One Love

 














I am just returning from my 16 day humanitarian aid in Jamaica. I kept vigorous journal entries in the hopes that it would help me to blog about my experience but honestly words will never be enough to explain the experience I had, the love and the friendships I received from the Jamaican people. I went to Jamaica to aid them, to give to them some support and much needed aid but I left Jamaica feeling like I received ten folds more then what I gave.

The friends, the communities, and the locals as well as the volunteers that I was able to meet and be a part of this amazing experience with will always be in my hearts. I often get asked this question "Ashley what was your favorite city/country?" If you have been following my blog for the past year or so you would know that I have been around the block or several. I hate this question and I almost always give the same answer, "I have a reason for loving each and every place I went to, its impossible for me to pick just one." There are however two places I think of off the top of my head that had the biggest impact on my life those being Istanbul and Berlin. Now I will always think of three places, the third being Jamaica. 

I have different reasons for liking all three places but I can say they are my top three favorite places due to the people I met while I was there. It was the people in Berlin, their energy, international-ness there German enthusiasm mixed with several cultures and tragic history proving that they can manage and progress through rough times. Istanbul showed me how to make more then good friends in a city where you might not be able to speak the language but you will always be able to enjoy the company of the people. It showed me that no matter your race, religion or ethnic background or even your geological positioning in the world can define you. Istanbul continues to strive through the negative comments through political media, to prove that they will not stand by and let the world judge them for anything less then what they really are. Then there is Jamaica which opened my eyes to the phrase "no problem" if these people can lived their lived believing that they have no problems to worry about then I sure as  hell can live mine with ten folds more to not worry about and say "no problem" to. Jamaica taught me to dance, to love, to think of what I truly believe in and what really makes me happy. To enjoy life for the moments happening now rather then the past or present. Jamaica taught me to never take for granite even the smallest blessings. Its thanks to Jamaica that I take the time to smile at everyone I meet, to ask them how their day is, to wish them a wonderful rest of their day, to give a couple seconds of time and kindness to every person. 

The saying "One Love" comes from this tiny "no problem" island and at first I was not sure what it really meant, I could be wrong here but to me One Love represents the idea that if we all came together and could find that one small area of ourselves that represents what we think love and if we shared that with just one other person who then shared it with another, then the ripple effect would do the rest. 

I am sure that in my time I will be able to add more places to my initial favorite places list but like I said before there are several other cities I loved for other reason but these three cross my mind first only because of the people who make Istanbul, Berlin, and Jamaica amazing places.