Country life in the tropics 🌴

Trading the city life for the countryside!

A massive sorry to all my lovely readers, it has been a while, I wish I had a more exciting excuse than the fact that my studies have been very demanding.

I’ve been wanting to put pen to paper or should I say, ‘finger to keyboard’ for a while now to put into words just how beautiful country life is here in Jamaica. Growing up in the suburbs, just on the outskirts of London I’ve always loved being able to have some greenery mixed with the city life.

However, the country life has always been something I’ve admired and actually aspire to! There is something about being self-sufficient, yet relying on nature for fresh produce, and being surrounded by the beautiful backdrops of mountains and acres of land that I love.

Before moving on to campus I had the pleasure of spending some time in ‘country’ more commonly known as rural Jamaica. Thus far nothing has topped this humbling and insightful experience. Every day I learned something new and had the pleasure of seeing just how resourceful Jamaican’s of all age groups are.

Watching youngsters half my age climb up ackee trees, bringing down enough ackee to last for days, or drinking fresh coconut water and eating the tastiest curry goat in the world!

What got me more was the simplicities of country life whereby everyone knows everyone and the sense of community I felt in the short space of time I was there. Honestly, the peacefulness and the natural beauty really made me question the city life.

Although every day there felt like the weekend, we had the pleasure of spending a Sunday at the incredible Salt River in Clarendon. This precious bit of nature is located just 10 minutes east of Lionel Town. Being a public mineral spring with ropes and the best vibes, I could make this a Sunday habit. Not only was the food great (festival, fried fish, fried chicken, rum and lots of other delights) but the beauty of this secret little enclave was a real highlight for me.

While I’ve been fortunate enough to spend some great summer vacations at all-inclusive resorts around Jamaica, for me in the rural country was the first time that I felt I had experienced real Jamaica.  So much so that I am not sure how I would actually feel staying at a resort now.

Where will you find that little slice of the world that captures your heart?

♥

Peace, Love and Guidance always

J, B