Myth Busters

Inspired by a recent blog entry by my room mate Pat i have decided to write a blog entry about common myths or beliefs i had prior to my experience in JVI that have now become completely busted by my life and experiences in Belize.

1. myth: All dread heads are Rastafarian
lesson:you DONT have to be rasta to be dread
2. Myth: i cant live in a small town
Lesson: i can actually enjoy a town smaller than Islip (pg has less han 5,000 inhabitants)
3. Myth: i cant possible ever get cold in a tropical climate
Lesson: a girl from new york (me) who used to keep her windows open all winter can feel cold in 72 degree weather.
4. Myth: you become accustom to your surroundings
Lesson: I can never cease to be amazed by the natural beauty of this country
5. myth: showering everyday is necessary
Lesson: its really only necessary to shower every week
6. myth: shaving your legs is necessary
Lesson: shaving your legs is only necessary about once every 2-3 months if at all
7. Myth: you will loose weight if you move to a developing nation and only have 5$ per day for food
Lesson: any girl in a developing nation where rice beans tortillas and corn are the staples of a diet will most definitely gain weight. (despite pretty regular excercise)
8. Myth: driving six hours is way too far to only stay for a weekend.
Lesson: Traveling 6 hours on a bus is totally worth it even if just for 2 days of time spent with friends.
9. Myth: a person can't live on 60$ per month.
Lesson: a person CAN live on 120 belize per month and actually SAVE!
10. Myth: rats and cockroaches are gross.
lesson: Rats and cockroaches are only part of life and they can actually keep us company (jk)
11. Myth: Itching mosquito bites actually helps (i know this isnt true but i refused to believe i couldnt stratch)
Lesson: Mosquito bites actually GO AWAY if you leave them alone, especiall if gotten at night, and on your face.
12. Myth: your body is your body no matter where you are in the world.
Lesson: Sometimes your body can attack you from the inside out, things take longer to heal, and random bumps rashes and bruises come from myserious places or causes.
13. Myth: not having my cellphone for a few hours was difficult.
lesson: (which i sort of already knew) Not haveing a cell phone is PHENOMINAL and LIBERATING
14. Myth: the rainy season ends in December
Lesson: (never believe anything you hear about the weather) last weekend (in february) it rained for 3 days straight.
15. Myth: 2 years is a long time.
Lesson: two years is a long time, but totally necessary to really fully attempt to understand this job, these people, and my reason for beign here.

Well i hope you liked my 15 busted myths. there are many more lessons i have learned since being here but these were the easiest to articulte. haha enjoy!

happy valentines day everyone!