The Grass is Always Greener

This week's Together on Tuesdays topic is The Grass is Always Greener: if by some twist of fate you had the option to move to some wonderful destination, would you take it-or would you stay where you live now?

I would have to say that my dream destination would be in Jamaica.  Just about any city would probably do, but if I had to narrow it down, it would be Montego Bay, Jamaica.  I have had the opportunity to visit this wonderful paradise several times and fall in love with it even more, with every visit.  First, the weather is perfect all of the time.  Not too hot and not too cold.  My home would be beachside next to the clear blue water and beautiful white sand.  I absolutely love the personalities of the Jamaicans, as it is very similar to mine, in that it is very laid back and calm.  Their favorite saying is "No Problem Mon".  They have this attitude about not sweating the small stuff, and just relaxing and having a good time.  The food is also wonderful.  My favorite Jamaican dish is the Jerk Chicken with plantains.  It is just the right amount of spice, mixed with sweetness.  

Another thing that I love about Jamaica is the music.  They are most known for their Caribbean style Reggae, with the live bands and melodic harmony.  I could listen to it all day.  It's real music in one of its purest forms.  I love how everyone still celebrates one of the most popular originators of Reggae music, Bob Marley.  You can't go many places without hearing "Every little thing, is going to be alright", which again references their carefree outlook on life.   

One of the drawbacks to Jamaica is the state of the local economy.  You have all of these beautiful resorts and landscapes, and then when you go into town where the locals live, you often times see such poverty and people struggling to bring up their standard of living.  This however does not affect the core of who they are.  I like that everyone seems so driven and determined to reach whatever goals that they have set for themselves.  They still maintain their carefree attitude, while working hard to go to the next level. If given the chance to live in Jamaica,  I would actually take this opportunity to offer the needed services to those who desired it, whether it was additional education, or more technical skills.  There are already so many talented Jamaicans, who just need the resources to sell many of the arts and crafts that they hand make and I would do what I could to make this happen.

I would realistically gladly take the option to live in Jamaica, as long as I had the financial resources to visit my family back in the States, at least once a month.  As much as I would love all of the wonderful things about living in Jamaica, I could not let too much time go past without being with my family, as we are very close.  Although I have a feeling that they may want to come visit me, more than I visit them, which could work as well.