In 2011, my parents, my best friend, and I had the chance to experience Negril, Jamaica. It was my first trip out of the country and I was so stoked to go experience a different part of the world and knowledge how their culture is and how they live their everyday lives. We flew to Miami for a wedding then took a flight out of Miami straight to Jamaica! As we flew above the beautiful country you saw the glistening blue water from overhead. When we arrived it was pouring rain, busloads of people crowded outside rushing around to get their luggage and get onto their buses. We finally hit the road and this is where the journey begins…

When we hit the streets of Jamaica you instantly notice that everything is different from your way of living in your country. The streets are flooded with Jamaican citizens… and rain as it always does that time of the year. But they didn’t mind the water up to their ankles, they still did their everyday things, carrying food, waiting outside of church, and little children running around with each other. The way you see some of their homes is very shocking. Whether it was a dungy shack or a big house on the hills, everything was so diverse. You see goats roaming around like their dogs and people carrying buckets on their heads filled with fresh produce. Seeing school kids walking home was different because you see packs of them walking, due to no bussing. It was unlike seeing that cause where I’m from we have buses to get us to school and back home and don’t really have to worry about walking home especially in bad weather conditions.
When we arrived to ‘Beaches Resort’ it was beyond beautiful. The water was crystal blue, the sand so white, and the resort was built so elegantly and relaxing. As we unpacked and got everything together we went on a glass bottom boat. It was us and 2 other families as we went out they had Jamaican music playing which was so energetic and made you want to move your body. Everyone was dancing, enjoying themselves, and the view. Our tour guides made the trip so exciting and enjoyable. You could tell they didn’t have a care in the world and that they loved what they were doing, giving us a wonderful tour so we would enjoy every moment of their country.
The next day we had a tour around the town on a horse! We drove about 2 hours away from the resort and we drove through many cities of Jamaica that looked a lot different than the cities that I’m used to. When we arrived we all got assigned a horse and began the ride. As we rode through the town we really saw how people lived up close and personal. People attended to their homes and children played outside much differently how we play games in Delaware. The way they worked with what they had was so inspiring because they don’t let anything slow them down.
Visiting Jamaica was an eye opener to all aspects of life. I realized that some people have it a lot worst then me and I have to stop taking my life for granted because it could be a lot different. Every person I met there was so friendly and their personalities were so uplifting, the vibes there were so great. They made you realize that no matter how hard your life is to make the best out of it, don’t let little stuff that you can’t control put a damper on your whole life. Seeing that a country could be so bad and look so grungy at times but at the same time be so beautiful was incredible. Traveling to Jamaica wasn’t just a vacation it was a life changer and I loved every moment of it.
As they say in Jamaica, “No problems, Mon!”