We traveled to Belize in 2020 as a family of 5. Mom, dad, and big sis were able to explore independently but the two twin sisters, who were 9 months old, were still crawling on their hands and knees. This was one of the reasons mom and dad were confident enough to take three little kids to a foreign country by themselves! We had many wonderful experiences during our stay but one in particular was the most monumental. With grandma and grandpa visiting for a week, we were able to book a hotel in the neighboring town that sat a top of an old Mayan village that looked over the town. While grandpa was sitting across the way, he called one of the twins to get up and walk over to give him a hug. To our surprise, she got up from a sitting position and walked over to him and gave him a big hug. With all of us cheering, the other sister followed! Both taking their very first independent steps on sacred Mayan grounds. And, to make it even more amazing, the first sister to lead the way is named Maya and named after the exact mountains she first learned to walked on!

Jeff Hartman – Fulbright to Belize 2020