• People of Jamaica

    Jamaican Men, Beauty or the Beast?

    As anyone who has ever visited or lived in Jamaica knows, the roles of males here are quite unique and sometimes a bit complex. Let’s delve in the variety of men that foreign women tend to encounter on our travels and in day-to-day life here “without a man of our own.” This is a situation that has brought great speculation and confusion about me in the small town I live in.  Rumors have run the gambit from people believing I’m…

  • People of Jamaica

    Faith, Fate, Karma, Kismet, or Destiny

    Never take for granted people who wander into life.  Some come to stay and others are just passing through. We can always learn new things from them.  Call it kismet, fate or destiny, I try to accept whatever comes my way. I trust that I am at the places I’m supposed to be, meeting the people I’m supposed to meet and doing what I’m supposed to do. Do you experience that feeling?  Several years ago, as my desire was building towards…

  • Acquired Wisdom

    Remodeling in Jamaica: 4 Helpful Hints

    Who would’ve ever believed that something as simple as replacing a toilet or fixing a water valve could turn into a drawn out ordeal? Anybody trying to do it in Jamaica sure will! Remodeling in Jamaica is not for the faint of heart or short of temper. Here is why I say that… My husband, Rob, and I are currently renting a home in Jamaica that we hope to eventually purchase and live in during our retirement years. We love…

  • Acquired Wisdom

    Investing in the Future

    Every day we hear about the mayhem and heartache of many countries around the globe.  We often shrug them off as being meaningless and “just the way it is.”   However, the problems are often amplified in a small country, like Jamaica.  Struggling with limited resources, a strained economy, rampant poverty and corruption, at times, it seems hopeless.  But then you meet the children of Jamaica. My 16-year-old daughter, Melody, and I were taking a taxi to town the other day and happened…

  • Explore

    Jamaica and Organic Farming

    When we think of Jamaica, we tend to picture fresh fruits languishing effortlessly from the trees. Abundant vegetable patches should dot the landscape of this paradise as well. We expect organic farming to be the norm in Jamaica. Sadly, that isn’t the case.  On most farms, “conventional” farming methods rule the day, and, understandably, too. But there are some promising farmers. As even the most casual grower abroad learns during the hot summer months, warm, moist environments lay out the welcome mat to multiple…

  • Why Choose Jamaica?

    Welcome to Jamaica

    Life is funny.  You meet someone “amazing” but after several months of “reality,” you realize they actually DO have some flaws.  The same is true of many aspects of life, including the welcome change of starting over, if you decide to spend your retirement in Jamaica. Sometimes, we are left disillusioned, depressed or flat-out angry at ourselves for being so “blind” to “the truth.” Occasionally, we get lucky and our initial good impression was right on. Most of the time, our…

  • Acquired Wisdom

    The Joy That Is Jamaica

    Have you ever had that feeling of going someplace completely outside your normal realm yet finding you felt as if you’ve always been there?The very first time I set foot on the island of Jamaica, I felt like I had finally come home. What did it feel like? I felt light and airy. I felt relaxed. I had no physical pain. I simply felt happy. And I didn’t really know why. I had the feeling that I had come home after…

  • Explore

    The Pelican Bar, Black River, Jamaica

    The day I FINALLY went to see the “World Famous Pelican Bar.” If you knew me at all, you’d know that I go against the flow. If a hotel or tour group says, “This is a must see…” I skip it. I love to travel, but I enjoy the back roads and byways more than the tourist traps. Often, even if a friend suggests something, I’ll decline. It’s not that have issues with authority…okay, maybe I DO, but that’s for…