As I’ve mentioned in one of my blogs, the Rastafarian Village was beyond anything I could have imagined. I, myself, am materialistic and cannot live a simplistic lifestyle but, they make it seem  so appealing and easy. You feel in tune with nature being that there weren’t any tvs or radios to disturb their peace- internally and externally. The rastas seemingly peaceful nature and demeanor was calming to me. The walk to the village itself gave me a slowed down version of life compared to the busy, fast paced version I live in the city. Upon entering the village we were taken to a hut where they played music and we were fed freshly picked banana, papaya, and pineapples. Afterwards, we listened to a few ancestral songs which we, in the states, would consider hymnals. The beat of the drum alone put you in the time of the horses galloping while the slaves ran, or it made you feel the heartbeat and anticipation that those whom were enslaved felt. It was so overwhelming to feel those things solely from the beat. Soon, they all started chanting. Their voices weren’t great but their ability to tell a story through music was. With every pat of the drum, every lyric you felt something. Sadly, the music ended and it was time for us to take a look around and see how everything is done. Unsurprisingly, EVERYTHING was done by hand- the making of the cocoa butter, the soap, the jewelry, everything. These tedious, time wrenching activities were done one by one, by hand. You could honestly tell they take pride in themselves and their work. This experience was so powerful it made me want to become Rastafarian. Their beliefs are so free, accepting, and natural that you feel like you can flow with it. Being there gave me a surreal calm that I only feel in church. Their words gave you hope and encouragement as well as wisdom. To experience this was one of the greatest things I was able to bring back with me from Jamaica. When I left that village, I felt as though I was leaving a piece of me there all while taking a different peace with me.

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