Annesha Adams reconnects with her roots and moves back home
Published:Saturday | January 20, 2024 | 12:05 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
No matter where you are in the world, your home is always where your heart is. This sentiment resonated with Annesha Adams so much that, the moment she graduated from college, she packed her bags and moved to a truly special island in the Caribbean. Today, the content creator explains just how returning to Jamaica changed her life for the better.
“As a family, we migrated to Canada and we’ve been travelling back and forth to Jamaica for over 26 years. After completing my last semester of university in 2018, I left the cold country and never looked back,” she told Saturday Living.
Adams is no stranger to travel. In fact, she has already visited The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the US Virgin Islands, and different parts of Canada and the United States.
“Learning and seeing various lifestyles and cultures across countries virtually has always been of fascination to me,” she added.
But she only ever had the urge to travel to Jamaica. In her eyes, it’s as they say, there’s no place like home, or as Jamaicans put it, ‘nuh weh nuh betta than yard’.
“My parents have always been unapologetically Jamaican and have a deep love for the country, which has naturally made me appreciate and love the culture too. Jamaica, to me, is love and peace. I feel alive and connected spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. Jamaica is my therapy and contributes positively to my mental health,” she revealed.
She recalls spending her formative years on the island and confessed that the time produced some of the happiest memories in her lifetime, like attending primary school, “Rivers run in our backyards. There were endless amounts of fruit trees to climb and vegetables to pick and eat, along with this great sense of community among members in neighbourhoods where everyone is treated like family.”
With that foundation in place, Adams went on to build even more wonderful experiences while visiting for the summer holidays. Three months just weren’t enough but she made them count, soaking up the island sun and basking in the breeze and the shade.
Travelling between Canada and Jamaica for 23 years, her mind was always wrapped in those visits. So she thought, might as well she made the move. “I realised I could take control of my life and do anything I wanted. So I chose Jamaica, in the same way it chose me.”
The content creator, who has played that role since 2015, documented her transition on YouTube and other social media platforms, much to the excitement of her viewers. She took it more seriously in 2017 and, since then, she has been making the rounds, taking her fans on a tour into her daily life while in paradise.
“A part of my brand is helping others find things to do and places to stay in parishes across the island. So I have travelled a lot around Jamaica. However, nothing beats Manchester. Manchester provides a great weather balance of cool and hot throughout the year that is necessary. Manchester is what I like calling a ‘Suburban-Country’ parish.”
Suburban in the sense that the houses and land space are big. Those residing in that parish, she says, are widely educated and travelled. But its rural nature has a lot to do with agriculture. “Manchester has a vast amount of greenery, crops, and animals which I love. My family owns pigs, cows, chickens, goats, roosters and ducks, as well as fruit trees and vegetable plants on our land. It’s a great balance that I love.”
She explores various interests, including dating, shopping, apartment hunting, driving in Jamaica, delving into the nightlife, comparing rural areas versus inner cities, and providing a how-to guide on activities, excursions, majestic locations, and delicious dining options. This move has placed her on the map as a content creator and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“My audience is composed of viewers who are visiting the island for the first time and need vacation tips and travel-guide videos. Those who travel here for vacation; Jamaicans living within the diaspora who are keeping up with current affairs and those who just love the culture,” she said.
Adams has returned to Canada but with one goal in mind: online shopping. She hopes that Jamaica can catch up to the high standard of the process sooner rather than later.
While she has plans to tick South Korea, Tokyo, Italy, Greece off her bucket list, her heart will always return home.
“I love everything about Jamaica. The food is the best. There’s always something to do. I love the weather, I love dancehall and reggae music, I love Patois and country life. Partying in Jamaica is of high quality. I love how so many [people] believe in God. The people of Jamaica are unapologetically themselves. They are confident about who they are, and that’s what makes Jamaica and Jamaicans stand out around the world.”
To those looking to take up residence in a new country, Adams advises that you follow your heart, “Life is all about experiences, so live it. Prepare yourself before you go into new territory, but make your dreams a reality.”