Blogs by Stumpe: ¡No llores por mí, Puerto Rico!

¡No llores por mí, Puerto Rico! Don't cry for me Puerto Rico!

My time here has come to an end. It is sad, and yet, it is time. Puerto Rico has offered me more than I ever imagined. I managed to find adventure and joy in so many aspects of life here from Puerto Rican cuisine to Puerto Rican transportation. And although mofongo is not my favorite dish I am still intrigued by the staple plantains (essentially a large banana) has become here and in so many forms! To swim with sharks and turtles and sting rays freely was a breathtaking experience. I even managed to snap a picture of one of the turtles! The visually stimulating architecture of Old San Juan took me back in time and yet I was quickly brought back to reality with a hug from a stinky homeless man that became an imbedded part of my memory of Old San Juan. I will leave here with stories to pass on to grandchildren should they ever come. For instance, the time I managed to find myself in a crack house in a ghetto in Fajardo with a crackwhore prostitute and ended up hitch hiking home after several hours of wandering around a scary neighborhood where they rarely saw gringos with little to no Spanish. (And mom if you happen to read this no I did not do drugs and no to anything else you might wonder about this peculiar situation). As Puerto Rico strived and continues to strive to find its identity between its Spanish and Caribbean roots and its United States ownership I managed to find a piece of mine. Along the way I learned a lot about myself, like I need a lot more surfing lessons, for example, and I can effectively manage and run a store and produce positive results. Above all, my love and need to travel has grown. Not to mention I finally decided on a major while I was here: Parks, Recreation, and Tourism with an emphasis in Adventure and Outdoor Programming. Although I am sad to leave the sun, the beaches, and the ocean I look forward to summer in Utah and finishing school (sometime before I'm 30...I hope!).

Before I actually do make it home to the Beehive State I have a couple of stops to make. First stop: Cancun, Mexico. This time, however, it is not for the sandy beaches. I am drawn to the ancient Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza and Tulum. I am sure, nonetheless, that I will spend at least a little time on the beach. And thanks to a friend of my friend and co-manager here in Puerto Rico Devin we have a couch to sleep on (or at least a piece of the floor)! The anticipation for Cancun is driving me mad! Adventure awaits…

True to my nature, after Mexico I am still not ready to return to my home state. For some reason several of my friends, and a brother, have migrated to the Phoenix area of Arizona with their families. It would only be right for me to stop there on my way home. It is on the way, and it would be a shame to just fly over it. Furthermore, if I am to remain my niece’s favorite uncle I need to bring her gifts from Puerto Rico!

So to my friends in Puerto Rico: Thank you for the wonderful fun, joy, smiles, and memories you created for me while I was with you (that last phrase is credited to Del Sol, please don’t sue me!). Thank you for sharing your culture with me and trying to teach me Spanish (I’m sorry I was a bad student!). I will miss all of you! And to my future friends in Mexico: Thank you for giving me this opportunity to visit and giving me somewhere to hang my hat for a couple of nights. Financially it probably would not be possible without you. So thank you. To my friends and family in Arizona: I look forward to seeing all of you soon. I wish I could stay longer but responsibilities lay waiting. And don’t worry Jaylee I will come bearing gifts! Finally to my friends and family back at home: I thought about many of you often. Your friendships and love is something I missed. It really becomes a part of a person and one longs for it as I did. Eight months turned out to be five and I couldn’t be happier. To my recollection I have never had a dull summer in Utah. Anyone that wants to go hiking, camping, fishing, biking, backpacking, swimming, canoeing, cliff diving, or just want to have fun DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL. I will do my best to find a job that allows me enough freedom to go play with you. It is not too typical for me to get bogged down with work so I will drop anything I can to take that roadtrip, throw that evening BBQ, or take that midnight swim, you name it. I am going to have an awesome summer, so please join me! I will be waiting for your call!