Island of Jamaica

Green streaked past my window as I laughed along with my driver while he told humorous stories on our way to Boscobel. The roads wound through vibrant rainforests and bustling towns, giving me my first glimpse of Jamaica.

A couple months prior to this, I was deciding on a study abroad trip during my sophomore year of college. A physical education volunteer position in Jamaica jumped out to me, and I booked my trip for the following summer.

Before the two weeks I spent in Jamaica, I had never solo traveled outside of America before. I had reservations about traveling along as a young woman, but I couldn't have made a better decision. It helped me learn how to travel alone and everything went smoothly.

Being on an island was also new for me. I envisioned the stereotypical resort island, but Jamaica was so much more.

Blue Hole Photo Courtesy of Dina Atkinson

Island of life 

Towering trees, lush foliage, and tropical waters surrounded my activities for the two weeks. I felt nature's presence everywhere.

When I wasn't teaching physical education, other volunteers and I got to explore some note-worthy locations.

Ocho Rios was a lively town with shopping, music, fruit stands and lots of people. I found a man who made hand carved, wooden flutes with intricate designs. I couldn't pass it up, so I got one as a gift for my neighbor at home who loves it.

Blue Hole was an excursion our whole group went on. It was one of my favorite places because the river creates a series of natural waterfalls and swimming holes in a hidden tropical forest. The water is a bright aqua with a perfect swimming temperature. We traversed the trails to make it to the 20 to 25-feet waterfalls where we jumped into the blue pools.

Courtesy of Luminous Lagoon photographer

Dunn's River Falls was an incredible sight of mass amounts of water flowing over yellow stone into the Caribbean Sea. This location was much busier than Blue Hole because of its attraction to tourists, but the beach has lots of room for relaxation. Exotic flowers and massive ferns follow your journey down the falls.

Luminous Lagoon, or Glistening Waters, transports you to a magical world where water glows. My childhood dream of being a mermaid felt real as I moved through the fluorescent blue water. The microorganisms in the lagoon light up when disturbed, creating the phenomenon.

These were only a couple of the breathtaking places I got to visit, and I'm sure the whole island is covered with special spots. Most of my time was spent in school with K-8 students.

P.E time!

I loved being in the school because it helped me understand Patois (the local language), help others, and see a part of Jamaica I would've never experience in a resort. The students were full of energy both inside and outside the classroom.

I mainly worked with them outside, but teachers were extremely welcoming to us being inside their classrooms. The humidity ramped up a notch inside which was helped with keeping doors open, and it gave the school a more open atmosphere I never experienced in school when I was younger.

The students taught me some lessons while I was there too. Cricket is a popular sport in Jamaica, but I had never even seen it on TV. I had a blast getting taught and schooled by my students during a couple of our P.E. lessons.

Experiencing a different educational system than I grew up in was eye-opening. I am so happy I had the opportunity to work there with the school staff and students.

Mango season

Who would've guessed my trip would be during mango season? As a serious agriculture fanatic myself, I never knew mango season began around April and went through July, depending on the variety of mango. 

There is nothing better than picking fresh fruit off a tree and enjoying the delicious flavor. At school, students would get pouches of locally packaged mango juice. The staff kindly gave us a few to try as well, and I think I will always crave those pouches now.

I was also introduced to some popular foods such as goat, curry, and jerk chicken. Goat was similar to deer in that it was gamey with lots of flavor, from the dishes I tried. The spices in the curry and jerk chicken were mouthwatering. I see why they are famous dishes.

Another dish I was unfamiliar with was turkey neck. It came in a well seasoned broth with vegetables, and the whole dish was tasty.

Going on this solo journey made me grow in many ways. I experienced new places, people, food, and more. I learned to take a lesser known path because it will lead me to an unbelievable adventure.

Editor's Note

I edited this article to be more accurate because the original piece held unfounded assumptions and conjectures. This article contained ignorant language, although unintended, it needed to be corrected.