Swimming in a Sea of Nationalism

It seems like just a week ago I was jumping off of a boat and into an ocean filled with sharks.

I've posted a couple of comments on Social Media about my course revision for my honors classes this fall.  The idea came to me a couple of weeks ago and it has been on my mind even with all that I've been doing and seeing.  This week, the idea has become even more prevalent in my thoughts.

I'm in France.  Actually, I am in a Starbucks along the Grands Boulevard.  It sits almost directly across the street from the restaurant "Flam."  This is a place we ate in April, it had the pizza-like food.  This Starbucks has a strong wifi signal and is only a short walk from my hotel, which does not have a strong wifi signal.  It's about 10:30 am here and although I should be out and about, I am not.  I logged in about 30,000 steps and 13 miles yesteday.  I hit my step goal for today on the walk to Starbucks.  It was 9:15.

Needless to say, I am a little tired.  I thought that traveling without a bunch of kids would be relaxing...and it is, but it is still exhausting.  Yesterday was Bastille Day.  In France, it is the Fete Nationale.  It is their version of the Fourth of July.  It seems fitting that I am here during this celebration after missing my own country's national holiday.  I awoke later than expected yesterday and immediately hoped on the Metro.  The goal was to get to the Arc de Triumph and watch the French military parade.  The city was alive.  Tons of people were out and many were waving small tri-colours.  I found myself about 10 people deep from the road, but I was also taller than most.  Therefore, I could see.  The parade was much longer than expected.  It included some tanks, drones, and soldiers on horseback (I had seen them drilling the previous day).  At the conclusion of the parade, there was a flyover of helicopters and then some paratroopers descended from an airplane.  It was quite exciting.  The worst part of the parade was the very end...thats when everyone tried to leave at once.  There was a terrible traffic jam of humanity along the Champs Elysee.  I was stuck in the middle.  I hate crowds.  I was patient...and eventually made it through.

I returned to my hotel and refreshed myself for a daylong adventure.  I hopped on the Metro and took off for Pere LaChaise Cemetery.  This is the most visited cemetery in the world according to the guidebook.  It is the final resting place for over a million souls.  Some of the most influential people in French history are buried here, but that was not the point of my visit.  20 years ago, I walked the narrow passages of this cemetery with my brother Phil to find the final resting place of Jim Morrison (The Doors).  I'm not really a music guy, but I've always love the Doors.  I think finding a little bit of home in a foreign land is always nice.  I haven't been able to see my brother as much as I'd like and this was also a way of thinking about him while here.  After the graveyard, I took off towards the Place de Bastille.  The prison had been destroyed in 1798 and there is nothing left except a couple of street signs.  I thought that there would be a little more decorations there because it was the 14th, but there was not.  It began to dawn on me that there is a reason why the French don't call the day Bastille Day.

France is a large nation and its colonial expansion took it to all corners of the globe.  Much of that expansion occurred after the storming of the Bastille.  Not all of the expansion went well, but along the parade route, and later at the Eiffel Tower, it was apparent that the 14th is a day of universal celebration in France.  People of all ethnicities could be found waving the French flag or cheering for their nation.  France, like America, is a melting pot.  I remember my first visit to France.  I was sitting in a McDonalds with my brother.  Three guys, about our age, approached.  They were Algerian.  We spoke for about 1 hour.  I don't remember the details of our conversation, just that it was pleasant.  I also remember our chaperon explaining that we probably shouldn't be hanging out with those types of kids.  It was my first taste of racism.  It tasted terrible.

I've seen a lot of posts about the Confederate Flag as of late.  You know the one I mean...it has the US Flag and the Confederate Flag.  It compares the 4 years of the Confederacy to all of the bad things connected to the history of America. (Indian Removal Act, Japanese internment, etc)  This post really bothers me.  Sure, the US Government and military has some bad history.  It is unwise to ignore this, but the post fails to capture the point behind the differences of the Confederacy and the federal government of the United States.  Our founding fathers never pledged perfection.  They knew it was impossible.  Instead, the promised to make a "more perfect" union.  One that gets better over time.  This is important to me.  For all of our bad, our country has been an unbelievable force for good and for humanity.  We have improved upon ourselves.  Every generation really.  Whether it was universal suffrage for white males, during the Age of Jackson, or the elimination of slavery, or the granting of the right to vote for women, or the fight for civil rights in the 60s, or the elimination of DOMA.  We have been making ourselves more perfect since 1776.  We will never be perfect.  We will always be responsible for some bad stuff, but lets not forget to think of the good we've done too.

