Jamaica

My husband and I got to go on vacation in September. We were away for a week in Jamaica. My sister and mother-in-law took turns with my son, which was an amazing gift, so we could enjoy a much-needed break away from work.

There's no way to adequately describe Jamaica. It is an awkward blend of poverty and wealth. All of the coastline is populated by large resorts, while on the other side of the highway that circles the island are the homes and shacks of the people that live there.

The highway is a new addition. We were there three years ago, and it was under construction. Much of the ride from the airport to the resort where we stayed was dirt road, and I remember everyone driving like maniacs. With the highway complete, it is more heavily patrolled, with established speed limits, so the ride to and from the airport was boring compared to last time!

Both times we have stayed at the Couples Sans Souci resort near Ocho Rios. There is no way to describe the tranquility and ambiance of this place. The ocean is warm and beautiful, and that strange green/blue color that is so foreign to those of us on the west coast. The people of Jamaica are so incredibly friendly and relaxed! Even the employees are not rushed to do their jobs, and work seems to be enjoyable.

I was sitting on the balcony of our room one morning watching the setting up of the lawn area for the gala that was planned that evening. I watched as the workmen brought in the structures that would cover the buffet tables, piece by piece. They'd bring in a pole, and hang out and chat with their friends, then bring in another pole. It literally took them all day to set up the area. They started before 7 am, for the dinner slated to begin at 7 pm. As I was watching, I thought that if their bosses saw them goofing off like that, they would be in so much trouble. But then, minutes after thinking that, there boss joined them on the lawn, chatting and laughing with them just as they had been doing without him!

And then it struck me... These people are not easy-going for the sake of the guests. This is how they are all the time! It is the culture of the country. And then I was envious! I tried to imagine what it would be like to live your life in slow motion, which is what it looked like to someone from California! Every job they did appeared enjoyable to them because they enjoyed themselves while doing it.

I thought about the cook at the beach grill that sang non-stop while preparing the food. Even when his co-worker laughed at him because I was staring so blatantly, he was unconcerned. He smiled at me and kept right on belting out every song on the stereo. It was so refreshing to see!

We chose to return to Sans Souci because of this atmosphere, although I don't think I recognized it the first time. It is so easy to relax in an environment where even the employees are relaxed! The whole purpose of this place is to relax in the sun without a care, and that is evident all day, every day. They have activities that you can sign up for, but there's no hurry, and no pressure.

We ended up spending the whole week at the pool. No activities, no clocks, no schedule. The only thing we needed to worry about was making it to dinner at our reservation time. We sunned, drank, socialized, and ate. That was vacation.

Too bad the effects don't seem to linger long enough!