Summer on the horizon and nostalgia

What is your plan for the summer? I secretly planning a little weekend getaway for me and my Love bean, somewhere near the beach where I hear the waves of the ocean, while seating and sucking on vitamin D.

I have been thinking about my island constantly, I want to go to Haiti, to visit my dad, make a rebranding of my beauty supply, and eat fresh and organic fruits, its mango season, and I am still debating on buying or not the succulent fruit for 4$ USD on church avenue.

My problem is I watch the news and I can’t phantom how my country has changed for the worst since I left, almost two and half years ago. My father and my mother are both from Port-au-Prince, my mother was born“Sou Dal” and my dad is a “martissant 7” native. 

These two locations are currently the most dangerous areas in the country as of now, I grew up going to my grandparents’ house every summer, listening to “Koudyay” (rasin band) repetition session, running everywhere with my friends, eating “fritay”.

All the neighbors knew me, “tifi joujou  ak Zette”. My grandfather has his gallery studio in the veranda and I used to drive him crazy questioning about painting colors and his techniques, he painted a lot of his best art era in from of me sitting on the floor eating “ pistach griye”, daydreaming. 

I broke my front tooth in my grandmother’s living room when I was six, which my father kept and restored with an ivory floral fabric, and moved to my mother’s house in laboule 12, Grenier. 

The highlight of the vacations was when “ tiyo a vini” which was “CAMEP” the government national water distribution, my grandparents had one in their backyard and everyone will come and get water and we the kids would water spray everyone, and bathing until the water is cut off. 

My father has a construction company, he took me everywhere in the countryside along with him, Leogane, Jacmel, Miragoane, Cayes, Hinche, Anse a Galet, Port a Piment, Port Salut, Jérémie , Gonaives, L’ Esthere, Cap Haitien, the only corner of the country I don’t know is Port- de – Paix and Fort Liberté. (In my Bucket list). 

My nostalgia runs deep, I want to go back to my roots and suck in my land energy, I also hope we Haitians find a solution to all the madness and build a progressive country for the generation to come. 

As an immigrant, I also want to realize my biggest goals and live the American dream, as a future Haitian- American excellence. Someone who came into this land and took all the opportunity presented and turn it into a successful story. 

In the meantime, let’s enjoy the present and make turning heads with killer outfits, oh, and please if you have any niche by the ocean for a relaxing getaway, please help yours truly out by leaving the location down in the comment below. 

Thank you so much for reading and sharing my blog post. 

Smooches 

A.J