I left Grenada many years ago. But Grenada never left me. After 22 years away, I finally returned to the Spice Isle. And this trip was different from any vacation I’ve ever taken. I wasn’t simply visiting another country. I was going home. I was returning to the land that raised me. And this time, I got to bring my wife, Meg, with me.

There were so many things I wanted her to experience. The food. The beaches. The winding roads. The countryside. The fruit. My family. My people. But somewhere along the way, I realized I needed this trip just as much as I wanted it for her.

Here are some of the best things about going home to Grenada.

1. Reuniting with family after donkey years

When I saw my brother Luxor at the airport, I was undone. We talk. We text. We FaceTime. But I had not hugged my younger brother in more than 20 years.

That first embrace was long. We laughed. We cried. And somewhere underneath all those emotions was one question: Why did we wait so long?

Over the next several days, Lux drove us around the island. I watched him interact with his family, friends and community. I met his beautiful daughters, Alexis, Ava and Amara. And I found myself quietly watching my little brother and thinking, Man, I’m proud of you.

Life happens quickly while we’re busy living it. Sometimes you have to get on the plane. Make the phone call. Go home.

Some things shouldn’t have to wait donkey years.

2. Introducing my wife to my people

One of my biggest dreams was taking my ex-Amish wife to Grenada. I can tell Meg stories about Grenada all day long, but some things cannot be explained. Grenada must be experienced.

I wanted her to feel the Caribbean breeze. Drive our winding, hilly roads. See the lush green countryside. Walk through St. George’s. Visit Sauteurs, where I grew up. I wanted her to smell the spices, shop from roadside vendors, drink fresh coconut water and taste a Julie mango. But more than anything, I wanted her to meet my people.

And my family welcomed her with open arms.

“Meg, is that you?”

“I’ve heard so many good things about you.”

“Kelvin, move aside so I can hug Meg!” 😂

And then came the words that meant the most: “Welcome to the family. You are one of us now.”

That’s Grenada. That’s my people. No big ceremony needed. Just warmth, hospitality and plenty of love.

3. Seeing the places that made me who I am

My brother drove us through St. George’s, past the Carenage and through the Sendall Tunnel. We went through Grand Etang Forest, visited Grenville and eventually made our way north to Sauteurs in St. Patrick’s… My home.

Sauteurs, St. Patrick’s is the town where I grew up in Grenada. Yes, I’m a country boy.

It’s mainly a fishing town, but it’s also known for the famous “Carib’s Leap,” or “Leapers’ Hill.” According to the history, to avoid capture, the last remaining Indigenous people on the island leaped off the cliff to their deaths rather than surrender to the French army. Thus the town was later named Sauteurs, which is French for “jumpers.”

The town is also home to:

The Anglican Church and School
The Roman Catholic Church and School
McDonald’s College (my alma mater)
The old post office
The fish market
Sauteurs Bay
And so much more, places I had not seen in decades.

As I drove these streets of Sauteurs, so many memories came flooding back. This is where I grew up. These are my roots.

Grenada has changed man. There are new buildings, roads, businesses and two impressive stadiums. Big up Kirani James for putting our little island on the Olympic map! But then there were places that somehow felt exactly the same.

Being there brought back memories I didn’t even realize I was carrying. That’s the strange thing about home. You can leave it for decades just to realize it never left you.

4. Eating the FOOD!

Listen. Grenadian food deserves its own section. Rice and peas. Oil down. Callaloo. Plantains. Curry. Macaroni pie. Salt fish. Pumpkin soup. Jerk chicken. Fresh fish. Crawfish. Lobster. And crab!

On our way to St. George’s, we bought massive blue land crabs from a roadside vendor. They had been caught less than an hour earlier. That evening, my brother Luxor cooked them with spices, saffron, coconut water and a few secret ingredients. Man…The smell alone almost brought tears to my eyes. One bite and I was a kid again, eating crab and callaloo soup with dumplings, figs and breadfruit. Food can do that. It carries memories.

