When life starts to get you down, you gotta fight back.
You can’t let it crush you; you have to crush it.
Whatever it takes.
When we change our literal position in life, changing the angle from which we look at it, we open ourselves up to some figurative change—and things can shift pretty dramatically.
It’s rare that a change of scenery fails to spark a change in perspective.
Given that, and given the el mundo loco that we’re living in, we decided to shake it up and shake all the sh-t off…and thus I am coming to you this morning from our hotel room in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
We arrived Saturday afternoon and will be here livin’ la vida loca until Thursday.
(Quick travel rant: the number of pets people travel with is absurd…and since when is it customary to let one’s cats (yes, very plural) roam freely around the terminal??? It was the nightmare of trip before the dream of the destination, I suppose. All good things in time. Achoo.)
Anyhow, we were (way) overdue for a vacation, wanted something warm…preferred a place neither of us had been before, and gave the location bonus points if we weren’t replicating a vacation someone else had already taken (there are pros and cons to that but charting our own path was important to us both for some reason). In the end, given when Kerri could take time away from work, plus price and availability, San Juan emerged as the leading choice—and it has not disappointed. In fact, it is far exceeding expectations. The hospitality is off the charts, the diversity is a breath of fresh air (people of all ages, colors, shapes, and sizes, from all over, all happy to be here, all doing their own thing)…the vibes are a perfect mix of chill, good energy, and fun.
We decided staying in San Juan would be best…keep it local, no rental car needed, get the right balance of activity (sightseeing stuff) and rejuvenation (reading poolside), get a feel for the locale but without over scheduling ourselves and introducing needless stress into things.
So far, that’s been the perfect call.
We’re right on the water (sigh…the medicinal properties) (sigh…the sound of the waves) (sigh…the colors) (…sigh…), there’s plenty to do and see close by, and every Uber is no more than 3 minutes away.
As soon as we left the house we could feel the transformation. A weight was lifted. Things felt lighter. Vacation mode was on, and working.
It’s continued like that since. New things to see, think, and feel. Adjusting and recalibrating. All our worries left behind.
Perfection, really.
One change for me came almost immediately on arrival—the bartender at the poolside bar recommended the local beer, Medalla Light (“like Coors Light, but with body” he said). I took the suggestion to be polite (I’m a Mich Ultra gal so the Coors Lght comparison did not appeal to me), but it was really good. It does have a lot of body but tasted nothing like I remember Coors Light. Anyhow, that’s been my go-to since.
Another similar shift came at dinner Sunday, when I traded in my standard bourbon old fashioned for a local one featuring rum (and sweet plantain syrup).
Holy crap, what an exquisite cocktail. Heavy glass, drink perfectly blended, the sweet smell of orange coming off the peel which shared a perch atop the giant cube of ice with a Luxardo cherry…heaven in a glass.
Needless to say I’ve totally been on a rum roll and fully expect to be stopping at the duty-free store before coming home.
Another vice? Time will tell. 🤷🏼♀️🤣🤦🏼♀️
The food has been great too. It’s been really fun trying the local favorites enthusiastically recommended by the server, and if it involves a plantain you really can’t go wrong.
Yesterday we went into Old San Juan and explored the old forts. It was exceptionally interesting to learn about the important history that Puerto Rico played in the expansion of the world, not to mention the growing pains the island and the fortifications felt in the form of war after war.
¡Muy interesante!
These buildings are massive, impressive engineering marvels. Just breathtaking. And the views…
On top of being so busy with and immersed in all this stuff we’re doing, not watching TV and limiting our screen time means not having to actively engage in any of the political drama at home. And that’s a breath of fresh air and a welcome reprieve.
In any case, the Jimmy Buffett classic has proven true once again: “changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes, nothing remains quite the same…” and being here living and laughing with Kerri is just what I needed. The heavy version of life can just wait until I get back, and I’ll be ready to attack it differently. (And speaking of that song I am still taking playlist submissions so hit me up with yours if you haven’t yet.)
Anyhow, there’s fun to be had and sun to sit under, so I must run. (Apologies for any typos…the older I get the smaller my phone screen gets. Go figure.)
Thanks for sharing this space and a little slice of my vacation with me. I appreciate your attention, support, and company, always.
Don’t believe everything you hear about PR. It gets a bad rap.
In fact, me encanta esta isla flotante de basura.
I love this “floating island of garbage”.
Yo también te amo.
Love you too.
Might as well leave you with this catchy one. Ricky Martin is Puerto Rican after all.
Sounds like a wonderful experience and perspective adjuster. We also need to look for a different latitude! Good to know PR gets a bad wrap, never been but always try to talk the wife into it but she listens to the noise about the bad wrap. I may have to show her this is change her perspective 😁
Enjoy that sun, fun, and drinks! 🍹
Great perspective! You’re making me think it’s time for a change of latitude too!