Bad Luck in Jamaica


Terri is a 44-year-old mother of two who lives in Lisbon, Wisconsin. Not to mention, she’s my mom.

Back when she was 25, her husband Jeff and their friends Terry and Ron Wing went on a vacation to Jamaica.
Terri’s first ride in a limo was on the way to the airport.

“We had a four and a half hour plane ride, so we got to watch a movie!” Her husband Jeff said. “It was the best plane ride ever, and was very short.”

“I was nervous!” Terri said, “We’re going to another country and I don’t know what to expect.”

They found a nation in poverty.
“All the families live in aluminum sheds that crowd the streets.”
Only a few families live in larger hillside homes. On the way to the hotel, they noticed: they drove on the opposite side of the street, the streets were about the size of one of ours, and the driver drove too fast for all the curves. Finally, the hotel was in sight. But the fun would have to wait.

A brunch was outside for all the guests to enjoy. By the time Terri and Jeff ate their food, it had been sitting out for about two hours. A pasta salad that contained mayonnaise infected them with food poisoning. The next day, they sat lying in their beds. It only lasted one day.

For the first time Terri experienced the ocean, specifically the salt water.
“We spent more time in the pool than we did in the ocean.”
While out on the water, the group all tried knee boarding and looking through the bottom of a glass boat at the coral reef.

“I almost didn’t want to leave.” Terri says, “Because I feel so bad for the people, they live in such extreme poverty.”
The time came, however, and bad luck followed them all the way into the last day.

While at the airport, after the bus had dropped them off, they realized one of their bags was missing. In haste, Jeff left the airport, back to the hotel with no money or means of communication. The bag was still on the bus that took them to the airport. Thankfully, he found it in time.
“He came running out to the plane. He almost missed it. What would he have done if we left without him? He had no money!”
They arrived safely home to 12 inches of new snow. And to their everyday lives.