One of my first international trips as an adult was traveling around the Caribbean. I_____ my hotel in Jamaica and asked for a recommendation for a local place to eat. The receptionist told me that under no circumstances should I go into the town because it was unsanitary and posed a significant risk to safety.        

I _____ my opinions: Did I really want to spend all my time on the beach without getting to local? I was a very _____ traveler and very young, but there was only one answer to my question: Absolutely not. So out I went.

The poverty hit me in the face. After only seeing fancy resorts, the reality was _____ to swallow. A few locals _____ me and were super curious as to what I was doing there alone, since most tourists did not go there! I told them I was   interested in meeting them and experiencing their _____ . And just like that, I was _____ . After meeting more natives, _____ home-made food, and dancing the night away, I realized how they wanted to make me feel welcome and they undeniably did. With having so little, they still shared it with me in a gesture of _____.

I could not resist thinking about how tourist income ______ sharply for big companies every year, while the local people have to be thankful if they manage to get a job that pays minimum wage. From then on, I always looked for locally owned hotels, restaurants, and shops. Sustainable development, with everything it involves, has become a motto for me and changed the very way I travel.