10 Years, 12 Nights, 6 Hotels, ONE LOVE - April 2012 Trip Report

[Clarity]

Diana pointed out the church where another cousin had just gotten married only a week earlier. St. Andrews church.



As we drove up the mountains, my ears popped from the pressure change and the views on all sides were just breathtaking.



“I wish I could live here...” I said quietly.

“If you really want that, you can make it possible. I'm head the community tourism division in Mandeville and own the Mandeville hotel. We could find a position for you and Markus already works remotely” She said “If that's your dream, I can help you make it happen”

Wow. What a thought! I needed time to adjust to the reality of this possibility. It's something we all have dreamt about at one point but if given the opportunity, would you do it? Could I ever actually leave San Francisco and move to Jamaica?

Mandeville is very different from Negril. The houses were colonial British in style and a lot of them were very large. The center of the town looked very suburban. Soccer fields, school districts, churches and a big town center. I saw families with their Sunday best returning from church. Kids laughing in a playground. I didn't see a single tourist which was strange. It looked so ideal, like the perfect place to raise a family. This is a side I've never seen of Jamaica.

We drove past all of that into a more countryside area, dotted with houses on the hills on all side. We drove up the hill and stopped at a one level home overlooking the countryside.

“This is where I grew up”, Diana said “My father passed away, but my mother is still alive. This is the usual meeting place for family gatherings. Your father would come over to Kingston to visit here often during his time in Jamaica.”

She pulled the car to a stop in the dirt driveway filled with other parked cars and turned off the engine.

“Okay, you're about to meet a LOT of family all at once. Don't worry about remembering everyone's names right away. It's going to take some time”

It was kind of surreal as I walked across the pathway to the front door. I felt like I was in my father's shoes for a moment, walking along the same pathway that he did as a 12 year old boy. I wonder what he was thinking and feeling the first time he came here. Jamaica is so different from New York. It must have been such a culture shock for him. He spent the bulk of his formative years on a Caribbean island.

People started streaming out of the house and began introducing themselves. They were all smiles, and hugs.. It was overwhelming, all these faces.. all these strangers that I was related to. Their skin tone was all shades from pale to dark. Their hair varied from blond to jet black. We all shared the same great grandfather. The Jamaican phrase “Out of many, One people” suddenly made sense

One woman in particular came up to me with a lot of enthusiasm. She had deep set warm brown eye and brown curly hair. She was in her early 60's. “It's amazing to meet you Daisy! Your father lived with us for four years, I was teenager when he came over from New York and I grew up with him..I see the resemblance. It's wonderful that you are here. You are the connecting link that is bringing this family together again!”

That's when my eyes filled with tears. This was a lot to take in and you all know that I'm Mrs. Waterworks. I just couldn't believe this was all happening. It truly was a dream come true for me and more than I ever expected.

The house was filled to the rim with family members and they were spilling out of the lanai onto the grass. Children of all ages, woman and men of all ages...



Markus holding one of my cousin's baby girl. She was SO cute with the chubbiest little cheeks I'd ever seen...