[Some creative first title here]

Last March, I was sitting in the lecture hall, getting ready to listen to another lecture on one of my most favorite topics -- infectious disease -- when two students walked in and gave us a mini-presentation about their trip to Belize the previous January.

I had heard that students were going to Belize on a medical mission, but that was all I had heard. These students told us in more detail what the trip entailed and that because the trip was a huge success, another was being planned for the following January, with an elective being offered to prepare students for their 'adventure' in Belize.

Right then and there, I knew that I wanted to do it. I knew that it would be an experience that would help me grow as a person, increase my confidence in my medical abilities, and be able to help people in need, which is what I strive to do most in my life.

Yesterday was the first day of my Customs, Culture, and Health Care of Belize class. One of the things that interests me was that every week, we are supposed to read Belize newspaper articles to get "more accustomed to the culture and what is going on in the country." I really like this idea and I am already looking for articles to read for the upcoming class.

So what exactly are we going to be doing in Belize you may be wondering. Well, we are going to help do health checks (very simple ones) to members of different communities; we will be checking blood pressure, blood glucose, diet, etc. We will also be visiting schools and teaching students about the importance of hygiene and addressing other health care concerns.

In terms of what I expect out of the course and the trip, well I would say a few things. First, I hope that I could help a few people out and see their smiling faces after I explain to them that they are alright or, even if they are not alright, that there is something that can be done to help them. I also hope that I can learn another culture and see how people view medicine and health care providers in another country. Other than that I just expect to have an amazing time at an amazing place.

That is about it for this blog post; I won't have a schedule on which I post, it'll be random and when something happens. So for now, I say adieu.