Living in Puerto Rico

It's been GREAT!

Moving to the island three years ago was probably the scariest thing ever. Being so far away from my family and living in a place that I’d never even visited was a different experience to say the least. I didn’t know what to expect, and I didn’t know if I’d even like living on an island. The culture differences, the lifestyle, limited access to family is a big step for most. However, I was confident and excited because I was getting the chance to travel the world with my best friend, my husband. This was huge for both of us, and we were ready for all the new things headed our way.

Island life is a very different experience, and you can make the best of it or you can live with a closed mindset and be completely miserable. Island life sounds great, it is great but like every place in the world, there are pros and cons. Here are a few I experiences in the beautiful, yet unpredictable Puerto Rico.

PROS:

I have met probably some of the BEST people I’ve ever met here in Puerto Rico. Island life is so chill, so most of the people I’ve met are super chill and laid back. Always having a good time, and making the best of any situation.

The food is crazyyy good! If you’ve had Puerto Rican food, you know. One of my favorite places to eat here is Barrachina’s in Old San Juan. They have the best Pina Coladas, and they are one of my favorite places to have lunch because the food is authentic and the prices aren’t too bad!

The weather! AHH THE WEATHER! Literally yearlong summer and beaches. Could you ask for anything more? Even though it gets pretty hot (high 90s), the beaches do a great job of cooling you off. The lowest temperatures are probably low 70s. But, I’m a southern girl, so I can definitely handle some heat. There’s nothing like Alabama humidity though. HA!

There are endless things to do in Puerto Rico, they are always having a good time! Aside from the beaches and amazing restaurants, there’s so much more. Here in Puerto Rico, there’s tons of clubs for the nightlife people, there’s horseback riding, kayaking, snorkeling, party boats, El Yunque Rainforest, Old San Juan, Castillo San Cristobal, and the Bacardi Factory. However, my favorite thing to do is go to the local beaches and eat all the amazing fruits, and authentic Puerto Rican and Dominican foods at the kiosks along the beach.

CONS:

So, of course the obvious con would be being so far away from my family. However, with the use of technology and racking up flight points I was able to fly home whenever I wanted (mostly holidays and summer breaks).

The language barrier was hard to deal with in the beginning, but I learned the language quickly with the help of my friends, and amazing students.

The natural disasters in Puerto Rico have been at an all-time high since living here, After only 7 months on the island I experience my first ever Hurricane. Hurricane Irma and Maria was a devastating experience for the island and nearly damaged it entirely. There was no power, water and limited to no food on the island. The recovery process took months, and almost years for some parts, but things have gotten a lot better. I was blessed to be evacuated from the island a couple of weeks after the hurricanes hit in September. I returned after Christmas, in January and things were slowly, but surely going back to normal.

The traffic is INSANE, to say the least. Just picture this, the island of Puerto Rico has a population of about 3.2 million people (2018), and probably a lot more now. The distance of this island is about 110 miles across and 35 miles wide. Very small for that amount of people. Now if you need more of a visual, I’m from Huntsville, AL and 100 miles from there is Birmingham, AL.. and the population of both of those cities COMBINED is about 400,000. That means there are 8 times the amount of people here than both of those cities combined! ...Yea, I took Alabama traffic for granted.

People drive like there aren’t road rules. And there are CRATER HOLES, that’s what my husband and I call Potholes here in PR) because they are HUGE! I’m talking at least 3 feet deep and wide most of the time! And sometimes, they appear out of nowhere and they will definitely catch you off guard. One of the policemen here told me once, “If you can drive in Puerto Rico, you can drive anywhere.” I believe him!! And if you’re wondering, yes, I’m a Pro! HAHA.

My Take Away

- Even though these things took some time to get used to, it taught me a ton of Patience. Living here taught me independence. I’ve always been a homebody, and a mama’s girl (I still am), but being out of my comfort zone has made me into a woman I truly admire.

- Another thing I took from this experience is a second language. I can understand and speak about 85% of Spanish. Spanish is such a beautiful language, and though it wasn’t easy, I was determined to learn.

- I was able to teach at an amazing high school, and Coach the Cheerleading team for 2 years They literally made my experience on the island 10x better, definitely some of the BEST teenagers I’ve ever met! I am blessed and so grateful for the opportunity, I’ll never forget it.

This experience is definitely one for the books, and I’m so excited about my next journey, THIS SUMMER.