A Different Way Of Life: Jamaica 2011

by Sigournee Grondin
(San Diego, California, USA)

Wow. Where to even begin. My grandmother was born and raised in St. Catherine's Parish, Jamaica. For as long as I can remember, my grandmother has always described Jamaica as "a beautiful and fun place.' This summer, my entire family decided to see what she was always raving about. All 9 of us took a trip from California to Jamaica. I never could have imagined that the trip would change my view on life.

We visited some of her family, people I had only ever heard about in stories and my grandmother's memories. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and fully embraced this vibrant culture. We visited Ocho Rios, St. Catherine's Parish, Linstead, and Montego Bay. I will never ever forget walking through the marketplace in a tropical rainstorm.

We were shopping and before we knew it, it was raining. Instead of running for shelter, I stopped, looked around and realized I would never be in a Jamaican marketplace covered in warm rain. I looked around and everything seemed to swirl around me. The shops, the cars always beeping at each other, the stray goats two feet away from me, the music blaring from someone's shop speakers and the smell of a city I had never imagined I would visit. It was one of the most magnificent moments of my entire life.

The entire trip was filled with special moments. I had never been in the Caribbean Sea and it truly is as beautiful as it looks in all the glossy photos. It is so naturally blue and clear. I already miss the palm trees and the way the wind blows against your skin before a rainstorm. I highly recommend that everyone visits Jamaica one day in their life.

Attached are some photos that I think truly represent my time in Jamaica. I hope you enjoy them!