It was the summer of 2003 and my great-great aunt who lives in Jamaica had just turned 104. My mom wanted us to see her before she passed away so, we left early and took a plane straight to Jamaica. When we got to Jamaica, there was a van waiting to take us to the hotel and we arrived at the four-star hotel in the afternoon. I was amazed! There was a water park at the hotel that included two huge pools, a lazy river and two awesome water slides. There was even a bar in the pool where I drank Ting and Coke! Under one of the water slides, we found a toad and caught it in a plastic bag. We later found out that it was a Cane Toad and poisonous.
During the week we were in Jamaica, we did things we had never done before in my life. We went to a bird sanctuary where we fed hummingbirds. It was unbelievable watching the hummingbird hover over my finger, since I had only seen a glimpse of a hummingbird once before in North Carolina. The hummingbird felt weightless on my finger and darted about very quickly. It was already about ten feet away before I could blink. We climbed Dunn's River Falls, which was more like a steep river with hundreds of mini waterfalls in it. It took an hour to climb and our guide showed us places where we could slide on rocks into the freezing water.
The most amazing thing that we did was swim with dolphins. We got to touch the dolphins, swim with them and watch them do tricks, but that's not all. Two dolphins came up to my feet and pushed me through the water. I felt like a sea queen as I zoomed through the ocean. I had salt water in my eyes, my ears, my mouth and my hair - it was great!
The trip to see my aunt was pleasant. It took two hours to get to where she lived. I slept most of the whole way there. When I opened my eyes on the way there, I could see goats wandering the bumpy dirt roads of Jamaica. My great-great aunt was a sweet old lady. She often walked without a cane to prove that she was still independent, which is pretty good for being 104.
After visiting her, we went to visit my great-great uncle. It felt good to see relatives I have never seen before in my life. We went up the dirt road that led to his house. I was surprised to see a large hog on a leash in the front of his house. When we knocked on the door he opened it and was happy to see us. We talked for a while and he said to me, "You the blood as me blood." I had just met him and he accepted me lovingly as a part of his family. It gave me a warm and happy feeling.
Going home, I felt good. I had had a great time and I was bringing home a new pet, the toad that I found underneath the water slide at the hotel. When I opened the front door to our apartment, my cat greeted me with a meow and rubbed her back against my leg. It was a perfect vacation, but it was good to be home. I knew though that that place would never leave me. When you know where your roots are, it makes it easier to grow.
