Today we end our Belize adventure. Our day began with a brilliant sunrise over the Caribbean. It is in the heat of the morning light we say our first "good-bye" of the day. With hugs and tears we bid farewell to Kaisa Molina as she heads down the coast in a boat, back to Monkey River Village. We have become fast friends with Kaisa over our time together and we will miss her beautiful voice and deep insights into life as a teacher in a Belizean village.

Our second round of farewells takes place in Belize City after a short but dazzling flight over the Belizean Coast from Placencia. As we wait in long check-in lines at the International Airport, we are delightfully surprised to spot Nathan and Lydia! Lydia brings fresh-roasted cashews from Wharrie Head— a welcome surprise! Nathan’s smile reminds us of our time in the Maya Mountains and Cockscomb, but he is also here to take Hector Alaya home. Our second Belizean teacher departs with a warm and hearty send-off. Finally, after long lines, security checks, customs, delays and a new route home through Dallas/Fort Worth, we arrive after midnight at Raleigh Durham International Airport. A wonderful crowd of family and friends greets us when we get through the terminal. We are all safe and sound!

So now we go our separate ways, our luggage burgeoning with Belizean music, food and handicrafts. Everyone's cameras are ready to download exciting photographs. Our journals are filled with drawings, recipes, poems and stories. Our address books bulge with new friends and colleagues from two countries. Our memories overflow with the sounds, smells, taste and feel of the rain forest, savannah, coral reefs and mangroves of Belize. We are ready for the next step— bringing the tropics to life for our students!