I just ran out of time.
June came and so did the pack out preparation, then the packers, then the mad last minute rush of things to do before our exit. By the end of June I was in London, suddenly literally (and figuratively) thousands of miles away from Jamaica. At the end of August we arrived in Serbia and have been busy reversing all the actions that kept us so occupied during the last few weeks in Kingston. The weeks rolled by. My blog has sat silent for an unbelievably long six months, as almost everything in my life has changed, and I still kept kicking the blogging can further and further down the road. Anyone who has ever blogged will understand that it is hard to reignite a neglected blog. Certainly part of the procrastination is pondering its value in the first place and whether it still serves me and the handful of people who read it.
I don’t have the motivation to finish the drafts for the end of the alphabet: U is for Unsafe, W is for Watering Holes (bars), V is for Vendors, Y is for Yams, and Z is for Zion will probably remain unpublished. But the exercise did serve me well, as it forced me to dig into some of what I had learned and experienced–good and bad– during what was a really unsettled and quite unhappy time in Jamaica. I regret that things weren’t more generally positive , but now it seems that the reasons are less important than the need to move on and turn the page. So here it is — the line — and a fresh start in a Belgrade. Stay tuned!
Welcome back! Have a good start in Belgrad 😉
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Thank you!
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Caroline…I can’t wait to see your Blog starting again so I can follow your new life. Miss you….Linda
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Hi Linda. Miss you too. Let me know if you make it out to Europe anytime soon. All the best.
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Well said. Often time and a fresh start is good for many endeavors. We look forward to your new adventures in Serbia!
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Very happy to see you back. I understand a bit of your unhappiness and blog funk while in Jamaica after an unhappy year myself in 2016. A fresh city and new life and friends have all invigorated me, and I hope Serbia will do the same for you!
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Thanks. Here I go again!
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Thanks Caroline. I enjoy your Blog, and being able to “stay in touch” with your family.
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Hi Don. Best wishes to you and Pat.
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Hi, Caroline, glad to see you popping up again. Life has its seasons…not all are springtime and lilacs. Better luck in Belgrade!
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Too true…and we are heading into the cold season for the first time in 7 years. (Hopefully, this in only literal and not figurative! Ha ha…)
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I am so sad and sorry that you were unhappy in Jamaica, the place I call home and that I love in so many ways. But I know everywhere has its “downsides” and there were other things that weren’t to do with the place itself… I wish you a happier stay in Belgrade.
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Hi Emma. Sorry we didn’t get to connect one last time before I left. It all snowballed very quickly at the end. I continue to read your blog and admire all the important things that you report on, especially the birds and environmental stories. I still look back on my trip to Portland Bight as one of my best experiences there. Best wishes for all that you do and I hope you’ll drop in on Belgrade life from time to time.
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Thanks so much, Caroline! I wish you all the best in Serbia – I will definitely continue to follow your blog, of course!
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Aww, I wish you had had a better time in Jamaica. It’s my homeland which I love dearly but I know it’s rather flawed (although almost everywhere is these days). Sorry you got the not-so-nice end of it but happy travelling & getting settled where you’re based now. Walk good! P.s. I’d enjoyed your alphabet series. 🙃
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Hi Rochelle. Thanks our for comments. Yes, Jamaica has its flaws, but so do I and so did other things outside of my control. So I just had to take this one on the nose! Best wishes to you and I hope you visit the blog again from time to time.
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Welcome back. I look forward to hearing about Serbia!
Alison
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I love your blog–and will smile and read upon its some time return! Love you, C!
Sent from my iPhone
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