Woah! What a while ride! Greetings roadies!

Three years old. Now that some time has passed since the anniversary in July, it’s really crazy to put this into perspective and think about it. It has been T-H-R-E-E YEARS of downdiroad.com.

DownDiRoad JA and downdiroad.com have been a labour of love but worth every minute. What started out simply as my personal blog has grown into a community for Jamaicans local and abroad. This simple blog has transformed into a brand; synonymous with Jamaican experiences and culture, and it’s amazing to think of the many other brands and companies I have collaborated over the years. 

What I can say is that I’m a firm believer in pursuing your passions. I’ve studied and worked in the hospitality industry for over 10 years, so running a travel and culture blog has been second nature to me. Travelling across the island on hundreds of adventures, attending events and live shows, going to restaurants; sometimes it’s a lot, but the good thing about this personal project is that it has not felt like a job (not just yet at least). 

Instant gratification has never been my prerogative so make no doubt about it; the DownDiRoad JA brand will continue to grow. I want to personally thank the rest of my DDR crew; Denmar, Yesh, Tenny, Rik & Channae – without you all I could not do this. There have been many ups and downs along this journey, but at the end of the day is one road, and that’s #DownDiRoad.

Blessings to everyone who been here wid us journeying down di road! THREE YEARS AND MANY MORE TO GO!

– Duane

To celebrate our third anniversary I hosted a DownDiRoad cookout. Check out the highlights below.