Sitting by a light post in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower last night, I was thinking about these things.  I was reading a book about Americans who traveled to Paris in the early 1800s.  Their names included Emerson, Sumner, and Morse.  They were the young people who were about to make history.  They kept a written account of their experiences and David McCullough put them into his "Greater Journey."  It is the second time I've read  this book, but I had to reread it.  He draws upon the connections I cherish...the ones between the United States and France.  The inspiration this place had on so many Americans is palpable.  It started with helping us out during the Revolution and it continues through this day.

The high school curriculum for United States history is split into two years.  The first is early American history through the Civil War and Reconstruction.  The second is modern US History.  I find myself, every year, justifying the exclusion of much of the Civil War stuff, because of time constraints.  I cover only the "essentials."  Next year, as a trial, I am starting with the Civil War.  It is, without a doubt, the single greatest (most important) event in our history.  It's ramifications are still so strong over 150 years later.  We use it as a dividing point.  It is my goal to use it as a focal point.  I will teach it first...and teach it correctly.  Then, when the students understand what happened, we will backtrack to discover the causes...because everything that happened before the war helped cause the war.  I am mapping it out this summer, but it has never been more clear to me.  I am so excited.

About a week ago, I was, in fact, swimming in a sea filled with Sharks.  Our guide Albert, on our final day, took us to a beach with a giant Belize sign on it.  We posed for pictures.  Albert was filled with pride in his nation.  It was obvious.  He loved showing us Belize's greatest destinations.  In the tiny nation of Central America, we saw some poverty.  It wasn't all good, but it was more good than bad.  Here in France, amidst the celebration, I was some things I did not like, but it was mostly good.  That's really this blogs major point.  Those who want to be negative will only find negativity.  Those who look for human decency and for goodness can find it in so many places.  This world is not a perfect place, but I'm not looking for perfect.  I just think that we can make it more perfect by seeing as much of it as possible...it gives us a better outlook and when we look inwards, it helps us there too.

Some Fireworks

One of the only reminders of the Storming of the Bastille

The Luxembourg Gardens

Jim Morrison's Grave

A Sea of Nationalism

A sense of triumph as I successfully navigated the Paris Metro without a Tour Director!!!

Day 8: The Diamond Anniversary post.

It is hard to imagine, but this is my 75th blog post.  In that time, I've had nearly 37,000 page views and a wide variety of comments.  The laptop I'm writing this on has been to about a dozen countries and all together we have taken close to 300 students to a wide variety of destinations.  The first glimpse at "Where in the World is Mr. Lavoie" began in France and Amsterdam in 2012.  I didn't quite blog on that trip, but I did make my Facebook account available to parents and friends.  I try to post regularly and I tried to share pictures as well.  The response was overwhelming.  I knew it was something that people back home valued and so, I tried to improve upon it.

France and the Netherlands 2012

It was a small group, but a great one.  We experienced many wonderful things in both France and Amsterdam. It wasn't the first educational tour I was on, not even the first one I led, but it was the first one where I tried to create a digital presence for those back home.  The youngest travelers on that trip have just graduated and are embarking on the adventure that we call life.  I wish them, and the follow Eurotrip12 kids, the best of luck.  I am Facebook friends with most of those former students now and I am always quite pleased to see that many of them are continuing their travels abroad.

The following year, 2013, was the first real attempt at creating this blog.  I was determined to make it a success.  The first few blog posts were written in advance of the trip and tried to set the tone of what I was expecting.  The enrollment numbers of this tour slowly crept up and before we knew it, there were nearly 40 students going to Ireland, Wales, and England.

