WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT MYSELF IN PUERTO RICO

This past summer, my husband and I did a lot of traveling. First, we went to Disney with my brother and sister in- law and two nieces to see Mickey & Minnie ......yay!!!!

We came home only to leave a week later to drive to Maryland then to Virginia for the 2012 "Safeguard Your Heart" convention. By this time, I was enjoying being away but soooo tired of packing and unpacking, figuring out what to bring and what not to bring. But guess what, about a week after returning from Maryland, we were on a plane for Puerto Rico!! I get to dance salsa and speak Spanglish! Lol!

This trip was planed about a year in advance for a family reunion. I had been so excited to go to PR with my husband, for the first time, together. I had been with his family back in 1998 and he had gone in 1999, but never had we gone together.

We arrived in San Juan late Friday night I think it was 11:30 or so. The night was beautiful. There were palm trees everywhere. The city lights reflected off the buildings and glass windows. I could see the shadows of the palms flapping in the air and it was all so surreal. I had a feelings inside of excitement to be with my husband in his family's homeland. I was flattered to be in Puerto Rico, yet I was also nervous, hoping I would fit in and feel comfortable with all his family. 

 From the moment we arrived to the time that we came home, we were with family. We reunited with cousins and aunts, uncles, grandmothers, and everyone in between. The family welcomed me back with open arms as if I had been a part of it all along. It was a good feeling. My husband was also in his glory. I could see how he missed his family, how he missed his life in Puerto Rico. It meant a lot for me to see him so happy. It was like he just fell right back into his roots even though he hadn't lived there since he was six years old. An emotional return for him.

This was not a luxury vacation, nor did I expect Ito be. Instead, it was simply about being with family.  We didn't stay in a hotel in the tourist area. We stayed In a no frills, apartment close to the family.

 For me, it was a life that I have never been used to or known. For Jayson, it was how life was and as if he never knew any different. 

 Traveling to PR was a lot different than most of our vacations. We usually relax most of the time and pretty much go with the flow of what we feel like at that particular moment. I love being alone with my husband and spending the time getting to know each other. We talk or don't talk but either way, we're ok with it. I enjoy being with my own thoughts. I like alone time or quiet time when I could relax and take in my scenery.

The memorable times for me, I'd have to say we're, the beach days, the rainforest, Old San Juan, the actual family reunion and of course the full on meals of rice and beans, hearty chicken soup, and pork at 2 am! Yes, there was no timeframe to when and how much was cooked! After a long day, we'd go back to the house and have a huge meal! For me, it's something to talk about because my mother is definitely not cooking at 2am! Not only were they cooking but the music was loud and the family was louder! I wondered if the neighbors would ever call the police on us, but I guess they were all used to that. I love the food, the music, the language and the  simplicity of things.

One of the days we went to a gorgeous beach on an island called Culebra. You could see through the water as if it were glass. There were small, clear,  white fish that would swim by us in schools. They looked like they had a grayish outline around them and that was the only way you could see them. Palm trees was the view beyond the water and it was absolutely breath taking. This was a scenery I NEEDED to take in. The time we spent on this beach was probably the highlight for me. It was no place I had ever been or could compare it too. The sand was soft and white and the sun was perfect. I wish I were there right now. I could imagine giving or receiving a massage, right there on th beach.

While I was happy for Jayson about being with his family, I must admit, I felt overwhelmed at times. It was a culture shock. I speak limited Spanish. Sometimes I understood what was going on, other times I was completely lost and the tones of all the voices became background noises for me.  It was all just so different for me on a large scale. My environment, the language barrier, where we stayed and even getting used to being with my family of another culture. 

 Before arriving, I was thinking I'd be okay because, I too, have a big family. My family is loud and loves to listen to loud music and dance and yea, they're pretty crazy too!  I had also been to PR  before so I thought I had more of an idea of what to expect. What I didn't think about was how I would actually feel being in the middle of it all. There were times when I just wanted to be by myself for a while. I wanted to enjoy the island from the beach, or sit on the porch and relax with my own thoughts. I found myself zoning out from the world around me and then feeling self conscious about it when I realized it. I didn't want to appear rude, bored or unhappy, because I was not. In fact, this trip helped me reflect on my own family. How much I love and chersh them. How much I appreciate them and maybe don't show it or say it enough.

Now, I realized that I may not really know a lot about my husband's Puerto Rican culture.  But what I do know is that his family is very close. They love each others company. All they need is a kitchen to cook, a radio to play festive music, maybe a few beers or bottles of vodka, and each other. 

There doesn't need to be any special  occasion to have a fiesta. There doesn't need to be fancy or expensive anything. 

All you need is your family. 

Thanks for reading!

Lorin Janae~~

BodyWise Therapeutic Massage

Like my Facebook page