Tried it and This Happened: Jamaica!

In what was the coldest week of winter thus far, I was blessed to be in a country with palm trees, blue oceans, and 80 degree weather. One of my best friends, Jackie, turned 22 on January 31st, so we decided  to take a birthright x birthday celebration down to her Native hometown, Jamaica.

The semester trip served, in many ways, as a birthday trip. In others, a search of self, and much needed respite. Following an emotional death near the holidays, the apprehension of post-grad life, and a series of very unfortunate and untimely events, traveling to Jamaica and immersing ourselves fully into the islands, was the mental break we both needed. It was also the physical rest I needed from the 8 degree weather.

Upon our arrival, we schlepped all of our stuff to a quaint AirBNB in Montego Bay. Being the ~seasoned~ travelers we are, both of us always aim to get fully  immersed into whichever country we’re residing.

The mornings involved lazing in the backyard of our tropical abode, chewing on sugarcane, running around with the host’s young children (who spoke English and French) and their aptly named dog, Summer. It was all so… freeing. Our host, Marie took us in as her own; making the prospect of traveling alone as two young women much less daunting, leaving us free to explore the island.

Day 1: Sweet & Sour Oxtail

We dove, head-first, into the hustle and bustle of downtown Mobay. Completely  Swallowed into a sea of patois, we ambled through the streets on our way to meet her relatives for authentic Jamaican food… at a Chinese Spot.

“Jamaican-Chinese food is way better than American-Chinese food,” they laughed to us when they saw our confused faces — they weren’t lying.

A bit of a backstory, Jackie’s dad is fully Jamaican. His father’s side is Jamaican-Chinese, his mom’s is Afro-Caribbean. We greedily imbibed all of their stories of Chinese New Year Celebrations, Jamaican traditions, and the rest of the family’s history over sweet and sour flavored cuisine Two days later, we sat in the same familial setting, this time at her great-aunts over ox-tails and jerk chicken.

“You know you girls are two generations away from me, but I enjoy spending time with you two,”  an elderly Uncle chuckled to us in his thick accent.

Day 2: [Not] Drowning in my Tears

As our first day was heavy with rest, our second was geared solely towards relaxation. So on a reccommendation from our host’s 12-year-old son, we headed to the “Hip Strip’s” private beach, Doctor’s Cave. Coconuts in hand and sun on our backs, we were ready to melt into the bliss that we’d been so actively craving. It’s moments like these, when I was fully relaxed and could finally take a breath; thankful that the monster that was my emotional psyche, had dissipated and finally allowed me to relish in happiness.

After [barely] surviving on fresh fruit and vitamin D, we landed at Peppa’s Chill Spot. A Bond-esque shack where we shared a meal  of “Stamp and Go", a salt fish fritter — imy bae, you made me whole again.

Day 3:

 We overslept. Strike that, it’s vacation… “oversleeping” doesn’t exist. So, re-phrase. We woke up, and went to KFC. No judgement, but according to the BOLD exaggerations from a few ‘state-side’ based Jamaican friends, the KFC on the islands were not to be missed. And this wasn’t an exaggeration people, because THIS. MEAT. SLAPPED. Tip: If/When you go to Jamaica, if nothing else, get KFC. You’re welcome. 

After waiting *at least* an hour,  my eyes were at sea level and I was deep in the water!

“Relax, Be like that leaf in the water,” a lifeguard said easily as he as he taught me how to float on my back, eyes towards the sun. 

To celebrate our final night, Jackie’s family bid us farewell in the most caribbean fashion possible — with a feast. . Jerk Chicken, Jerk Pork, Festival (think hushpuppies), Bammy (cassava flatbread), yams, and sweet potatoes lined our stomachs as we laughed and learned to piee together butchered bits of Patois. 

Feeling the drums flow through my body as we danced along the “Hip Strip” left me floating with a serenity that only comes with a proper vacation. Rich and vibrant with culture, Jamaica is filled with beautiful people and scenery that is only a taste of the Caribbean life. Refusing to let memories of the past haunt my present, the biggest thing I took home from this trip was the advice from a local on the beach teaching me how to float, “Relax. Be like that leaf in the water.”