Reflections from Allie K...

Hi there from gorgeous, sunny, BEAUTIFUL Belize!

Here I am, sitting by the pool, reading the last of Huck Finn, and hanging with Sam Grant and various children. Hmm… what to say?

The Bowen’s ranch is absolutely beautiful. The fields are big and span the horizon, the trees look like they’re out of the Lion King, and the property is covered with cows, goats, and horses. The horses are friendly, and although they don’t immediately come over, when we’re patient and quiet they’ll come and sniff our hands.

When I was first told that we would be staying above the stables, I envisioned a hay loft with bunk beds and a bathroom for each gender. Our lodgings are much different than that – the five girls have four beds in adjoining rooms that connect via our bathroom. One shower, one toilet, one sink. For Charlotte, Jenna and I, it’s a taste of dorm life. The guys have one large room with a washer and dryer, and they share a bathroom with Caleb, who is in the next room over from them.

This morning, the gals stayed at the ranch for some girl time (tanning, relaxing, all that good stuff), while the guys left for the pool at Chan Chich. While they were gone, some of us went on an expedition around the ranch and found some gorgeous views. We took lots of pictures, but they don’t do the landscape justice. Afterwards, we found one of our group already getting some sun on the roof, and a few minutes later, we all joined her. Some time later, one of the teachers (we think) came by and advised us to get off the roof. He showed us parts of it that were rotting, most notably a hole where he fell through when he was trying to set up his TV dish. He showed us a better place to go, out in a semi-secluded field.

We laid out our towels, got our iPods and books ready, and began to lounge. We laid out in the sun, untied the backs of our suits to avoid tan lines, joked about the boys surprising us, did some girl talk, and listened to music. After maybe forty minutes, we were all overheating and had gotten pretty good tans, so we packed it up. We walked back up to the barn and hosed ourselves down on the deck and air-dried while we watched the horses in the fields.

The boys came back to the ranch, we had fried rice and shrimp, and all split up again for different venues. There was only room for four on the horse riding tour, so I volunteered to go another time and the other girls went on the ride. The boys went to the saw mill, and I came back to Chan Chich for a nice dip in the pool. I spent some time talking to Jackie (Mr. Bowen’s daughter-in-law) and playing with her children Liza (two years old) and Ace (four years old). After they left, Samantha and I lounged on the chairs and read before she showed me their room here at the resort, and their stash of snacks (yum!). A little bit later, Mr. Grant, Ms. Perkins, Mr. Gelerman, his son Ian, and Caleb came to the pool.

Right now, Mr. Grant is back at the ranch to bring the other girls here for a nice cold swim, Ms. Perkins, Sam, Jake, Ian, Mr. Gelerman, Caleb and I are all sitting at the pool, playing Harry Potter Trivia (which I’m winning), and having drinks (non-alcoholic frozen drinks – don’t worry, Mom and Dad – I’m being good.) The girls are on their way, and the sun is beginning to disappear behind the palm trees. Overall, a good day in paradise.

Messages:
Mom and Dad: Hope you’re not missing me too much! Don’t worry, I’m having a blast and I’ve got lots of pictures.
My friends: I’m trying to find you the best souvenirs I can! Miss you all, and I hope your vacations are as awesome as mine is!