Accomplishments this week:

I drove to mass on Saturday :) It wasn’t really too difficult, once I got used to the potholes, constant hairpin turns, high speeds, others passing you, and the fact that I was on the left side of the road and sitting in what has always been to me, the passengers seat. I basically talked my way through every intersection, reminding myself that I should be on the left side of the road and to not flip out because of the craziness that is surrounding me. The term “aggressive driving” doesn’t even capture how Jamaicans drive. It is a full body experience of being constantly alert, avoiding the other cars and people and goats while trying not to run yourself right into a gully. When I return to the states, my driving skills will have certainly improved.

I was laughing with one of the new volunteers, Lauren, as we discussed the driving in Jamaica. We have basically concluded that driving in Jamaica entails no rules or laws, just one general guideline: stay on the left side of the road. Every other rule is basically out the window. I mean, it’s a good idea to try to avoid falling into the gully (because there aren’t any guardrails), hitting other cars/people/bikes/potholes/random objects (like stray dogs, trash or goats), pass often and honk even more (usually to the rhythm of the music in the car), drive fast, and BLAST the music. If you make it home without getting into an accident, congratulations: YOU WIN! Haha..it is all a game

Speaking of music, one thing I really love about Jamaica is I feel like my life has constant background music. No matter where I go, even high up in the mountains, it never fails: some sort of reggae, dancehall, or even Celine Dion (they love her here) is blasting in the background of my life. I really love it.

We went to Lime Cay (which for my Jamaica ’08 team, you already know how wonderful it is). It is basically my favorite beach on earth because it is a small island off the coast of Jamaica. A fifteen passenger motor boat takes you to the island and you tell the driver what time to return to pick you up. The water is the clearest water I have ever seen and the island itself offers a number of places to sit and relax. I went for a walk around the island, which took no more than twenty minutes, and met a man who had found a star fish larger than his hand. Whoa. Totally cool. Towards the late afternoon a storm started rolling into the mainland. We watched from the island as it swept across the mountains and it got very windy on the island. It was so peaceful, natural and awe-inspiring. I just sat in the sand at the corner of the island, gazing at this wonderful storm, trying to meditate on it.

Once again, how did I get here? How on earth did THIS become my life?

Miss you all!