As some of you know, our sweet Hannah is on her first solo expedition!

She’s backpacking with kids on the mainland of Belize this week while we cool our heels on Tobacco Caye.

We weren’t expecting to hear from her (they’re farther off the grid than we are!) but happily, we got e-mail this morning and she sent a story… which we’ll share with all of you:

Her backpack on the Chicken Bus

The E-mail:

Hey Mom, foodwise, I’m jealous. (The food on Tobacco Caye is AMAZING) We’ve been living on ramen noodles beans and tuna.

Other than that, everything is perfect!

We made it to Barton Creek Outpost ok, it was a little hard though because the driver didn’t know where to go and we had to rely on my memories of the road. 😀

It was interesting.

I’m having a blast! It rained last night and I was the only dry one! (She has her Hennessy Hammock!) So we all were up at five and making fires to dry off.

This morning we hiked up the river about a mile or two and made a sweet dam! To put it all in a nutshell, I’m having an amazing time and I hope you are too!

We head to the coast tomorrow to hopefully hit some beaches. Love you all!

Hannah

With her backpacking friends before they left the Lago

The Story:

It’s dark out.

As I sit here around the fire, enjoying a quick dinner of Mac and cheese with my friends I can’t help thinking how lucky I am: Only fourteen years old and exploring belize with four of the greatest people I’ve ever made friends with.

How much better can life get?

A family is enjoying the fire with us.

A young mother with her three young children sit on a log, keeping warm and trying to avoid the numerous fire ants. The father stands nearby, watching the scene. We talk for a little while, enjoying the cool jungle air and discussing our plans for the next day.

One of the little girls gets very worried and whines “mommy, it’s raining! Mommy, it’s raining and I’m cold! I want to go home mommy!” She’s right. Little drops begin to fall and the family take their leave and flee to the shelter of their cabin.

Ruthie, Mel, Phil, David and I decide it wont be too bad and huddle up under the tarp to wait out the dribble.

Five minutes later the dribble is a dribble no longer. Sheets of rain pour down onto the tarp and fill it, resulting in it gathering in pools before dumping into the already quickly spreading puddle at our feet.

Phil saves us all by passing out the peanut butter. I have always said that peanut butter is a lifesaver and I believe tonight proved it!

Fifteen minutes later the downpour has only increased. David takes a flashlight and runs through the dark to the lodge, hoping to keep dry there, but Phil and we girls decide to stick it out.

Another five or ten minutes and we give out.

Phil holds up the tarp as we rush out into the soaking rain. Within seconds we are as wet as if we had just run through a shower.

Phil runs in the front with the light, and ruthie and I are in the dark. Ruthie’s head is all I can see and as I follow it I’m laughing.

This is so much fun, despite being wet and cold!

In the lodge we sip orange juice and eventually get warm.

Who knows where we will sleep tonight?