Why did you choose this program?
I chose this program for a few different reasons. First of all, travelling to Central America has never disappointed me and I had never been to Belize before and was up for a new destination! Everyone i've known who has gone to Belize has raved about how beautiful the country is and how amazing of an experience they had there, and I am so happy to join them now having been to Belize myself.
In addition, I was really interested in some of the excursions the program offered. I had just taken a class on Mayan culture, and it was incredible to be able to travel to see some of the Mayan ruins and work in Mayan communities first-hand. Overall, it seemed like it would not only be a gorgeous destination, but full of culture and history as well.
What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?
Personally, I helped to organize this trip through the chapter of 7 Elements my college had on campus, and as such I believe that I was in charge of organizing more than the average traveller would. That being said, I chose to take on this role and was so happy that I did. The work I put in to organizing taking myself and other students to Belize totally paid off! Not to mention that the 7 Elements staff was so supportive every step of the way, they helped us coordinate our flights, transportation, gave us fundraising tips, and were always available to answer any question we had.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
One thing that I think is important to stress about this program is that it is more of an authentic travel experience and not like visiting Belize and staying at a resort would be like. I think you have to be prepared for hard work and to not have all the amenities that they may be accustomed to living in a more developed area. That being said, it is an incredible and unique experience that if done with the right mindset is super rewarding and life-changing.
What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?
The days on this trip vary greatly. As it has a service component, there are a mixture of service days and what 7 Elements calls excursion days. Some days you may be working in the hot sun on a construction site and others you might be exploring ruins or snorkeling the Belize Barrier Reef. Everyday is a fun and exciting new adventure. Every night after dinner there are nightly discussions that cover a wide range of topics such as human security, history of Belize, and other sustainability and international development related topics. The discussions were some of my favorite parts of my this trip! I felt like I learned so much and could really take something from it.
Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?
I think travelling abroad as a female there is always a small part of me that fears I will be in an unsafe situation. However, having travelled fairly extensively in different parts of the world I've never had an issue. In fact, Belize was one of the most welcoming countries i've ever been to and everyone made me feel so welcome and safe at all times. I think it's always best to exercise proper caution and make sure you aren't putting yourself in dangerous situations, just like you would do at home, and you'll be just fine.
How has this program continued to impact your life after departure?
This was my first trip with 7 Elements and I never would have imagined it to change my life in the ways that it has. I was so inspired by the work that 7 Elements does that I reached back out to them and have continued to work for them for the past few years and I fully support their mission and everything they stand for. I have always had an interest in international development work, but am aware that there are organizations out there that, while they may be good intentioned, end up doing more harm in local communities than good.
I am so happy to report that 7 Elements is definitely not one of these organizations. I am in awe of the work that they do, and they are definitely on the forefront of development organizations making impact, lasting, sustainable change in the work that they do. I support them 100% and hope to continue working with them in the future.
