CHRISTMAS / MEMOIR

My Belated Honeymoon and the Christmas Eve Blizzard of ‘82

Who knew that our first real vacation would be such an adventure?

A sign that refers to a speed bump in Great Britain. Though independent from Britain since 1962, Jamaica continues in the Commonwealth with the British monarch as King. I hear that some signs like this have been replaced. Photo by the author.

I married young, while still in college. I was just barely 21, and he was still 20. I don’t think either set of parents was particularly thrilled about it.

We had no money, so generally in our first few years, Thanksgiving and Christmas were spent with friends where we lived in Colorado. Both sets of parents were 2,000 miles away in New Jersey.

Our first real vacation was nine years after we got married, at Christmas time in 1982, when we were 30. We’d never taken a honeymoon so it was time. Plus, Ken’s birthday was just a few days before Christmas.

I’d won a sales contest at the radio station where I worked, which included two round-trip tickets wherever Continental Airlines flew in the continental U.S. We decided to go to Jamaica. That meant flying to Miami on Continental, then taking a smaller carrier over the water to Jamaica.

My mother was a travel agent then, and recommended that we go to a Couples Resort, Tower Isle, near Ocho Rios. I could never afford this place now! Wow, the prices have gone up!