When I was in Grade 11, my high school offered a March Break trip to Belize. It ended up being a small group of us who went; just me and three other students, plus our teacher. While we were there, we took a small motorboat along the Macal River bordering the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve in the western part of the country. It was an absolutely incredible ecosystem, surrounded by lush tropical forest and teeming with birds, reptiles, and fish. We saw iguanas, often referred to there as “jungle chickens”, sunning themselves on tree trunks, and even caught a glimpse of spider monkeys in the tree canopy. A local guide accompanied us and explained what we were seeing. It was an amazing way to view the country, from the water instead of the land. There was a sense that the river was alive, and that we were somehow a part of it. It gave us all a new perspective on the new place we were exploring, and for many of us, it was the highlight of our trip.