Happy Thanksgiving from Belize!

This is just a quick post to say Happy Thanksgiving to all of my family and friends back home in the U.S. As you may have noticed, I have not published anything in several weeks because I have been on the go nonstop since October 31. I still have much to write about all of my recent adventures, but that will have to wait until I have a chance to slow down again. In the meantime, I am quickly making my way through Belize, primarily because it's at least twice as expensive as Guatemala (and often more) and it will break my budget if I stick around much longer.

On Thanksgiving Day I am going hiking in the nearby nature reserve, Cockscomb Basin, with a couple of girls who are also traveling solo. Melanie is from France but lives in Guadalajara, Mexico, and Crystal is from the Netherlands but lives in Costa Rica. I met both at my current hostel in Hopkins, Belize, and we ultimately decided to go on this adventure together via public transportation and possibly even hitchhiking (which is relatively safe and common here in Belize).

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is known for being the world's first jaguar preserve. While I don't expect to spot any jaguars because they are nocturnal, the area is also particularly biodiverse and I hope to see lots of interesting plants, birds and other wildlife. In addition, there are many hiking trails and waterfalls, and even the possibility of river tubing. So it should be a fun day and an excellent way to keep my mind off the fact that I am missing all the communal gatherings and good food back home.

In closing, I also want to mention how thankful I am for all of my family and friends who read and comment on my blog and social media posts. It has now been almost three months since I left Portland and two-and-one-half months since I left the U.S. It is nice to know you haven't forgotten about me and I enjoy seeing updates from you, too! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday wherever you are.