Ireland, Wales, and England 2013

We had no idea what emotional roller coaster this trip would be when we departed Logan airport.  Shortly after our trip around the Ring of Kerry, we heard about the Boston Marathon bombings.  This blog became a method of reassuring parents that their kids were okay and a method of allowing me to express my concerns and sorrow.  A few days later, Saugus High School lost an icon in Nancy Lemoiine.  She was a dear friend of mine and I found our about her passing while writing this blog.  The chaperons and I had to deliver this news to our group. It was, without a doubt, one of the most difficult experiences of my entire life.  On that tour, we had many of Nan's kids. They were musicians, actors, and singers...they were her friends.  We also had a wide variety of athletes and scholars.  In our mourning, we realized that everyone on that trip had a "Nan."  These tragedies came to bind us together into a family.  That resonated with us the following day in Wales, we met a singing group at the Hand Hotel.  They found out we were from Boston and they dedicated a performance to us.  They had no idea what impact they would make on us...they provided comfort, a human touch, and a dose of reality.  We learned that the world was filled of wonderful people.  It is something that these trips make clear to kids.

A few days after returning from that trip, I received a small package in the mail.  It was from Saugus, California.  A care package our travelers sent to their school in response to the shootings at Sandy Hook had made an impression on their school...and they were paying it forward.  This culminated with two students, and myself, traveling to California to be the guests of honor at their graduation.  This blog followed that adventure across the country.

Saugus, California

 This spring to remember didn't end in California with their graduation.  I was fortunate enough to be asked to chaperon a middle school trip to Washington DC.  On the bus with me was Mrs. Hamer, the middle school librarian, Ms. Payne, the high school librarian, and Mr. Woods, the Director of Science for SPS at the time.  These middle schoolers didn't know us (Ms. Payne and myself) very well, but the kids on Bus #2 welcomed us into their world.  We had a great time with them and shared quite a few laughs and memories.  The relationships we built with them, covered by this blog, made it possible for Ms. Payne and myself to become their class advisors at Saugus High School.

Bus #2 waiting for our Bus driver to show up because he got lost

The next year, 2014, this blog traveled to central Europe on a Historical tour of the Holocaust.  As you can imagine, the trip was a very emotional journey into our modern past.  The students who left Saugus behind experienced the horrors of Dachau and Auschwitz, but we also experienced the wonders of Jewish culture.  The trip took place over Easter and for many, it was their first time away from home during a major holiday. We did our best to keep the kids from getting homesick and to keep the parents informed of our travels.

Our 2014 group at Auchwitz

The trip was transformative.  We will not forget the good friends we made from Canada or Ian's dedication made in honor of those who perished in the Holocaust.  The friendships made on this trip solidified my feelings that educational travels are as important as classroom settings...if not more so.

This past April, we returned to England, France and the Netherlands.  This blog shared our story into Canterbury, to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and to the shores of Omaha beach.  For many of us, walking through the National Cemetery was a moving experience that will never be forgotten.  In Amsterdam, we remembered the story of Anne Franck.  A kid.  A kid who changed the world.  Her legacy lives on and our travelers embody that notion.

2015 in Amsterdam.  The giant sign commemorating the city is a great photo op.

The powers that be once again allowed me to attend the BMS trip to DC.  It was a different set of kids, but their love of knowledge was infectious.  I am always impressed with kids who seek out more information and who want to learn.  I am so excited to work with those kids next year...little to they know that they've inspired me to revisit the entire 9th grade US History curriculum.  I'm hoping they enjoy what I come up with.

Some of Bus #3 in front of the Iwo Jima Memorial

And now, I find myself in 22B.  Our return flight from Atlanta to Boston after a week in Belize.  I'm sitting between two strangers, but our kids are all around me.  They have been so great.  They personify the reason why so many of us enjoy traveling with your kids.  They are respectful and courteous. They say "Thank you."  This past week has allowed me to get to know a bunch of new kids and to further my relationship with some whom have traveled before.  This trip is different than most of my previous ones.  It is based on adventure  and education.  We came out of our comfort zone and chased new waterfalls.  Ms. Usseglio and Ms. Payne did an outstanding job of organizing this trip and I am so glad they allowed me to document some of our journey.

