Slowly, I drifted my feet in the mixture of sand and rock. The breeze surrounding me was never-ending, but so soft to the point that it could put me to sleep. The sound was filled with peace, echoed with the music of the wind and the banging of the waves. Once I got closer to the edge, I sat down and overlooked the gigantic body of water otherwise known as the Atlantic Ocean. What a sight it was.
Quarter Finalist 2011 Teen Travel Writing Scholarship
A few days from then, if you had told me I would have seen such an amazing view in this third world country, Dominica, I would have never believed you.
My father is a native of Dominica, and he always exclaimed it to be a beautiful, tropical island filled with vibrant colors. So on June 15th, 2010, I was a bit too excited to start my adventure to travel to this “kingdom”. Alongside my grandma and dad at an awfully early time in the morning, I took the 3 hour flight there.
But as soon as we arrived, it did not take long to realize my dad had exaggerated TOO much. Dominica sure was an extravagant island – but he forgot to mention how poor it was. Once we went through the busy airport that was the same size as a school’s parking lot, my dad’s uncle picked us up and took us to our “resort” – his hut. It was in a town called Calibishie. We were staying in there for 2 weeks. At that time, I was in dismay.
As the 2 weeks progressed, I’ve had many enjoyable experiences of Dominica. I’ve met a lot of my family members (that seemed to be ¾ of the town), who seemed to know me ever since I was a child. I also traveled to the capital, Roseau, which was the richest part of the island. In the capital, I had a chance to see an exclusive play and finally eat at a McDonalds, which was a pleasure.
Back in Calibishie, I’ve made many new friends in town, who I still keep in contact with today. We would dish out money to buy goods at a local shop, or hang out at the popular spot, known as the Internet Cafe. Here, we would listen to all sorts of music, Caribbean and American Pop, and go on the internet. The people in town were extremely nice and welcoming – some even knew my name before I came!
But my favorite experience in Dominica was they day I went to the beach. It was my dad, grandma, two cousins, and I who took the trip. At first, we played in the ocean and stuffed our bodies with sand. Then, randomly, one of my cousins decided to go rock climbing. So, my dad, cousins, and I agreed to take on this task (my grandma decided the ground was a safer place). As we got higher and higher, and the rocks became slippier, I was gaining a new phobia of heights. But with the help of my cousins, I finally reached to the top. Soon enough, I was filled with astonishment. It felt as though I’ve reached the sanctuary of all my fears and weaknesses. A certain euphoria had overcome me. As I enjoyed the sight, I instantly fell in love with Dominica.
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