A wave of heat hit me as soon as I stepped off of the small, scary mudskipper plane. I began to fan myself, hoping to cool down. Grabbing my bags, I hopped onto the van that would take me to the hotel. I went onto my phone, looking through the photos of what I had taken on the plane. The water was beautiful, a serene turquoise color, one that I would never forget. It crashed onto the shores of small beaches and rocks, which then turned into lush green rainforests. My camera had captured the beautiful colors, but it was simply a moment that was irreplaceable in my mind.

The drive wasn’t that long to the hotel from the airport, thirty minutes at most. I had finally arrived in Placencia, a small town located on an island right off the coast of the mainland. The weather was perfect; a bright sunny day, and when I arrived at the hotel, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The resort seemed so beautiful, and it helped that a man from the bar came out to greet us with a tropical island drinks. As I waited in line to get to the room, I couldn’t help but notice the outside of the area. The back entrance led to an outdoor dining area with a stunning view of a lagoon, and a nice hut with a couple of hammocks hanging, drifting with the breeze.

When we got to the hotel room, all that was running through my mind was to put my swimsuit on and run to the beach.

When I got there, I was immediately impressed. The entrance to the beach was through the pool, and when I saw my first glimpse of it, I couldn’t help but gasp. The pool was big and had a poolside bar, which was shaped like hut. Beach chairs lined the outside of the pool, and you could see the glimmering ocean. Smiling like a madwoman, I dropped my things on a nearby chair, running to the beach. The beach was my old friend, and I had been going for as long as I could remember.

Looking at the many people on paddleboards and in kayaks, I decided to get a paddleboard myself. After pushing myself off the beach, I wobbled slightly before balancing myself. I couldn’t believe I was finally here. Sensing the current in the way it drifted, I paddled to the opposite way for a while until I was sure that I could drift back to shore if I decided to relax for a little bit. As I layed down I couldn’t help but feel at peace, something always needed by a student of any school. By laying down on the paddleboard, I could see all of the beautiful birds flying above me, as well as having a 360 view of everything around me. It was completely and utterly surreal.
All-in-all, I could belize I was actually in a place that was relaxed, something that took me away from a stressful reality.