Back in Jamrock after 30 years - Woman excited to celebrate first holidays at home as an adult

After 30 years living in the US, Aiysha McCarthy decided to move back to Jamaica and nothing has her more excited than experiencing Christmas on the island again.

Standing in the yard of her grandmother's home in Moravia, Clarendon, McCarthy said that being back feels liking coming full circle.

"This is my grandma's home, this is actually where she was raised and was raising me for a while before my mom took me to the States," she said. Though the land has changed, the feeling remains.

"It's an awesome feeling," she said. Her favourite childhood memories are tied to a section further down the property, where the river once flowed freely.

"We would come here and we would walk down to the river, which it's not quite accessible now, you can't reach it. But that was like my favourite place ... we would make our way down and cook and play with my brothers," she said. With the assistance of her brother Dukes, she is currently renovating a home right next to her grandmother's dwelling, her own "little piece of home all to myself".

Her life abroad included singing with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, travelling the world, and running businesses in Texas -- but home kept calling.

"I sound crazy but I did it all to be near my grandma, who is 89, and she lives in a huge house by herself, and, though I can't help her, because, even if I could, she is strong on her own, it's great to know that I'm close by," she said. She returned on September 1 and said rediscovering Jamaica has been eye-opening.

"It's honestly been amazing since I've been here, I've just been exploring Jamaica. It's amazing, this is paradise," she said. This will be her first Christmas back home as an adult and she is determined to soak in every moment.

"As an adult, I don't even remember Christmases here when I was young, and I heard that there is something called Grand Market and me haffi go!" she said.

"Mi hear seh a excitement a Grand Market! I heard that it's lots of shopping, food, there's kind of like a party in the night. Don't know if I'm gonna stay for that but I hear it's like a lot of people walking the streets and sightseeing," added McCarthy.

Comparing Christmas in the US to Jamaica, McCarthy said the difference is like night and day.

"Christmas in the States is a bit more themed, there's the lights and there are the gifts and all of that, but it's very showy," she said. "Here, it's the feeling, it's the vibes, knowing that the year is coming to an end. This is my vibe." But relearning Jamaica after 30 years has had its challenges.

"It's not been easy, especially where I am here in Clarendon. It (the country slang) is deep, so sometimes I nod my head like, mm-hmm, and then I look to my friend and ask 'wah him just say?'" she said. She has also had to adjust to the food and slower pace.

"I spend way less on food and I'm eating more natural things here. I am looking forward to the sorrel! I cannot wait for the sorrel! Mi love fruit cake, so I'm also looking forward to that."

Even though many say the Christmas spirit isn't the same anymore, McCarthy disagrees.

"It does look like it's not as much alive but you have to look for it. You have to look for the vibes and the Christmas spirit because there are still people here who are about the season and I am one of them," she said.

"Hurricane Melissa has tried to steal our joy, she hit us hard but you can't keep Jamaicans down. We are going to rebuild, we are resilient and we are finding joy back in Christmas and I love that for us."