I haven’t shared much about the “other” thing the Otalors have been building here in San Pedro.
After Omo retired from a career as a USPS carrier, one of the gifts of moving to Belize was the opportunity for him to return fully to his art — and to open an art gallery.
His medium is bamboo.
No stain.
No paint.
No dye.
Just bamboo, vision, patience, and a process he created himself — a technique that created when he was a college student in Nigeria.
We first opened the gallery in February 2025 in the historic pink Alijua Building and now we’re excited to be settling into our new location on Front Street, directly in front of Town Council, here in San Pedro.
After approvals, the fire marshal’s inspection, and the final check from Town Council, we were approved to open today.
Omo called me and asked me to come down so we could do the ceremonial “open” together, so I jumped up and made my 3½-minute walking commute to the location.
Together, we stood.
Together, we prayed.
And then, together, we pressed the button.
The sign lit up. “We’re open.”
There it was, glowing on the door.
In all honesty, pressing that button took only a few seconds.
But it carried years.
Years of dreaming.
Years of starting over.
Years of questions, approvals, setbacks, inspections, disappointments, sweat, and prayer.
The button was small. The moment was not.
Those few seconds could never hold everything it took to get there — the hard parts, the waiting, the setbacks, the faith, and the quiet decision to keep going anyway.
That little open sign carried a whole lot more than light today.
It’s another part of our life in Belize.
Another dream we chose to build.
Another reminder that sometimes the next chapter is not one thing — it’s many beautiful things unfolding at once.
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