Belize was hot and humid, and it was glorious! Right smack-dab in the middle of our Arctic winter, Nathan and I got to escape to Central America and visit both the ocean and the rainforest. I say this every time I post travel photos but I think it's worth repeating: Traveling is so good for the soul. We pinch pennies throughout the rest of the year so that we can visit truly inspiring places and meet people we would never meet otherwise! These experiences and the beauty we're lucky enough to witness keep me dreaming all year long.

I hope these photos bring you some warmth today since we aren't all lucky enough to live in a Caribbean climate. ;)

We started our trip on the coast in Hopkins, Belize. We didn't have much planned for the first half of our stay … just lots of relaxing, reading and exploring! The only bummer was the insane amount of algae in the ocean that made it hard to swim and snorkel (you'll see it in the pictures below!). Nathan's personal snorkel set went unused, but I'd say that's a small price to pay for such a great trip! (And it should be noted that the algae is a rare occurrence. Don't let it deter you if you ever want to visit the area!)

Somehow every time we go somewhere that requires lots of sunscreen, Nathan forgets to apply it to majorly exposed body parts. Our first day in Belize he realized he forgot to cover his legs. You can bet a whole lot of money that they were real red.

And then it was off to the rainforest, which Nathan and I agreed was our favorite part of the trip. Not only was it gorgeous, but the people we met during the second half of our trip made it so fun! I can't say enough good things about the staff at Sleeping Giant Lodge. I wish we would have gotten photos with all of them!

I didn't realize how breathtaking the Mayan Ruins would be! It was so surreal to walk on these structures that the Maya people built so long ago. (Our fun guide played paparazzi for us and worked my film camera like a pro! :) )

At the top of the gazebo! Swift, the bartender at Sleeping Giant and also our guide for the hike, taught us so much about the plants and animals in the rainforest. It also made us realize that we sit inside at our computers way too much; we need to get out in nature more! (If any of my gymnastics friends are reading right now: Yes, I DO still have my districts shirt from 15 years ago. I should probably invest in some better workout clothes.)