I really wish I could showcase how great each of the kids have been, but I find myself, at different times, with particular kids.  Yesterday, on the way back to our hotel, I was sitting next to Amanda.  She is now a senior at Saugus High.  She was our only freshman in Ireland, Wales, and England.  She and I began comparing trips.  Not to see which one was better, but just as a recollection of what great experiences we've had together (She has been fortunate enough to travel on several trips with SHS).  As we talked, she mentioned that the thing she appreciates most is the sense of independence she has learned while abroad.  She was a quiet 9th grader who needed help with pretty much everything before we left for Ireland.  Now, she is a mature young woman who is not afraid of the challenges one might face in life.  I've said it before, but one must travel to learn.  Amanda is a shining example of that quote coming alive.  These kids all exemplify that.  They've overcome quite a bit to be the people they are.  Some adversity was optional, like snorkeling at night and some was thrust upon them, like having to visit a Belizean clinic....but all have made this trip complete.

It is fitting to me that this day has come full circle.  Not just for this trip, but for this blog.  Born in Amsterdam with photos posted to Facebook and culminating 30,000 feet in the air.  This morning we left the Biltmore and headed to the airport.  Albert surprised us with one more photo opportunity.

These kids will never stop Belizing!!!

The word is different and there are more colors, but I couldn't help but think of the "I AMsterdam" sign that we've posed at several times before.  As these belizers took their place among the letters, with the Caribbean Sea behind them, I paused to contemplate how similar this trip actually is to the others I've been on.  The common denominator is not food, artwork, or adventure; it is people.  We have met so many wonderful people in Belize.  Albert, Warrior, all of our guides, and even Oscar the waiter; these people, as well as the vendors and shopkeepers, have made us feel so welcome.  They are so different than a men's choir in Langollen, Wales or the school personal in Saugus, California, but they are also so similar.  Humanity is rift with examples of negativity, but the lessons of Auschwitz tell us that there are millions of untold stories of goodness in this world.  We just need to Belize in them.

On our flight from Belize to Atlanta, a man with a strange accent was allowed to use the PA system and address our flight.  He informed us that one of his peers was being promoted to Master Sergeant.  Like me, he had served 15 years.  Unlike me, his service was in defense of his nation.  As the ceremony concluded, the plane burst into applause.  We all shared this moment with this young man from the Netherlands who was being honored by his country while surrounded by strangers.  I'm sure he will remember that flight for a long time.  While he will never know that a few rows behind him a teacher would be blogging about this moment for parents in the United States, it is my guess, through our clapping and cheering, that he understands, the same way our kids do, that people are much more likely to be good than they are to be bad.

Our flight is nearly complete.  This trip is almost over.  It's impact on me, the other chaperons, and the kids who have traveled with us, however, will endure the test of time.  I overheard a conversation from the row in front of me.  Two kids, who I don't think were that friendly before our trip, were chatting away.  They were explaining how this was an experience of a lifetime. Each one will remember something different, but they will remember it.  They had both told me previously that they want to keep traveling.  They want to see more of the world.  I hope, when they do, that they think of this trip and they journal their experiences.  One day, on some far-flung adventure, I hope they remember the chaperons on this trip.  It would mean the world to us if we hear from them in the future...letting us know that they are still out there...chasing waterfalls, traveling to learn, and smiling to those who they meet.  Not all of these kids have graduated this year, but they have all become more prepared for the whatever the world bring them.  It is like Amanda told me, these experiences have made her who she is...and, like all of these kids...that someone is pretty great.

In just under a week, I am taking off on another adventure.  I will be spending two weeks in France.  I don't typically share my personal trips on this blog, but I might.  Not because I think my words are that important, but because a lot of the kids who have traveled with me have asked that I do so.  I only hope that when they travel on their own, they share their experiences with me.  Before I sign off, I'd like to thank a couple of people for a great year abroad. Kim and Jacqui are the two group leaders of the trips I've been on this year.  It was the first time leading trips for both of them and both did an extremely good job.  The chaperons I've traveled with have also been stellar.  Their efforts to keep the kids engaged and enthusiastic has not gone unnoticed.  I am extremely fortunate to work with such dedicated individuals.  You all rock.  The parents of kids on all of my past trips are also great.  Thank you for your kind words and encouragement through this blog.  Lastly, the kids.  You have been great.  You make this part of our job easy and worthwhile.  I am most fortunate to be your teacher and I hope you realize how much you've taught us all.

Mr. Lavoie, currently preparing to arrive at Boston's Logan Airport after an ubelizable adventure with equally unbelizable kids!!!

