Borinquen

This is my favorite photo of the whole trip. The Goddess and her brother at the beach that they frequented as children.

Wow.

Just wow.

I recently had one the great experiences of my life. Sorry that I haven’t posted in a while. I have a legitimate excuse. I just spent nearly two weeks in the land of my wife’s ancestors; Puerto Rico. What a beautiful piece of Earth! I can see why Puerto Ricans love their island so much.
The greatest thing I took with me from Puerto Rico was a sense of the "largeness" of our Earth. ‘Tis a good thing to realize our own little boundaries and preconceptions.

The Goddess & yours truly enjoying the sun and sand

These folks were so hospitable. They put all six of us up in their home. They fed us. They drove us anywhere that our hearts desired. They laughed with and at us. They talked of serious and light hearted matters. I learned about a culture and history that is not my own, but I feel a great obligation to understand. I feel like I know my wife better now. I learned so much about what being a family is all about. The idea of taking care of each other and taking time for one another is not lost on them. If you are reading this mi familia, know that I am grateful from my little toe to the tip of my tallest hair for your unmatched hospitality.


The beach. What can I say? Is there a bad beach? Not on Puerto Rico. The weather was perfect. The wildlife was new and exciting. We rode the coast on a Sunday afternoon. Bikers were out in swarms (there are few, if any, Harley snobs there). Live music was playing. Dominicans were frying the finest foods on the sides of the highways. There were political rallies that make ours look like sacrament meeting. Smiling faces and beggars at stop lights. Little Iguanas and big Iguanas. Lizards, lizards, and more lizards. The food was so good, my tongue wanted to slap my face off. Warm rain. Fresh lemonade every stinkin’ mornin’. Happy children and tired eyes. Rich, Old World Spanish culture. Swimming every single day. Folk music (gosh, I love street musicians). Colorful homes. Laid back people who I believe have the capacity to enjoy life better than we do. Ten percent higher cost of living. Horribly dubbed eighties action movies. Hospitality, hospitality, hospitality!!!!


I could write pages and pages. But, it has taken a week and a half to work up this trite post that does little justice to the experience. It was a once in a lifetime event, which cannot be topped. I am so glad that we were able to take all of the kids and the Goddess’ parents and brother’s family. Having them there enriched the experience all the more.


At any rate, go there! It is beautiful beyond description.

This was kind of a rite passage into my newly acquired status of Honorary Puerto Rican. This is as close to Puerto Rican as I'll come because I don't drink or dance! But I did make babies with one......top that!