This week was a tough one. One that we couldn't have gotten through without such an amazing team at Beaches and Dreams and without the help of our amazing community. This week, I saw people go above and beyond their jobs and rearrange their personal lives to help others. And...
Belize Vacation Blog
Ms. Jess’s Family Blog
Culture Day at School
Every November, at school, the kids learn about and celebrate all of the cultures of Belize. Belize has so many cultures and communities with rich histories and present day traditions that make Belize a truly unique place. It's not a melting pot -- some communities consist of ONLY those people...
The Slow Pace of Slow Season
When you run a hotel there is a busy season and a slow season. Even with the relatively consistent weather that we have in Hopkins Belize this seasonality applies to us as well. For us, December through April (Christmas through Easter) is high season. This is when hotels and restaurants...
Hopkins Day 2019
This weekend was Hopkins Day in our village. The name may sound redundant since we live in Hopkins, Belize. What it means is the village council of Hopkins creates an event that gives residents (and the village itself) an opportunity to make money and to celebrate Hopkins. People of Hopkins...
Residency Approved!
We applied for Belize Residency in August 2018 after living here for a full year. We were extremely limited in our travel that first year because when establishing residency you cannot travel more than 2 weeks in a year. After submitting the application, we were still limited but with slightly...
Maya Immersion with Mom
Mom arrives in Belize! My mom made her second visit to Belize in January, just one month after our Christmas visit to the States. We had planned her Belize trip long before our Christmas trip so it was not intentional to see each other SO soon again, but certainly welcome!...
Newbie bloopers
I think my mistakes in life are the things that make me laugh the hardest. Once enough time has passed, the most embarrassing moments are usually the funniest to think back on. It will be fun to put some of these in writing and have them to look back on...
To the States for Christmas
During our first year in Belize (last year), we wanted to establish Belizean Residency (you can think of this as a green card...we will still be citizens of the U.S. but, as residents, we no long need to deal with student or work visas). In order to apply for residency,...
How to buy sneakers in Dangriga
Somehow, this past fall, Rex's feet must have grown very quickly and I found myself in immediate need of some new sneakers. Obviously, after living in Belize for over a year, I knew a next day delivery from Zappos was not gonna happen. I would probably have to drive 2...
Hopkins Garifuna Immersion
After living here for a year, there are still a few tours offered by our resort that I have not taken myself. I've heard so many amazing things about the Garifuna Immersion tour from day one, so this past summer I decided to take the kids. The Garifuna Immersion is...