Paris, Greece, Rome. These are staples on everybody’s bucket list. However, there are countless must-travel destinations that are commonly looked over, including the Caribbean Island of Jamaica. Known for its beaches and unique Reggae music, Jamaica is probably one of the most beautiful and unique places on earth, and sophomore Brittania Annon knows it all too well. 

In October, Annon moved from Westmoreland, Jamaica to St. Louis, Missouri. 

“My stepmom got a job as a nurse and took my dad, my sister and I along with her,” she said. 

She also talked about the details of the move. 

“I found out in September that we were going to move here. The move was easy,” she said.  

With such a big move, you can expect a lot of things to be different, especially the way of life. 

“Jamaican culture is different because there’s different food and music,” she said. “The languages are also very different. We speak English and Patois. Spanish is actually a little similar to Patois.” 

Annon also brought a little bit of the culture to South. 

“I taught Ms. Kim some Jamaican Creole,” she said.

 Additionally, she expressed some of her favorite parts about the culture.  “My favorite Jamaican food is the national dish which is Ackee,” she said

Along with the differences in culture comes a difference in attracting tourists.

“There’s a lot of tourists but I don’t get sick of them. I actually have family that lives overseas and visits Jamaica,” she said. 

Alternatively, despite never coming to America before, Annon got a few ideas about the U.S. from pop culture. 

“When I watched movies I thought about America because some of the actors are from there,” she said. 

In addition, Annon has tried to find a little bit of Jamaican culture in America, but she hasn’t had much luck. 

“I looked for Jamaican restaurants here but I couldn’t find any. There are mangos, but they aren’t the same as Jamaican mangos,” she said. 

Furthermore, there are some things that she misses about Jamaica. 

“I miss the sun and the beach,” she said. “It’s very, very cold here.” 

Besides the weather, Annon left some other special things behind. 

“I miss my friends and family; I left a lot of them behind,” she said. “It was kinda hard.” 

She also expressed her surprise with America. 

“I wasn’t expecting to be in school this quick,” she said. “Also that my parents weren’t going to get their job early.” 

One of her main surprises was the snow.

“I wasn’t prepared for the snow. It was really cold. I was actually freaked out when I saw it,” she said. 

Despite the surprises she faced, Annon talked about similarities between Jamaica and America, especially in sports. 

“We have similar track and field events, like the Olympics,” she said. 

However, Annon has some more exploring of St. Louis to do.  She said she has not yet visited the Arch, or attended a Cardinals or Blues game.

“I like the parks,” she said.

Annon also has to face a change in learning. In Jamaica, Annon said that the high school she went to was called Petersfield High. She talked about the changes she has noticed in the two high schools. 

 “We learn things earlier in Jamaica. Our curriculum moves quicker,” she said. “I really love the school. It’s amazing.” 

She also is looking to get more active in the school culture at South. 

“I was planning on joining track, but I didn’t do it in time. I’m planning on asking my counselor to help me join,” she said. “At my last school there were a lot of sports but they picked random people to be on them. But I like to run so I want to join.” 

She also said her favorite classes this year have been Design Arts, ESOL and World History.

Lastly, Annon talked about her future with America.

“I plan to stay here permanently. Maybe I will visit Jamaica, but not now,” she said.