I love the awesome Caribbean. I have been to South America and plan to get to Europe this year. But every time I decide to venture to other lands far away, I always end up back in the Caribbean. I love the color of the ocean, the color of the sky, the warmth of the sun, the sand in my toes, the accent of the people, and the taste of the delicious Caribbean food.
I'm from the Caribbean island of Barbados. So I guess that's where my love of the warm Caribbean comes from. Barbados is the eastern-most island in the chain of Caribbean islands. It sits off by itself, while the other islands are lined up in a "chain".
There is nothing better than seeing the island take shape as I fly over and get closer and closer, anticipating the hopefully smooth landing. Then walking outside across the tarmac and feeling the hot sun soak into my bones. Then I know I'm at home, or close to home if I've had the pleasure to land in a Caribbean island other than Barbados.
Contrary to what a lot of people think, all Caribbean islands are not the same. Some are huge, like Jamaica, some are small like Tobago. They all have different customs, variations in music, variations in food. One big difference is the difference in speech. Most people think all people from the Caribbean sound alike, or they cannot tell the difference. Trinidadians speak differently than Jamaicans, who speak differently than Barbadians, who speak differently than Grenadians. It's kind of like the difference between the North and the South (United States). However, we represent one West Indies, filling us with pride and love for our special Caribbean countries.
In 2012 I will venture off to another continent, but my first love will always be the Caribbean.
