I woke up early, as usual, on Christmas morning. Everything was different. Strange vibes, mon. The sun shone brightly, and the temperature was already in the 80s. What in the world was going on? It was Christmas morning, 2018. This Christmas was much different than all the others in my life because Kim and I were in Jamaica for the holidays. It was my first time spending Christmas in the Caribbean. I wondered if we would enjoy it. In retrospect, what a stupid thought. It was awesome.
We visited Jamaica for Christmas.
Kim and I are both divorced. The holidays can be tricky for divorced parents. Usually, you split time with your children with your ex-spouse. I end up spending a fair amount of time alone. It is easy to get depressed during the holidays. With that thought in mind, Kim and I decided to experiment. What if we spent time apart from our children during the winter holidays together in the Caribbean? We chose to visit Jamaica for Christmas. Neither one of us had been there before.
Why I wrote this billboard
I wrote this billboard as a reminder to conduct experiments regularly. They are worth it. Rather than sit and sulk, try to think of solutions and test them out. Over the past several years, I have conducted more experiments. Some of them went poorly, and a few turned out really bad. At times, they go well and reveal a new or better way of solving a problem. In this case, spending Christmas in the Caribbean worked out really well—better than I anticipated.
When everything and everyone is failing, what is the cost of a little experiment outside of the norm? Most often, nothing.
Tim Ferriss
The beaches in Jamaica were beautiful, like most in the Caribbean.
We stayed at a Sandals resort right on the beach in Montego Bay. Wow, what a lovely location. The water was crystal-clear blue and warm. There were plenty of places to sit, relax, and enjoy the cool Caribbean breeze coming off the sea. It was the first time in my life that I was swimming outside in December. Every day, we walked the beach and enjoyed our beautiful surroundings. Every night, we watched the sunset on the sea. Magnificent views.
The Sandals in Montego Bay was excellent – the classic Caribbean.
Sandals is an all-inclusive resort chain. Some people like Sandals and others do not. Kim does, so that is where we stayed. It was excellent, especially in Montego Bay. Sandals owns multiple properties in Montego Bay. Kim and I enjoyed the one we stayed at, and we could visit the other one, Royal Caribbean. It was unbelievable. This Sandals resort included a vast pool, a private offshore island, and over-the-water bungalows for honeymooners. We had a fabulous time visiting there.
The sites we saw in Jamaica were beautiful.
Kim and I also went on an excursion to Ocho Rios. We went on a zipline course, spent time at Mystic Mountain Rain Forest Adventures, and visited Dunn’s River Falls. It was a lot of fun. I have to confess that we were not able to see much more than the North Coast as we traveled back and forth from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios, but the parts we visited were wonderful.
Jamaica also has problems, like several Caribbean countries.
I am not naive enough to think that everything in Jamaica is fantastic. Sure – it is a beautiful country with pristine beaches and excellent sites. But, when you travel around Jamaica, you see poverty first-hand. Several locals also told us about the crime and drugs that are common. Of course, we were sheltered from all of it while staying at the resort. I want to make sure it is clear that I am aware that Jamaica has many problems.
In 2005, Jamaica had 1,674 murders for a murder rate of 58 per 100,000 people.That year, Jamaica had the highest murder rate in the world.
Wikipedia description of crime in Jamaica
How I incorporated this billboard into my life
Kim and I enjoyed our time in Jamaica during the holidays so much that we plan to take future trips to the Caribbean for the winter holidays. It will likely become an annual tradition. In 2019, we went to Antigua. Neither one of us had been there before. It was even more fun than Jamaica. Next year, we are thinking about going to Grenada or Barbados.
What about you?
Are you conducting experiments to develop novel ways to solve problems? Who knows, you may come up with an excellent idea like we did. I am already looking forward to spending time in the Caribbean next winter vacation. Merry Christmas, mon!!
Warm weather and blue skies are good for your soul. Head South in the winter for a Caribbean Christmas.
Dad