I have never been truly alone. A have always lived with my family, a roommate, a spouse, a spouse and children, or at the very least, I had a boyfriend or fiancée that I spent the majority of my time with. I’ve spent weekends alone at conferences both around the US and across the world but those were never for more than four or five days and while at the conference, I was surrounded by fellow professors and even friends.
So after a night of enjoying on son and new daughter-in-law’s wedding I knew that the morning would bring the first leg of my Jamaican journey, a week with 22 Trinity students at the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf. My husband would then join the team and me on Saturday, stay through Wednesday, and then I would be on my own…alone in Jamaica.
My husband and I went grocery shopping before he left so together we chose foods that we thought would be good for one person. He was also on the island to drive me to Kingston when I met with Angella and Bernadette from the US Embassy in Kingston. But Wednesday came all too quickly and then he was gone; back to Chicago and the cold…and I was left alone to figure out how to live life in Jamaica on my own.
You might wonder how I feel about all of this “aloneness.” Well I am comfortable with myself and being alone so it is not as hard for me as it could be for another person who needs to be around people. But there are still many decisions to be made: how often should I wash my sheets and towels, when should I eat my meals and where should I eat them, at the table, on the porch or while watching TV, and what is the best ways to spend my evenings and weekends?
I’ve been amazed to discover that the food I bought three weeks ago is still enough for me for several more weeks: perhaps it is multiplying like the loaves and fishes! I’m finding that towels dried with clothes pins on the line are hard but they dry quickly and smell fresh. I’m also not too concerned about the cleanliness of my condo since it doesn’t get dirty with just one person living there.
And what do I miss? Well, besides the obvious, my husband, children, Bella my dog, and friends and family, I miss my morning cup of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. The folks at my local Dunkin’ Donuts must wonder where I am because I ordered a medium with cream and sugar every day! Also, watching television, I see all of the commercials for many of my favorite restaurants such as Olive Garden and I miss good Italian food. I also miss my yoga class since doing yoga to a video isn’t anything like sharing it with a group of like-minded individuals. And even though I can view my church on the Internet, it’s not the same as worshipping with my family and friends at Parkview.
jammin'injamaica 
