An Island Excursion

Greetings everyone,

My dad and younger brother visited me in Dominica recently.  I took vacation days from work so I was responsibility free for the duration of their stay.  As I organized their itinerary, I realized that this wasn’t going to be one of those “stay on the beach and soak up the sun while consuming exotic beverages” types of vacations that many people picture when they decide to travel to places like the West Indies.  I had a much more aspiring plan for them which involved plenty of hiking and exploring the nature isle of the Caribbean.  Besides the intense trekking of mountainsides to witness breathtaking views, I wanted my father and brother to experience the illustrious culture of Dominica, as well. 

The first night that they arrived, I immediately brought them to meet the Dominicans who I now consider as family.  After exchanging pleasantries, they prepared my dad and brother one of my favorite local dishes of salt fish and green banana with a glass of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice.  They tremendously enjoyed the meal just as I do.  We extensively hung out with this family each day that my dad and brother were in Dominica.  Kenson, a young adult in the family, offered to drive my dad, brother, and I around as our tour guide for the week.  We graciously accepted his offer as Kenson would be a fantastic edition to our touring journey.  Another phenomenal development that occurred during the first evening was that one of my closest friends, Clydel, who is Kenson’s cousin, said she would be available to join us for the week, too.  Knowing that Kenson and Clydel were going to be with us for the excitement, I was confident that my dad and brother would have an unforgettable week in Dominica. 

As I alluded to earlier, my dad and brother’s visit to Dominica was filled with awe-inspiring views and exhilarating adventures throughout the week.  We scaled steep slopes, plodded through ferocious rivers, and relaxed in naturally-heated sulfur springs.  We even successfully completed the dreaded boiling lake expedition, which many loyal readers of this blog may know that my mom and I fell short of accomplishing that endeavor when she visited me.  My brother, as someone who thoroughly enjoys exploring natural landscapes, easily adapted to the uneven terrain and tough conditions of the hiking trails.  My father impressively held his own, too, despite not having as much experience as my brother with hiking or rock climbing.  They both cherished seeing all of the remarkable natural landmarks Dominica has to offer especially the several waterfalls. 

Besides having Clydel and Kenson’s added presence to the vacation, we also met up with several of my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers.  Steve and Afua, a married couple who are volunteers serving in St. Lucia, joined our group during the week as they decided to spend some vacation days from St. Lucia to sightsee around Dominica.  Besides the visiting PCVs from St. Lucia, my dad and brother were introduced to nearly all of the Dominican volunteers as many of them joined us on different days around the island.  Just like my friends from my village, all the other PCVs that my dad and brother were fortunate enough to meet greatly improved their experience in Dominica. 

As I reflect on the week, I think about how appreciative I am of my father.  Throughout my entire life, he has always been a supportive and compassionate figure for me, my brothers, and my mom.  The manner in which he treats others with the utmost respect and dignity is something that I strive for with my own interactions with people. 

His visit to Dominica was a prime example of the benevolence he bestows upon others.  Essentially, he treated me, my brother, Kenson, and Clydel as royalty throughout the week.  Many people who have lived in Dominica their entire lives rarely get the opportunity to explore their country.  Simply, transportation is not only extremely expensive but it is also very sparse.  Kenson had previously visited all of the areas where we took my dad and brother as he is active with Scout Troops in Dominica.  Clydel, a nature enthusiast in her own regard, rarely has the opportunity to visit the sites in her home country.  I loved watching the pride and exhilaration on her face as she witnessed the beautiful parts of her country not just in a picture but with her own two eyes. 

Besides giving us the chance to travel to all the different places, my dad treated us all to lavish restaurants while we were touring the island, as well.  Kenson and Clydel had never been to many of the restaurants where my dad took us as they are quite extravagantly priced.  They immensely relished the opportunity to experience the food and to see what it is like to eat at some of the ritzier places their country offers to people like tourists.  I felt quite honored with the way my dad treated my close friends just as they were like his own family.

Since I launched my tour as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I have always tried to focus fundamentally on adding more happiness and comfort to Dominicans who I interact with on a daily basis.  Clydel mentioned to me how my family’s visit was one of her most favorite weeks that she can ever remember.  I am overly delighted that my dad and brother’s vacation could offer those types of fantastic memories to someone who I care for so deeply.

My dad and brother got an experience of a lifetime when they toured around Dominica but so did Kenson and Clydel.

Thank you for reading.

Be well,

Joe