My trip back home to Jamaica

Kingston, Jamaica holds a special place in my heart. It is my home. When I think of Kingston, I think of my childhood, my family and my friends. I think of summer holidays and Easter weekends, and of Christmas. Definitely Christmas. As I got older and transitioned from student life to adulthood, my trips back home took a significant decline. Why? Well, like most twenty-something year olds (at the time) I got a job and had bills to pay. Needless to say, I kissed my summer holidays goodbye as the real world stared me in the face.

But there was always Christmas. I don’t know how I managed this, but ever since I started working, I always made sure I took my vacation time during the Christmas holidays. You see, my family was in Jamaica, and home is where the heart is. I looked forward every year to my mom’s ham and sorrel (who am I fooling, I look forward to her cooking all the time). I looked forward to my dad bringing home our Christmas tree and putting up the Christmas lights on our house. I looked forward to seeing my high school friends, our Christmas parties, house gatherings, beach flexes, the fire clappers, the Jamaican “season’s greetings”, the Christmas breeze … everything, down to the cheesy Jamaican ads and Christmas carols on the radio. I soaked it all up during each trip. I could never imagine not being in Jamaica for Christmas. Until one day I wasn’t.

I got married in November 2014 (in Jamaica of course} and since we were in Jamaica in November, we decided that it did not make sense (cost-wise) to go back home for Christmas that year. So 2014 was my first Christmas outside of Jamaica. Then 2015 and 2016 flew by. Before we knew it, my husband and I were expecting our first child in June 2017 (notice this is my first post since 2016? Yep … we had a baby :)). Before our son was born, my husband and I agreed we would be spending Christmas 2017 in Jamaica. Plus there was no way I was missing another Christmas away from home.

As a Jamaican, I always did the typical things a Kingston native living abroad did when returning home for Christmas – quality time with friends and family; eat eat eat plenty Jamaican food; soak up the sun at the beach as many times as you can; and of course party hearty. However, this trip was a little different. My husband visited Kingston once  before so he has experienced all of the above, especially the night life and partying.  He has visited Jamaica many times, but mostly on the north coast (Montego Bay/Ocho Rios) in all-inclusive hotels and tourist settings. I wanted him to see another side of Jamaica, specifically Kingston – the capital city located on the non-touristy south coast. “Jamaica has much more than the beach” I always chimed.  I wanted him to see the more historical/traditional side and experience the things I did in Kingston during my childhood.

So in between spending needed quality time with my family in my childhood home, seeing and catching up with high school friends, the Christmas breakfast, lunch, and dinners, and Boxing day visits, we managed to do a bit of sightseeing (yes, sightseeing in my own country … shout out to my dad for driving us everywhere). This trip holds a special place in my heart because I was able to share the experiences of my hometown and childhood, while creating a new set of memories with my family – both old and new.

Needless to say, we had a fabulous time. My husband got to see different parts of Kingston – from the seacoast to the mountains.  If you are ever in Kingston and you want to experience the different sides it has to offer, check out my post on 5 Family Friendly Things to Do in Kingston, Jamaica (coming soon).