My study abroad experience affected me on a personal level and connected concepts I’ve only read in books or watched in documentaries. This was the first time I’ve ever been on an island, let alone a tiny one only a mile long dedicated to researching coral reef health and the invasion of the lionfish. Tobacco Caye is home to just 20 residents year-round and that lends itself to some unique problems and strategic solutions. I got to learn about sustainable methods of operation such as solar bunkhouses that only provide electricity when it gets dark, and the importance of water conservation since it’s about a twelve-mile boat ride to the mainland to get fresh water for the week. On Tobacco Caye I went snorkeling for the first time ever and swam amoung coral reefs to witness the beauty of ocean ecology at work. I spent an afternoon learning about the effects of ocean pollution and how it impacts its residents, found full sets of shoes and pop bottles all the way from Haiti, and collectively picked up over eighty lbs. of microplastics and trash in just an hour of work. We even found a creepy, toy Santa mask. I even was able to see a lionfish in the ocean and be a part of hunting them and dissecting them to collect data and contribute to the research station on Tobacco.

Overall, was I a bit culture shocked? Yes. Was it a huge adjustment being on a 6am-7pm learning schedule while not being able to contact friends/family most days? Absolutely. Would I take back the experiences I had, the friendships I made, and celebrating New Year’s Day by waking up at 5am to see the sunrise with a fresh cup of coffee in my hand? Never. Am I still absolutely terrified of the open ocean? Just a bit less.

Name:     Sarah Grassel
Status: Senior
Major: Environmental Studies/Sustainability
Hometown: South Lyon, Michigan
Program: Entrepreneurship, Agriculture and Environmental Studies in Belize