That’s it, I travelled to Martinique by myself, my first long haul flight without my other half or my daughters since finishing my breast cancer treatments. At first it was nerve wrecking and absolutely scary, just the thought of travelling so far without anyone to accompany me. And all I managed to pack were a few swimsuits, flip flops and scarves, a dress or two, plenty of sunhats and sun screams and all my medicines and food supplements. What an interesting suitcase that was… Once I landed in Martinique I realised that it was the best decision that I ever took, I was going to spend the next four months in my family’s quarter, a fisherman village situated in the south of the island, on the Caribbean Sea. Surrounded by my Mother and Sister, relatives, old and young, fed with freshly picked vegetables and with the daily morning walks on the beach, I slowly started to feel stronger and to believe in my recovery. Although the humid heat made me feel uncomfortable each time my menopausal hot flushes were playing up, the constant bright sun and blue sky really played a big and positive part in my well-being. My skin felt suppler, my hair stronger and fuller, and my anxieties started to disappear. I started to read again, to sleep better if not longer despite the mosquitoes and I even accepted dinners and parties invitations.
I was staying in my parents village, my home from home I call it because when I am there, I am not just somebody, I am Diana, daughter of these charismatic and unique parents that my Mother and Father are. Just by looking at my features, people in my village (most of them are my relatives), see my parents, great and grand parents. My face, my walk, my laugh, everything in me says that I belong to this jewel of a village. A village surrounded by three mountains and the Caribbean Sea, a village where both my parents learnt to become the strong people they were as husband and wife, as parents and later as grandparents or as mentors to many young people in the village. When I’m there I feel supported, elevated and simply accepted for who I am. Isn’t it wonderful? My happiness whilst there is multiplied by a million times, it shows in my smile, in my calmness, in my nonchalant walk, like a beautiful Caribbean woman that I am.
I only took one suitcase with me, filled with medicines and vitamins, lots of swimsuits, sunhats, pareos and plenty of handbags, I know…As for shoes, who needs them when you spend your time on the beach which is situated 1 minute away from your home? I know…
The beach where I went everyday, the beach where many of my relatives get together for a swim, a walk, a gossip, the beach with its black and soft sand, the beach where turtles come to lay their eggs at night, the beach where I had my first kiss when I was 10, I know…
