Traveling has alway been in my DNA, well kinda. Although I was raised in the US, I hail from a small island in the Caribbean by the name of Jamaica and immigrated to "faren", as we Jamaicans call it, when I was only 2 years old. Known for it's beautiful beaches, delicious food, rich culture which gifted the world with reggae music through the likes of Bob Marley and for the fasted man on the plane
t, Usain Bolt. Jamaica will always be in my heart and being a Jamaican is something I will always carry with pride. I can remember when the seeds of life aboard and the curiosity of cultures outside of my own were planted. As a kid I would often look at a globe that my older sister had and wonder, where is the furthest place possible from my home and what are people there doing. The places that intrigued me the most where Brazil, Japan and Australia. Australia, not too much because of their culture, assuming being an English speaking nation would be a lot like the US but more so because it was SO DAMN FAR and the thought of being on a plane as long as it would take to get there seemed cool, hey I was a kid. In 2004 I was 25 and I did something that would forever change my life, I enlisted in the US Navy. Up until that point, travel to some far away place on the other side of the globe was still just a thought. The lack of the right combination of free time and funds kept any of it from materializing. Joining the Navy changed that and changed it quick. Before I knew it I was on my first deployment and docking into my first foreign port, Panama City, Panama. In the 5 years I was on sea duty, deployments took me all throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America (including Brazil) and across the Atlantic on a two week "cruise" to Europe. When all was said and done I knew, Staying Home is Not in my DNA and the first opportunity to live overseas arose and brought me to Japan, then later to Korea and Bahrain. Due to a series of unfortunate fortunate events as I like to call them, my navy career was cut short in 2014. After the initial disappointment and then later reality sinking in, I had to come to terms that I was no longer in the navy and would no longer be traveling around the world or living in foreign countries. Upon later thought, I begun to see my half empty glass as half full and then later overflowing because I have been just given an opportunity to live life on my terms. Trying to get back into the workforce and live overseas by working on one of the various military bases throughout Aisa I moved to Korean for a bit then on to Japan, but things didn't work out as I expected and I was unable to find the job I was looking for. A bit discouraged but knowing that opportunity can present itself even in the most unlikely of circumstance I saw that I've been given a tremendous amount of freedom, the freedom to pursue some of my passions, photography and traveling. So this year I have decided to do just that. For me, this will be the chance of a lifetime to immerse myself in new cultures and meet people from all walks of life. For you, the reader I hope to inform, inspirer and give you a peek into life outside wherever you may be. Follow me on my journey! Welcome to my world, welcome to Trek Views!
