You Better Belize It.

Our Belizean adventures started almost 25 years ago. I was in college, my dad and Christy were dating, and my cousin Shelby joined us three sisters at the now defunct Ambergris Caye hotel, Journeys End. My dad was in love and happy again. We girls had a blast. The snorkelling was beautiful. The mojitos at night on the beach were delicious. Rachel helped pilot a tiny airplane that landed on a river in the jungle. We met monkeys, hiked to incredible Mayan ruins and never looked back.

Since then, we have added husbands, stepbrothers and boys. We have added to the adventures. Snorkelling at Hol Chan Reserve and Shark Ray Alley. Driving up the coast in golf carts on what are not quite roads. Throwing raw chicken into the edge of the lagoon as alligators crawl out for a snack.

One of my favourite parts of the Belize trip is the low-flying flight in, on a 12-person plane from Belize City to Ambergris Caye. This trip we had rainbows.

We all met at the Grand Caribe, where my Dad and Christy stay for the month of January. We missed my brothers (step and in-law) Mike, John and Chris, and hope to see them all at John’s wedding in May. But the boys were so happy to reunite with their California cousins. And there’s a new appreciation for being together in these Covid times.

After short, grey days in Switzerland in November and December, it was lovely to be in the Belize sunshine. With bright bougainvillea growing nearby and pelicans and frigate birds flying overhead, we spent most of our days in the pool and hot tub or reading on the balcony overlooking the ocean.

We snorkelled, took long walks up the beach, and enjoyed the outdoors.

Covid tests all-around and we began the long journey home through Houston and Frankfurt. It was hard to leave but it felt like a miracle that we completed this Toronto-Belize tour and got home safely.

We left my dad and Christy to continue the adventures.