With that being said, I could definitely think of many worse places to be on a business trip right. I flew out on Thursday morning, taking a cab to the airport at 4:30 am in 7 degree weather, to Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Jamie and I went on our honeymoon to Jamaica five and a half years ago - and at the time, I didn't particularly care for what I saw of Jamaica (except for the incredible Ritz Carlton property we stayed at).
But this time, I really like Jamaica. The topography is beautiful. Lots of lush, green hills. Beautiful beaches. Colorful plantation houses. That being said, Ocho Rios isn't a place I'd like to vacation to. It's not a place you feel safe walking around in after 8 pm. That's for sure. I think that's why all of the hotels there are all-inclusive resorts - hotels where you don't have to leave the property are most popular here. But the people with whom I've been meeting and working with couldn't be happier and more friendly. They're so hospitable and so welcoming. I mean, I get offered a 'good time' or a chance to 'get irie' every time I walk down the street!
The good news is that my purpose in being here worked out great. As some may know, I've been given a new position within our company to head up a new brand, a new business. The name of the new brand is Cariloha (www.cariloha.com), and we're opening three stores in 10 days. The first was in St. Thomas (January 23rd). The second was Ocho Rios (January 28th). And the third is Cozumel (February 1st). So, I got to Ocho Rios just in time to build out a new store within two days. Needless to say - it was a lot of work. We worked two consecutive 18 hour days, and we put together the most beautiful store in the entire shopping area. Our store opening made quite a buzz our first day. Here is a picture of our store and staff:
Well, now I am in Cozumel - the Pearl of the Caribbean, as its called. And I couldn't agree more with that name. Cozumel has a special place in my heart. And in contrast to most islands, you always feel safe walking around here at night. It's 'todo tranquilo'. The food is fantastic. The shopping is great. The diving is even better. It's just a cool, cool place. And it's growing so much - for the good and bad. Bad, because it takes away a little of its charm. Good because there are so many more options for restaurants and the area just looks nicer.
But not all is 'todo bien' here in Mexico. We've come across some complications. Check this story out: Our designer, a young lady named Sabrina, flew down here by herself to get started on overseeing the build-out of the store. Well, she was in the store, and some store manager from another store who felt threatened by our presence, apparently called immigration, reporting that Cariloha has 'illegal americans' working in the store. So, Sabrina's in the store on her first day. Keep in mind she speaks no Spanish. And immigration comes in and asks for her working papers. She doesn't have them, so they apprehend her and take her to the courthouse. Fortunately, she's not having to stay the night in a mexican jail. She was just given a subpoena and ordered to not leave Mexico and to not enter the store, and she has to appear in court at the end of the week. Crazy!
So, fortunately we're working with a great attorney who does all of the work permits for the church when they construct churches and temples internationally. I think it will work out fine, and Sabrina has been a good sport. She's just working from the hotel room. The poor girl has barely left her room - even though she's in paradise here.
We did all go to Carival last night. They actually began doing "Carnival" here several years ago when some brazilians came and taught them how to put together a traditional Carnival. I saw it six years ago when I was living down here, and it was neat then. But now its huge. They had a parade with, I'd guess, over 100 floats, and most of the spectators and participants were wearing costumes. There was loud music - salsa, merengue, techno - and everybody was dancing. There were taco stands, juice stands, esquites (corn with mayonaise and chile and really good) stands set up on every block. It was awesome! If anybody is ever planning on traveling to Cozumel, I highly recommend planning your trip during Carnival, as it's just a ton of fun.
Well, this morning, since we're under the 'federale' microscope until Sabrina's court date and we can't work in the store, we went scuba diving. Cozumel has some of the best diving in the world. They've got the second largest reef in the world along its coast with a constant drift. It has great visibility and pretty good marine life. I went with a group that didn't have as much experience, so I was the most experienced. But you wouldn't think so. After our first dive (we dove the Santa Rosa wall, which I highly recommend. It has caves, tunnels, and goes down about 100 feet), I came up with a huge head ache and was throwing up. Somebody pointed out that my eye sockets were really red - and it turns out that I had several popped blood vessels. Apparently, the pressure from my mask was too high, and it caused major pressure in my head, and caused me to get sick.
But I'm alright. The good news is that I may be able to come home a day earlier than planned. Despite not being able to work directly in the store, we're meeting off-site and making great progress. We likely going to be open on Saturday, which is exciting.
I'm really excited about this new business and this new career opportunity. The next few months will tell us a lot about where we are and where we need to go.
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