Chelsea | Belize

Chelsea Downey is a UW senior who traveled to Belize (Central America) during spring break of 2012. Chelsea worked with ProWorld, a study abroad Program Provider, to set up the trip and she highly recommends ProWorld to other UW students.

During the trip Chelsea enjoyed caving at Blue Creek, building stoves and solar latrines in a local village, and swimming in rivers. She said the activities were “exhilarating, refreshing and really fun for the whole group.” During the trip, Chelsea lived with a local woman who ran a bakery out of her house. And while she would recommend home stays to other UW students, she did note that it was sometimes difficult to communicate with her other house mates. For students experiencing international roommate conflict, Chelsea suggests seeking advice from a group leader or adviser.

Chelsea really enjoyed her trip. She learned that the manual labor of building stoves and latrines can be a “fun and rewarding experience” and she found the people of Belize to be “welcoming, friendly, and very helpful.”

If you’re thinking of going to Belize, working with a program provider, or venturing out on spring break, you can contact Chelsea at cdowney4@uwyo.edu.