It will come as no surprise to anyone that knows me, Jamaica is a big part of my life. If you know me you may also be painfully aware that I will never tire of talking about Jamaica. I don’t intend to create a blog about traveling the world, but I will talk endlessly about traveling Jamaica. The people, the music, the food, the culture……One Love.
I first came to JA as a young college student in 1993. My cousin was teaching as a Jesuit volunteer in Kingston, the Jamaican capitol. His younger brother and I flew in to visit for our spring break. To say my love and passion for Jamaica was instant is no overstatement. The patois/patwa (the local English based language with West African influence), some of which I could not piece together, rolled off the tongue of smiling, kind faces. The reggae beats, strong but soothing, the sights and sun, the jerk chicken, pork and curried goat created an instant obsession for my taste buds. The welcoming people were intoxicating to me. This was a culture I had never felt before. I immediately wanted to be a part of it.
My cousin showed us as much of the island as we could drive in a week. We, unwisely, rented a car and drove the island. There were many times I feared for my life as we were driving on the wrong side of the road. Drivers are aggressive and careless and speed has no limit. Not to mention my cousin’s poor driving skills….
I am lucky to tell this story.
LITTLE BAY FISHING VILLAGE
Many years and many trips later, I have developed strong friendships, trust and absolute unconditional love for this third world country, the third largest in the Caribbean.
My children, ages 9 and 16, have each made more trips than they can count and prefer to vacation nowhere else in the world.
My dream is to live part time in JA. Perhaps retire there. Is there crime and danger? Of course. Name a place where there is none. By immersing ourselves into the culture and accepting and embracing it as our own brings nothing but joy, experience and respect in Jamaica. One Love.
