LaTisha Christian

English Comp. 1010

Narrative Paper
April 2, 2014
A Mind Changing Trip
Leaving the contr! is something " never thoght " #old get to do$ "t #as a chill!
%cto&er morning, and " #as headed to Epple! Air'ield. (ith m! lggage, carr!)on, and "P%* in
hand, one cold onl! sit #aiting #ith anticipation. +,o# are !o 'eeling m! ant as-s./ M!
repl!, +Nervos as !o can onl! imagine$/ As #e &road or 'light m! hands start to s#eat and
m! stomach is in -nots.
The plane ta-es o'' and m! 'irst thoght is " can0t #ait ntil #e land. A 'e# hors later
#e start or descent into this &eati'l island o' %cho 1ios, 2amaica. The sn shinning &right,
vi&rant &le #ater, and palm trees is all " envision. (ith the #eather in %maha &eing so cold, m!
travel #ear #as a #arm s#eat sit. A'ter stepping o'' the plane, one de'initel! regretted that
choice in clothing &ecase it #as 34 degrees and hot$ %' corse #e ma-e or #a! 5ic-l! to get
or lggage and then head on or #a!. (e had a shttle ride 'rom the airport to the resort.
The shttle #as nothing special it #as #hite #ith hge sliding #indo#s and not so com'!
seats. %r shttle driver introdced himsel' and at the end said, +(elcome to 2amaica Mon$/ As
#e headed 'or or resort, " made sre to ta-e in ever!thing " #as seeing. A little into the ride
some interesting sightings &egan to pop ot. The 'irst &eing that the! drive on the opposite side
o' the street 'rom #hat #e do in the 6.7.
The second &eing that it #asn0t the pictre per'ect place " remem&er seeing on T8. %n
T8 the! sho# the gorgeos &le #ater, people laghing #ith no care in the #orld, and this place
that #ill ta-e !or &reath a#a!. Not sa!ing its all &ad &t it #as sre a &ig shoc- to me. 9or le't
side o' the street #as ver! &eati'l hotels :resorts;, #ith &ig palm trees and &right tropical
colors. <t on the right side it #as something " #asn0t e=pecting. The hoses #ere rn do#n and
'alling apart. "n some cases there #ere even hoses that had &een &ilt on top o' each other. M!
thin-ing is that people can0t possi&l! &e leaving in these hoses$
"n certain areas there #ere a lot o' empt! &ildings, #hich had once &een open as
&sinesses. Not ever one o#ned cars there, so !o #old see plent! o' people #al-ing> in some
cases lgging things &ehind them :clothes, 'ood, etc;. 7ince their contr! is sch a torist
attraction, ?st a&ot ever! person #e passed #aved to sa! hello, as a #a! to #elcome s to their
home. *espite ho# " #as starting to 'eel a&ot the trip, " cold tell that these people #ere living
li'e to the 'llest. (hat #as spposed to &e a +'n tropical/ vacation #as no# trning into a
+home sic-/ vacation. M! ever!da! li'e #as clearl! &eing missed 'rom home m! mom, 'riends,
and ?st m! srrondings.
The rest o' the ride all " -ept thin-ing #as, +" #ant to go home$/ As #e pll p to the
resort o' corse its &eati'l. "t0s painted a &right tropical !ello#, sitting right on the &each, and
#ith plent! o' vacation goers all arond. A'ter getting chec-ed in #e head to chec- ot or
+home a#a! 'rom home./ 7till 'eeling prett! do#n " call to let m! mom -no# that #e made it.
7he as-s, +,o# #as the 'light./ " tell her not as &ad as " thoght it #old &e.
A'ter e=plaining to her that " #ant to come home, she tells me that once #e start ta-ing in
this ?orne! m! mind #old pro&a&l! change. Not sre ho# to 'eel m! response is +#e #ill
see$/ %nce settled #e #ent ot to see #hat 2amaica had to o''er. Again otside o' the resort
things #ere not ver! nice loo-ing. The &ildings #ere ver! ot dated &t even so the! served as
small &siness and sovenir shops.
As #e :m! ant, cosin, and "; #ere leaving the resort to sight see, #e met a g! &! the
name o' Le1o!. ,e insisted on &eing or tor gide and sho#ing s arond. The e=pression let
o'' #as con'sion &ecase he had a &lac- long sleeved coat on that #ent to the grond, a do rag,
and tennis shoes. %' corse nothing #old &e #rong #ith this, e=pect it #as #ell a&ove @0
degrees &! no#. <eing the person #ith a lot sspicion, " #asn0t sre i' #e shold trst him. "n
the end #e let him sho# s arond and he ended p &ecoming someone that #e tal- a&ot ntil
this da!$
(al-ing arond #ith a &it o' shoc- to see that the! had a <rger Aing, ABC, and <as-in
1o&ins restarant. Along or #a!, #e sa# some ver! interesting things. (e had a chance to see
a g! ct a cocont #ith a hge &lade :Machete ma!&e;. A'ter ma-ing it to the tiniest restarant
ever seen, m! ant tried the islands 'amos 2er- Chic-en. " had to ta-e a pass on this &ecase the
&ilding honestl! didn0t loo- li-e it shold &e 'nctioning$
%verall this 'irst trip #as most de'initel! a learning e=perience. A'ter the ps and do#ns "
no# -no# that !o shold go into sitation #ith an open mind. M! vision o' 2amaica vs. #hen "
got there #ere clearl! di''erent. (hen loo-ing &ac- no#, there is a &etter nderstanding o' the
phrase +*on0t ta-e things 'or granted$/ This is not a &ad place to visit &t -no# that it #ill not &e
a pictre per'ect place.