a Traveler’s Soul Mate
I met a new type of traveler, on a recent trip to Jamaica. They’re not quite tourists and they’re not quite expats, and while they may seem to belong in the same camp as retired Florida-bound snowbirds, they are certainly not.
While they all had different stories, their relationships with the country followed similar timelines. They first visited decades ago, before Jamaica became a sprawl of resorts. They were enchanted by the friendly, relaxed community, the beautiful beaches, the simple pleasures of fresh food and good music, all so easily attained on this tiny island. Of course, the open drug culture didn’t hurt either.
Back home (in this case, the States), they have houses, cars, careers, families. But they return to Jamaica as often as they can, congregating with local friends, adapting happily to the relaxed pace of Jamaican life. As many of them said to me, “I feel more myself here than I do back home.”
They speak about how the island has changed, how tourism has infected their beloved communities with capitalism, competitiveness, the commodification of the culture they love so dearly. Of course, these people aren’t your all-inclusive brand of beach tourists. They have friends in the community, religiously avoid the hotels and resorts, and after a couple of days, some even adopt the lilt of a local accent. Once in Jamaica, they are no longer visiting Americans, but honourary locals.
To be honest, I envy them.
I envy them for connecting so deeply to a foreign culture and its people. I envy them for loving a place so much that they wouldn’t think of spending their vacation time elsewhere. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a proud Canadian. My travels are inspired by curiosity, not anomie. But secretly, I love the thought of entering a foreign place and feeling immediately at home. I love the thought of declaring,”yes, yes! Now these people know how to live!”
Every time I travel, especially when visiting a country for an extended period of time, I wonder if that country and I will click like no other. Like a hopeful single girl on a blind date, I fidget with excitement on the plane, wondering if this destination will be the One; the culture that makes me feel alive like never before.
I know that these Jamaica-philes were lucky to find a culture that was so complimentary and inspiring to them. I also know that, for me, that One country might not exist. But the search has been a heck of a lot of fun.
2 responses to a Traveler’s Soul Mate
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Valerie Ng said on April 29, 2009
Love this post!
Like you and Eva, I’d like to have that one place where I could feel equally (if not more) comfortable as I would at home. I’m still searching for mine, although with so any places I’d like to visit, it may be a while before I can return multiple times to any single place.
Eva Holland said on April 28, 2009
Great post!
‘But secretly, I love the thought of entering a foreign place and feeling immediately at home. I love the thought of declaring,”yes, yes! Now these people know how to live!”‘
I can definitely relate to this — I’ve never had it, but often wish I had. I wonder though if that feeling goes hand in hand with a certain sense of alienation at home? I dunno. I still love *the idea* of having that feeling someday, but the more I travel, the happier I also become to come home each time. Which means, I suspect, that for me it’ll always just be a fun idea…
(But who knows, right?! Anything can happen.
)