Day 7: Our final Day in Belize was one to remember.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

Travel is unpredictable.  No one knows what obstacles might be put in front of us, but how we react to them can define who we are as a person.  I think the most important thing for a traveler to remember is that we control our own destiny.  We are the only ones who can make the best out of a tough situation.  We make our own luck in this world.  It all starts with attitude.  Before I go any further, I want to make it clear that everyone is okay and we are all filled with mixed emotions about heading home tomorrow.

Today was a somewhat relaxing day for most of us.  Our schedule allowed for us to sleep a little later, enjoy breakfast at a leisurely pace, and choose between walking San Pedro or laying out by the pool.

That was for most of us.  For two travelers, however, the day was much different.  Ms. Usseglio and David are licensed SCUBA Divers.  When we went snorkeling yesterday, the three of us discussed diving.  At the end of last night's dive, I felt it best to skip out on the dive.  My legs were very sore and, as it were, I didn't get a good night's sleep.  David and Ms. Usseglio, however, were feeling great.  They met the dive master around 8am and headed to the far side of the reef.  Into the water they went with a team of about 5 divers.  They saw much of what we had experienced snorkeling, but they also saw some other species to make the day more memorable.  From a distance, they saw a Reef Shark.  They also had a close encounter with a Moray Eel.  The highlight of their dive, however, was not a fish at all.  It was a pod of dolphins.  Their dive allowed them to share some quality time with flipper and his friends.  You could see their excitement when they arrived back to the Banana Beach Resort.

David swimming through the reef. 

Ms. Usseglio exploring the reef.

Today was a relaxing day for most of us...but not all of it went swimmingly.

As you can imagine, traveling to Central America presents all sorts of things we need to worry about.  One of those is water quality.  We had a couple of upset stomachs this week, but everyone seemed to do okay.  The attitudes of those who felt a little queasy was top notch...especially for Kayla.  She seemed to take the hit worst of all.  At some point on Friday, she started to feel a little upset.  We monitored her situation and watched as she continued to get worse.  We kept her fluid intake up, but we felt it necessary to take her to a doctor today.  It was a great choice...not because her condition was so terribly bad that a doctor was necessary, but because the diagnosis and treatment were exactly what we needed to hear.

Kayla and Nick at the health clinic.

We arrived at the Ambergris Hope Clinic around 9am.  It was probably the same time that David and Ms. Usseglio were first going under water.  The clinic was a little busy with sick islanders and so, we patiently waited our turn.  Accompanying Kayla was Nick D, Ms. Payne, and myself.  When the consultation with the doctor began, he quickly determined that Kayla's dehydration was probably best treated with an IV.  The doctor patiently explained what was happening, what he was going to do, and what we needed to do afterwards.  As he prepared to start the IV, Nick D. had to step out.  He is a little afraid of needles.  Ms. Payne and I both offered to hold Kayla's hand as the doctor began placing the IV, but she refused.  She was determined to handle this with dignity.  She was a trooper.

Kayla's IV was in and Nick came back to keep her company.

As the drips began to help Kayla recover, we experienced a side of Belizean medicine that you just wouldn't find in the states.  Droopy.  I'm not talking about one of Snow White's Seven Dwarfs.  I am talking about a dog named Droopy that is owned by the doctors who run the clinic.  The door to our room open and in walked Droopy.  He was a cute dog who we later found out was rescued from the streets by Dr. Tina.  Droopy now walks the clinic and provides smiles to those who are ill.  His effect was immediate.

Droopy providing comfort to Kayla

The IV's effect was almost as immediate as color began coming back to Kayla.  Her demeanor became even more positive and we were quickly on the road back to the Banana Beach Resort.  We returned just in time for lunch and just before David and Ms. Usseglio.  It's strange.  Two very different stories that took about the same time.  One is clearly positive and the other is clearly negative, but you couldn't tell from talking with Kayla.  She never let it get her down (emotionally).  She knows how fortunate she is to be in Belize and she knows that this story is part of her memory too.  With a positive attitude, you can accomplish pretty cool things...you can turn lemons into lemonade (I just cross my fingers that you use purified water).

