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After yet another disastrous attempt at the corporate London world, I decided to quit my recent job, use my last paycheque to book a flight and simply 'figure it out'. What Would I do? How will I do it? Where will I stay? How long shall I go for? In all honesty, non of this mattered, it was detail. Coffee is warm, strong and black but ultimately its benefits are nothing to do with any of that, coffee keeps you awake, right? I had heard about a magical island for most of my life; people, weather, music, food, culture, sights and NOW it was time to go and see what the fuss was about and so, I booked my ticket to Jamaica, was on the plane in less than a week and stayed with a local family I had hooked up through couch surf. I stayed in the country and was warmly welcomed everywhere I went. From bush teas (boiling water and local plants) to the makeshift outdoor kitchens, to bathing in the rivers, to the succulent, juicy fruits, to the scorching weather, the warm rain, the loving nature of Jamaicans to each other; no one ever goes hungry, in communities they cook, everyone is welcome. Then off course, there is the party side; no one parties harder than Jamaicans. From stage shows with leading artist performances to backyard wakes (9 night) to the fearless bike shows, the party literally doesn't stop. Jamaican culture is infectious and continues to influence and impact the world through its music, dance, food and love. This island fed me more than I can EVER give it. The smells and sights of the island are everything you'd imagine it to be; deep greens of the luscious land, the beautiful melanated skin of the people, the turquoise crystal clear waters and the bright white sands are all you've head about. a rainbow of colours that appease the senses. True Paradise. I randomly made friends with some Rastas in Kingston, they took me under their wing and showed me nature; from rivers in Papine, to the Dub Club over looking the city in Jack's Hill, to the infamous trench town to the affluent Uptown. I was welcomed and part of the team. No judgments, just love, super accommodating. They taught me how to cook iTal food and reasoning on world topics. We also went to many parties and football games as one of them is a professional player, but these are not just nature loving partiers, they all have government jobs and take their work seriously. They all have aspirations of owning property and supporting the communities. It's hard not to go to such an island, spend time with locals and not fall in love. The people are magnetic. I was blessed to be treated like royalty by an extremely attractive Jamaican who cooked and cleaned for me and showed me a window into a different life. We bonded through discussion and a love of music and food. That level of being looked after was unreal. A lot of knowledge and some serious love making. A spiritual experience. We had a fantastic time together and I wondered if it could last past a holiday romance. Sadly, that was not my decision to make as this wonderful soul died in a bike crash. Gone too soon, the celebration of life from the community was unreal. The love poured in and people came together to pay respect and honour this young soul. This taught me that off course life is short, that we must love one another whilst we are here and that time should never be wasted. It also showed me that I will forever follow my heart and not settle for a what my soul doesn't connect with. You may not have to jump on a plane to find this but understand that wherever you go, there you will be, happiness is a conscious choice, so is kindness, please choose that daily... and if you have the luxury of visiting paradise, please go, you owe it to yourself to taste the rainbow.