My name is Abbygail Williams, I am 23 years old and I am originally from Jamaica. When I was searching for a picture to represent myself I instantly knew that I wanted to find a picture that shows rural Jamaica. A picture that shows hardship but at the same time shows peace to some people. Growing up in Jamaica I experienced a lot of things, and I knew a lot of people that has been through a lot of things. Jamaica is not an easy place to grow up in, there are so many difficulties I and many people go through. This specific picture reminds me of a family members house that I used to visit in the country. Some people might see this as poor living but for me, I loved visiting this place. It gave me peace, it taught me to be humble, it made me disconnect from the world due to no internet or technology.
The house was right beside a orange tree field, acres and acres of orange trees and I used to walk and pick oranges to make my own freshly squeezed glass. That body of water was our swimming pool, In the country that and rivers was as good as it’s going to get but it would be the best time you ever had. Being around family, eating good food and not worrying about everyday problems was the best part of growing up in Jamaica for me.
Ive had so many memories being a Jamaican and they are apart of me and made me who I am. My choices, my experiences, my lifestyle, my family, my friends and everything else that contributed to my life. Leaving all that behind to start over in a new country was hard but at the end of the day it was just another experience I had to go through to find out who I am and who I am meant to be.
When I was searching for a video I thought about what I loved to do and what were my interests. Back in Jamaica I participated in various sports and from I was in preparatory school and straight through high school I was apart of a team. When I started in preparatory school it was just a way to keep busy after school, I would start swimming lessons and dance lessons and even track and field. When I moved over to high school it became a passion of mine, I became the co-captain of my swim team and I joined a dance troupe. Sports was apart of me, I loved being apart of a team and contributing to overall entertainment. I appreciated the medals and the trophies but really I just wanted to be on the team.
At one point, I had some medical problems I had to undergo surgery. It was a very scary time in my life and it if wasn’t for my family and friends helping me through it, I don’t think I could have gone through with it. This deterred my sport participation for a little while and that affected me but in no time I was back on the team. I chose to talk about sports because I felt like it made me into a better person, learning to work alongside others and to respect other.
Abbygail Williams 
Abbygail,
Hi! I absolutely loved reading about your childhood in Jamaica. The way you described your house and your family makes me want to go and visit. You have such an interesting and unique perspective to share, and I can’t wait to read more of your posts as the semester goes on. One thing I can personally relate to from what you shared was how sports gave you an outlet to be yourself and challenged you to work with others. I play sports and have found that those skills are helpful in many areas of life. Thank you for sharing!
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I think it is very interesting and wonderful that you are from Jamaica and cherish your history there. When you were discussing your experience with the orange trees it painted a beautiful picture in my head and felt very relaxing. I would love to visit there and experience a different way of living and culture. I also think it is great that you appreciate your life their even though there may be more poverty areas and not as much technology as we often see in America.
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Hey Abbygail, I think thats really interesting that you have Jamaican family and get to meet them. I am originally French and have always dreamed of visiting my homeland and meeting relatives. Thanks for sharing!
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