After lunch, our group split again.  We had a couple of kids go back to San Pedro to finish up souvenir shopping and some went on a Banana Tube ride.  I stayed back at Banana Beach to hang out with a quickly improving Kayla and a couple of other kids who wanted to swim a little longer.  I may have used the time to catch a couple of Zs.  The time eventually turned to 3:30 and all of us came together again at the Dock.  We would be headed back to Belize City and to the Biltmore Best Western.  The ride went as smoothly as you could imagine and we landed around the same time the US Women's team won the World Cup.  Warrior was waiting for us and we boarded the bus.  Our final dinner was rice and beans with chicken.  A couple of us hopped into the pool for a final swim and some played cards.  It's 11:30 as I write this sentence and the rooms all appeared quiet not too long ago (I'll be making another sweep in a couple of minutes).  Tomorrow, we will gather our belongings and head home.  This has been a trip to remember.  Not just for the good, but for the bad as well.

All of our experiences are learning ones.  We learn to make the most of the opportunities in front of us.  We learn to chase waterfalls and jump off them too.  We learn that Mayan ruins reveal a lot about ancient civilizations and from climbing them, they reveal a lot about ourselves.  We learn that a sickness doesn't define our vacation, our attitude does.  As a chaperon, dealing with someone like Kayla is incredible.  Yeah, we feel bad that she was sick, of course, but we are also grateful that she maintained such a great attitude throughout the ordeal.  We learn how to help future travelers each time something like this occurs.  She was unbelizable.  Just like this entire trip.

I'm probably going to write one more post tomorrow on our return flight, but in case I do not, I'd like to take a quick minute to thank those of you who have left positive comments on this blog, posted them on Facebook and Twitter, or have sent them to me via email or text.  I find it truly gratifying to know that my efforts provide you with some comfort while you children are abroad.  I enjoy thinking of what to write and the struggles I have trying to connect while writing them.  I enjoy knowing that my words mean something to you.  I saw a couple of posts from parents of children who have traveled with me in the past, but are not on this current trip.  I smile every time I see your comments...all of your comments humble me (while inflating my ego).

Our final group shot?  Read tomorrow's post to find out!!!

Mr. Lavoie, currently in Belize City...where it all began and where it ends.  Thank you for following us on this journey.  Your kids will be home by this time tomorrow!!!

Day 6: Today we discovered a whole new world...one under the sea.

I'm expecting tonight's blog to be a short one.  Not because there was any lack of activities, but because there were too many for this guy.

We stumbled upon this sign today.  It's true.  I love Belize.

About 20 years ago, a much younger Mr. Lavoie quietly sat on a beach and watched the sunset.  He contemplated his teenage years and reviewed his dreams and aspirations.  He was turning 18 and would be graduating Saugus High School the next year.  The sun made its way down the horizon and Mr. Lavoie stood and made his way to the shore.  As he walked, he looked at the dreams he had as a younger man and wondered where his life might take him.  Slowly the water level crept up past his knees, his waist, his shoulders, and his head.  We was fully submerged in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean off of the coast of Rockport.

I often think of that night.  It was one of the most surreal moments of my life.  The peaceful serenity of SCUBA diving, at night, with only a flashlight and a compass to guide me.  When I put the pieces of the puzzle together, I recognize how transformative that night was for me.  Going into 6th grade I read Peter Benchley's JAWS.  It fueled a passion inside me to learn as much as I could about sharks.  I read, and reread, the book dozens of times.  I watched the film even more times than that.  I dreamt of becoming a Marine Biologist who would dedicate his life to the study of sharks.  Unfortunately, the dream faded away.  I entered high school and was told my math skills were not strong enough to pursue a career in science.  I eventually began taking lessons to SCUBA dive.  Those lessons took me to a night dive in Rockport.  While I could only see a few feet in front of me, it was very clear to me that my life as a marine biologist was probably not going to happen.  It was at that same time that a teacher of mine recognized that I was good at history...and another teacher recognized that I was adept at technology and explaining things to my peers.  These two gentlemen provided for me, something critical.  They gave me a new dream.  In me, they saw someone who could teach history and who could possibly help kids find their new dreams in the process.

Today, we snorkeled off of the coast of the Ambergris Caye.  We had two different spots.  The first was a surface swim that would bring us across the opening in the coral reef that runs parallel to Belize.  The second was at a spot called Shark-Ray Alley.  We met at the dock that is connected to our hotel and eventually say two boats headed towards the pier.  The first was titled, "Little Bubbles."  The second boat, a little bit larger one, was called, "Biga Bubbles."  We boarded our boats and took off for the barrier reef.         

