JAMAICA: HIGHLIGHTS OF AN URBAN ESCAPE

Since I love to travel, I follow quite a few travel writers on social media. I live for their stories. They paint pictures with words, inspiring readers to one day share colorful narratives of their own, of lands “far, far away.” So, when one of my “faves,” April Thompson of Absolute Travel Addict, posted an Instagram update of her plan to organize an "Urban Escape" travel group to Kingston, Jamaica, I immediately went to her website and pressed "Book Now." I didn't personally know April. I also didn't know that my bank account was teetering on the edge of being a "no-count." However, I did know three things: 1) I had never been to Jamaica, 2) I wanted to go, and 3) I wanted my introduction to this “island in the sun" to be authentic. Based on April's posts, pictures, and videos throughout the country over the years as a tourist and, later, a resident, I had a feeling that she would be the perfect guide.