And don’t forget the drinks: Sorrel. Ginger beer. Cane juice. Ting. Fanta. Malta. Carib.

Yeah man. Grenada food nice!

5. Eating fruit the way I remember it

Julie mangoes.
Plums.
Sugar apples. (or some call them sweet sop)
Cherries.
Guavas.
Soursop.
Sugar cane.

Give me all of it. I grew up cutting sugar cane from the garden with a cutlass, peeling it with my teeth and chewing until that sweet juice ran down my lips. So yes, I did it again. And it was absolutely euphoric. Some childhood memories don't need to stay memories. Sometimes you get the gift of tasting them again.

6. Finally being a tourist in my own country

Growing up in Grenada, I wasn't a tourist. I had school. Chores. Church. And eventually, a real job after school. Life was life. I didn't spend my days checking off tourist attractions. So this time I decided to experience my island differently.

Meg and I rode Jet Cars around the Grand Anse bay area. Talk about FUN!

We spent a day on a yacht with the Caribbean Sea underneath us, the wind in our faces and music playing.

We explored Grenada's underwater world.

We hiked through the rainforest to Seven Sisters waterfalls, walking muddy trails surrounded by bamboo, birds and some of the lushest vegetation you'll ever see.

Man, I’m making up for lost time!

7. Slowing down

Then came the volcanic sulphur mud bath.

At first I thought: Why am I rubbing dirt all over myself? 😂

But there was something deeper about that experience. It forced me to stop. To be present. To chill. We spend so much of our lives rushing to the next meeting, responsibility, goal or destination that sometimes we forget we're actually living.

Grenada reminded me to slow down. Sit by the water. Drink the coconut water. Listen to the birds. Feel the breeze. Enjoy the person sitting beside you.

Be irie, man.

8. Getting some bush from my Auntie

You know you're home in Grenada when your auntie starts giving you bush for EVERYTHING. Seeing Auntie Ezra after 20 years was special. She has supported my brother and me throughout the years, and watching her welcome Meg was beautiful.

Then her auntieness kicked in.

Bush for your cold.
Bush for your gut.
Bush for inflammation.
Bush for your blood.
Bush to clean you out.

I’m telling you, Grenadian aunties have bush for EVERYTHING.

Some things never change.

Thank God.

9. Watching the next generation connect

One of my favorite little moments happened with my niece Amara. I read her The Magic of Emotions, a book written by our daughter Evika when she was only eight years old.

Amara enjoyed the book, but she kept returning to one particular page. Evika's bio. She pointed at the picture of her cousin and smiled. Another young Black girl. An author. Growing up in Grenada, I don't remember seeing many Black children who looked like us represented in the books we read. Seeing Amara recognize herself in Evika reminded me how powerful representation can be. And it made me think about our children. They're next. I want them to know this island too.

Their cousins.
Their family.
Their history.
Their Grenadian roots.

Because family, no matter how many miles separate us, is still family.

Going home changed me

I thought this trip would be about showing Grenada to my wife. Instead, Grenada started showing me things about myself. I understood a little more clearly why I love people the way I do.

Why community matters so much to me.
Why food should be shared.
Why strangers deserve warmth.
Why family matters.
Why slowing down matters.
Why I carry such pride for a tiny island in the Caribbean.

Grenada helped make me. Its mountains, beaches, churches, classrooms, fruit trees, winding roads, aunties, neighbors and family are woven into my story.

So yes, go to Grenada.

Visit Grand Anse.
Walk through St. George’s.
Drive through Grand Etang.
Hike to the waterfalls.
Eat some oil down.
Buy fruit from somebody on the side of the road.
Drink coconut water straight from the coconut.Talk to the people.
And please...eat a Julie mango for me.

But what made this trip unforgettable wasn't everything we did. It was everything I remembered.

I left Grenada years ago. But Grenada never left me.

And after 22 years away, I finally got to say: I home. 🇬🇩❤️ Grenada nice, man.

Grenada Nice: The Best Things About Going Home