Ya Mon!

After my high school graduation, my parents decided to treat my family to a trip to Jamaica! This was exciting because it was somewhat like a graduation gift. It was a great way to kick off the summer after high school and a new beginning in college. It was my last chance to hang out with my family, or at least that's what I thought. I soon realized things weren't going to change all that much.

I always knew Jamaica was a pretty small country, but I didn't understand how small it was until we landed at the airport. It was pretty cool landing, as we landed right next to the beach. There were only a few terminals, which was the first indication of a small country. We got to our hotel, which was basically all inclusive. It was nice because our family had our own little cottage bungalow type of room. We had our own private pool and everything sat only a few yards from the beach. This was so nice having the Caribbean waters right outside our door. I loved being in Jamaica because everything was so relaxed. The locals would say "Why where a watch? You're on Jamaica time!".  No one was every worried about the time or reservations. That was nice.

While we were visiting, we mainly stayed near the beach. I was able to read a few book and just relax. My step-brother and I both tried wind surfing, but we were having a difficult time considering there was not much wind. I am excited to say I tried wind surfing, even if it was a total failure. We also got to swim with the dolphins!!! This was one of my favorite memories ever! My sister, step-brother, and I all went swimming with them. I think the coolest part of it was when the instructor put my hand on the dolphin's rib cage and I was able to feel her heart beat. I thought it was so cool! The instructor taught us how to dance and sing with the dolphins, and then we were able to actually ride the dolphins! This was so exciting. After the dolphin adventure, we went to visit the famous Margaritaville! This was neat to say we visited. There was a restaurant, gift shop, and a mini water park that fed into the bay.

Along with all the exciting activities, I was able to enjoy the food! There was always a new fish served at dinner. That was pretty neat getting to expand my fish eating experiences. I grew to like fish after this vacation. I want to say of all the food we had, my favorite has to be the fruit! It is amazing how fresh the fruits were. The watermelon and pineapples were to die for! I think I could live off the fruits alone.

This was a pretty exciting trip. There were a lot of new things that came from this trip and just set me up for a new beginning after high school. It was a great way to kick off the start to a new chapter in my life!