enjoying everything except the time consuming lab reports. Last year he participated in an international debate organization called HACIA. He would have participated again this year, but BHS decided to opt out due to visa complications for some of the kids. We are hoping he can do HACIA again next year.
In response to missing HACIA this year, I asked Rex to please find some other activity, club or sport in which to participate. So that his life does not simply revolve around his studies and video games. He found out that his PE teacher would be putting together a track & field team that would compete with other schools in the Spring. We were unsure when the team would begin practicing, so Rex just kept asking his PE teacher for updates here and there.
Here is where the story gets funny. And if you’ve ever lived in Belize, you might nod your head and say, “only in Belize”, with love of course. The Wednesday before the track & field competition day, the coach finally got the kids organized and signed up for events. But no one from our school had actually practiced. There may have been a shrug and a comment like “who needs to practice – it’s just running”. Rex signed up for the long jump and I was relieved to see that he would be jumping into a somewhat regulation pit of sand! The competition started with track runners, then high jumpers and finally long jumpers. Each student was allowed to leave once their event was over. So, by the time Rex jumped, there were no students left from his school to watch him. It was 5:30pm on a Friday night, so no judgements on the kids; they had places to be! But if I knew before what I know now, I may not have encouraged Rex to sign up for this “sport”. I was hoping for a bit more team bonding over practices and track meets!
Some family photos
Before this post gets too long, I’ll sign off and give you a few family photos from this past year.
