I’ve been really stressed and particularly burnt out over the last three months, just going non-stop without a good break. As luck would have it, my friend/former co-worker Chenee happened to IM me on the ONLY full day off I’ve had in a while for an impromptu trip to the beach. Sweet!

Chenee Daley (left) and I all tanned and stuff… woot!

So being the free spirit I am, I totally pushed back all the work I had to do for the day, packed my bag, grabbed my sunscreen and my collector’s item Jamaica 50 glasses (yes, I know collector’s item basically means to collect and not wear) and we went on our way.

Rocking my sunnies – they were made to honour Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of independence from Britain last year.

Both determined to reclaim our zen, we ended up driving to Waves Beach in Portmore, St Catherine, (about 35 minutes away) where we had a pretty interesting day drinking seafood medley soup and meeting some British videographers as well as a group of Chinese men – as in, real Chinese, from China – they barely spoke English but were quite friendly and really cool… their accents were so cute too, in a hilarious way.

This one was kinda hot, and I really liked his tattoos. When he spoke it sounded like karate movie voice overs.

As much as I’m a typical black non-swimmer (smile) I always enjoy going to the beach, it’s actually one of my favourite places to be. Being there always relaxes me, gives me clarity, plus it’s always a lot of fun and for some strange reason, I meet interesting people there all the time. I love the sea, and I find that there’s something very humbling about it. Just being there, revelling in the ambiance, feeling the strength of the wind and waves and seeing the magnitude of the ocean just makes me realise how small I am, and how many marvellous things there are in the world. It also helps me fully understand that there has to be something more and appreciate the Creator’s work… if that makes sense. Plus I’m often quite moved by the beauty of nature and being at the beach has always done that for me.

I also had a chance to catch up on some reading and just be… with someone who I know is genuine and understands the need to just get away sometimes. Definitely a great day! Jamaica is truly beautiful so I thought I’d share some highlights. Enjoy!