Puerto Rico: First Impressions

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IMG_7799Puerto Rico is treating us well! We have been embracing the local lifestyle at our Airbnb (recommended). Side note: Airbnb gives you an opportunity to stay with a local host in your desired country and rent anything from a sofa to a private room, or an entire house. The options are endless; it really just depends on your budget. Our host, Jossie, happens to be the best in Puerto Rico (I may be a little bias since we are quickly becoming BFF). Jossie, along with her husband, are a beautiful couple and after nearly one week with them, we feel like we’ve known them for years. It’s nice when you feel so comfortable in someone else’s home.

Now, before I go on about our adventures this past week, I should clarify something…Puerto Rico is part of the United States! Big surprise, I know. We have run into many tourists who feel a sense of entitlement when they are visiting and also, speak to people as if they are in a foreign country. In fact, it’s common for visitors to ask where the nearest currency exchange office is located. Do your research before you go on vacation please! Although to be fair, it can be a bit confusing due to the political, economic and IMG_4798Blogsocial compromise. In fact, Puerto Rico is not considered a State, but rather a commonwealth. This simply means that PR has local independence and can display their local flag publicly. Nevertheless, Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. (I apologize for the lecture).

On the day of our arrival, we were so excited to feel the warm 85-degree Caribbean weather. After Jossie picked us up from the airport and we settled in at her house in the San Juan area, the heat became progressively worse. It really wasn’t bad, but we San Diegans tend to be a bit sensitive J. Luckily there was a Wal-Mart with Air Conditioning nearby, so we picked up some snacks and water before resting up to tour the city.

In the past few days, we have explored quite a bit and met some wonderful people along the way. We didn’t have a rental car at the time, so we spent the first couple days walking everywhere! We saw many familiar spots (Starbucks of course) and enjoyed new sites such as, the theater of Bellas Artes and the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico. We took breaks along the gorgeous beaches of Condado and Isla Verde during our walks and enjoyed the view. God’s creation is so beautiful! I can’t help but feel a sense of peace and gratitude every time I am near the ocean.

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The National Historic Site of El Morro

Public transportation, or the “guagua” as locals call it, has not been an issue for us. We have been to the old San Juan area a
couple times now and have enjoyed sightseeing and trying great food. For those of you that don’t know, we are quite passionate about food and this blog will certainly illustrate that J. Old San Juan reminds us a bit of Verona and Venice in Italy. The vibrant colorful shops and the cobblestone roads give this area such character. Some of our highlights in this area: The National Historic Site of El Morro (breathtaking), La Catedral de San Juan el Bautista, Café Puerto Rico, and Pirilo.

Finally, I am not one to dwell on the negative. However, I realize this is all part of the experience and so, I must mention it for documentation sake. Three things have caused me to feel conflicted. The first, and most challenging for me, being away from the family. Yes, I have been on vacations that have lasted much longer than this, but it’s not the same. There is no return ticket waiting to be printed in my inbox. It’s a little different and requires adjusting. The second, mosquitos! Why is it that mosquitos follow me everywhere I go? Enoc is bitten and nothing happens. I am bitten and they swell up like cherries and are hot to the touch. Let it be known that I am facing one of my fears with this particular one. We are told that any repellent with deet does the trick, so I am testing the theory. Lastly, no toilet seat covers over here. Enough said.

Scroll down to see all the delicious local food we’ve tried. Also, don’t forget to visit the gallery where you can view photos and videos.

IMG_4774Mofongo: A fried plantain-based signature dish from Puerto Rico. The mofongo can be filled with your choice of meat or seafood. The one in the photo above is a chicken mofongo from our new favorite spot Cafe Puerto Rico in Old San Juan. This is a must try when you are in town.

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Fried Squash filled Ravioli topped with goat cheese and pesto from a local rustic pizzeria that was highly recommended in Old San Juan named Pirilo.

IMG_5376Pirilo Pizza Rustica in Old San Juan. On Yelp and Tripadvisor, this place has 4.5 starts and we certainly approve. The photo above shows a half greek and half Margherita pizza. Tip: the small is enough for two with four large slices.

IMG_4808We were honored to try a home cooked dinner and signature Dominican Republic dish by Juan’s (Jossie’s husband) mother.

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Sancocho (also known as a “cocido” to many of us): A hearty meat and vegetable stew.

This dish was delicious!

“Just Go”

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Photo taken upon arrival in PR

The expectation was simple. You grow up, get a job, get married, buy a house and have kids. In our culture, as it relates to many others, this is considered the “perfect” life. To many, this may very well be and that is respected. According to the majority, my husband and I were on the “right” track given the purchase of our first house and the time invested in our professional careers. You can imagine the surprise when we first made the announcement about selling our house, leaving our jobs and traveling the world. Who are we kidding? It sounds ridiculous. Incredibly awesome, but ridiculous nevertheless.

Now, we would be lying if we said this decision happened overnight and we were planning delightfully until the date we took off. Quite the opposite, in fact. It was much harder than we ever anticipated it would be. Some days, we questioned the whole idea and prayed we would wake up without such a desire. I remember crying myself to sleep thinking I was crazy for wanting to do something like this. We loved our house, our jobs and the wonderful people we worked with. Saying goodbye to family and close friends was nearly intolerable. In the end, my husband said it best. “We believe God honors the desires of our hearts, so we have to trust that he gave us this desire in the first place.” Through it all, we saw this as an opportunity of a lifetime and we decided to do whatever necessary to make it happen.

For me, the desire to do something like this started a few years ago during my graduate program. I still remember the first time a professor, whom I highly respect, told me it was critical to see the world in order to gain wisdom. I thought the idea seemed unreachable and completely unrealistic. I began to mention the barriers as to why this would not work. My job, my fiancé’s job (at the time), my education, my family and the list went on and on. In an arrogant and rather poised tone, he said, “Just go. Stop making excuses. All of that will still be there when you return.” The idea still seemed illogical but yet appealing. After all, he had done something like this at one point and was now a worldwide respected professor who taught me more than any other teacher ever did. So, I began to contemplate it.

Are you familiar with a yearning desire to do something so bad, that you wish it would go away because it takes more energy from your mind and soul to continuously dwell on it? I certainly am. Through it all, I believe God put that professor in my life to plant a seed. A seed that has been growing and molding me for the past few years. The fact that my husband shares the same desires and wants to pursue the same dreams is not a coincidence. It’s perfect (there goes that perfect word again). God’s timing is perfect and I know he has something special planned during our travels. I don’t know if it will be for me, for my husband, for us, or for someone else, but I am looking forward to it and plan on enjoying it and living this journey to the fullest.

Despite the status quo, the truth is, you don’t have to be perfect. You simply have to be brave enough to live a whole-hearted life and fulfill your dreams. Being perfect means finding beauty in every color of life. Hence, our blog name. I hope you are inspired through our journey and follow us along the way.