Vacation withdrawals is a real thing. I’m learning that is especially true when you come back to the DC area after a trip to Jamaica. First, I tried to wear shorts when the high temperature was 64 degrees. Then my tan started to fade and my daydreams of laying at the beach continually interfere with my daily to-do list. Finally, I realize I should probably stop replying, “No problem mon!” to people. Almost a week after this trip and I’m still struggling. I guess the better the trip, the worse the withdrawals!
Despite the reports of Hurricane Matthew hitting Jamaica and freaking out my friends and family, Will and I had a great time exploring the country. It was a perfect balance of adventure and relaxation. Thankfully, being on the west side of Jamaica in a Montego Bay put us pretty far from the hurricane’s wrath and we only had some rain late one night and early one morning. The only downside about our trip was that parts of the hotel shutdown as a precaution for the hurricane, but that really didn’t stop us from having a blast.
Our trip started off with beach time and some snorkeling. The hotel we stayed out was on a peninsula in Montego Bay, which gave us amazing views. It was also all-inclusive so we were never hungry or thirsty. I’d say the best thing we ate was the jerk chick and festivals which is basically fried dough that has some kind of amazingly delicious ingredient in it. While we spent a lot of time on the beach, hanging out and reading, we also enjoyed the pool, which had a lazy river and water slides.
On our second to last day, we climbed water falls at Dunn’s River Falls, had lunch at a beautiful outdoor Jamaican restaurant and then visited Bob Marley’s hometown. The excursion was with a group of about 15 people, and it was a phenomenal and affordable way for us to see the countryside and local parts of Jamaica. If you’re interested in booking a similar trip, I’d recommend checking out CheapCaribbean.com. We booked our trip back in May and were able to get a great deal.
I am back in the real world now, but thankfully I feel less stressed and more rejuvenated than when I left. That’s the point of vacation right?! If you are contemplating taking time off work to relax, do it and don’t feel bad about it! I like to think of it as an investment in my sanity.
Cheers!
-SC