Waiting to board our boats.

Little Bubbles.

The folks on Biga Bubbles headed to snorkel

Little bubbles is to the left, Biga Bubbles to the right.  I'm in the water. 

Thumbs Up from AJ

Kyle surfacing after investigating the ocean's bottom.

Some vegetation.  

Krissy and Kyle!!!

Ms. Usseglio posing for a pic.

 After swimming around for a bit of the morning, our boats took us to Shark-Ray Alley.  Upon arrival, we knew we were in for a treat.

Those are all sharks.  We swam with them.

A single shark and I shared a bit of a moment.  

Ms. Payne pretending to be the ray behind her.

I looked for the teachers, but I could only see a school.

Despite being blue, this fish made us all happy.

AJ attempting to touch a ray.

All is good according to Dan.

Ms. Usseglio posing underwater.

Thumbs up.

The view from the bottom.

Swimming in the open ocean among all of these species was quite stirring.  I heard many of the kids say it was the coolest thing they had ever done.  Many of them expressed their desire to do it again, and again, and again.  It was upon our arrival that we learned we would have the opportunity to go later on that night among the stars.

Before we could, however, we had San Pedro to explore.  We had a quick lunch.  It was cheeseburgers and fries.  We think the hotel knew it was the 4th of July and wanted us to feel at home.  We boarded a couple of local taxis and headed towards the city square.  From there, we looked through the vendors wares and scampered off looking for the perfect souvenir.

Our lunch.

A little bit of home in Belize.  A Red Sox bar.  It was locked up.  It would've been nice to talk to a Sox fan for a bit.

Ms. Payne found a library sign.

  After a few hours, we got back together and made our way back to the Banana Beach resort.  Those of us who decided to go back into the water changed into our swimming trunks and went to the dock.  Biga Bubbles came to get us at 6pm and we headed off into the deep blue sea.  Our guides gave us an amended safety lesson and told us what animals we might expect to see.  We took our plunge.

There were 17 of us in the water tonight.  It was a little colder than I expected and even though we were the only ones out, it was a little crowded.  The sea was alive, but it was different than what we had expected and what we had seen this morning.  We saw some familiar fish, but we saw new creatures too.  My favorite was the Octopus.  I also like the tiny little blue fish that swarmed around me throughout the dive.  It was during this swim, when my flashlight started giving out, that I went back to my night dive in Rockport.  I caught myself thinking about my dream of marine biology and what would have become of me if I had pursued that dream.  Dreams, like snorkeling at night, can be exciting, but they leave out the whole picture.  We could only see what we aimed our flashlights at today...and even when all of the beams were focused on one area, it still wasn't clear enough for a picture.

You can follow the beams of light to the bottom, but you can't make much out.

Submerged selfie.

The Octopus.

 The difference in the daytime is tremendous.  You see much more of what is happening.  You can look before you and behind you.  You can follow the direction of your friends or lead them to another great adventure.  Each view of the sea can serve as a metaphor of one's perspective of their life.

Petting a ray.

David petting the ray.

More Thumbs Up

Petting another ray.

As luck would have it, I didn't become the world's most knowledgeable shark expert.  Instead, I decided to try and help kids look towards their future and guide them to new dreams.  My failure at becoming a marine biologist led directly to my becoming a history teacher.  I often wonder about life under the water, but I come back to Saugus High School each day with a smile on my face.  I painted a quote from Mark Twain across my classroom wall.

This past week has been so refreshing for me.  I've overcome some fears and relived some dreams.  Along the way, I've helped some kids do the same.  We have all learned a little bit about Belize...but we've learned a lot more about ourselves.  Tomorrow, we will be leaving this island for one final night in Belize.  We will fly back to Boston and arrive late Monday night.  School is out for summer...and for some, it is out forever, but the truth is we never stop learning when we make the world our classroom.  This has been a great trip...Dare, I say it's been unbelizable.

Mr. Lavoie, currently smiling with the knowledge that he has finished this post on the 4th of July...even if only by 5 minutes.  Happy Birthday America.  I'll see you soon.