Submitted by Jilliana Carille on the 2019 winter session program in Barbados sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and the Department of Hospitality Business Management…
While on a historic tour of Barbados, my classmates and I visited different parts of the nation, and the last stop before heading back to the hotel was Rihanna’s old home. When we turned down Rihanna Drive, I could not tell which house was hers compared to all of the others. However, as we got closer to the house, I noticed that it seemed freshly painted and had a blue driveway, which made it stand a part from the others. The two houses next door seemed redone as well. Although this is a disappointment to locals, as someone who is new to the island, I was still fascinated by the fact that Rihanna had lived there during her childhood.
Standing in front of the house and taking pictures in front of it, allowed me to take a step back and let the reality of the situation I was in to sink in. At that moment, I was standing in front of the house of someone who is now a celebrity. Rihanna came from such humble beginnings and it was fascinating to be able to visit her house to see how far she has come and how much she has grown as an individual. I had the chance to speak with some locals about her primary school, and they mentioned how she had to take the national exam at age 10/11 twice because she did not pass the first time. Hearing this, showed me how focused she was on music at such a young age – she had other talents besides academics. Overall, visiting Rihanna’s childhood home was an incredible experience that I feel I would only have the opportunity to have by being involved in this UD abroad program to Barbados.