Melissa MendezPuerto Rico: Summer 2016
Miexperiencia Boricua
Over the summer, I had the amazing opportunity of a lifetime to attend Sagrado Corazon and take classes. My first day in one word could be described as a shock. As soon as I got out of the airport, my thought was “why is it so humid here?” From there, I went to my dorm, got ready for bed, and cried the whole night; I felt alone, scared, and sad without my family and friends by my side. Thankfully, the next day I met other students involved in the program and we became a fun and supportive group. Puerto Rico in one word was amazing; I still have dreams of all the memories I made there with new friends and the places that made me smile.
I had never been to a beach before coming to Puerto Rico; once I stepped foot and had my toes in the sand, I didn’t want to leave. My first initial thought of Puerto Rico was “it can’t be different from the U.S. since it has U.S. influence, I know laugh at myself for thinking this idea. From my glance through the airplane window, I could see the tropical beauty and the lovely blue sea which enticed to get off the plane and see the beauty and culture Puerto Rico has to offer. Besides the gorgeous beaches, P.R. has so much history and landmarks that are worth exploring. One of my favorite places seeing was the Castillo San Cristobal; a fortress on the edge of the water with defense walls and weapons. It was memorable that not only did I get to hear the history of the Castillo San Cristobal fortress but actually be able to walk through the fortress and experience the history being retold.
As well as Castillo San Cristobal, another place that will forever live in my memory is El Yunque National Forest. It is where I heard the cry of the Puerto Rican national frog Coqui to which I have become enamored with. As a person who hates talking long walks and hikes, I did not mind walking through El Yunque because it was something I had never seen before. As a Chicago native, forests are very rare in my area, but in Puerto Rico, the forest stretched for miles and miles of green and Coquis. It was an unforgettable experience that will forever live in my memory.
Over the next two months in Puerto Rico, each day I began to feel more and more enamored with Puerto Rico. Every day, I went to the beach and stayed till my skin turned bright red. It was paradise and I felt very lucky to be surrounded by welcoming people. The Spanish coordinator Gloria quickly became of my biggest confidants and a great friend. We always spoke in Spanish (always!!!!) and talked about my experience so far. While taking classes with native Puerto Rican, they quickly picked up on the fact that I was Mexican and we bonded over similar traditions and words that we use in our culture. One thing I will say, I was turning into a Boricua. My Puerto Rico friends would proudly joke about how I was losing my Mexican accent and becoming more like a Boricua. The friends I made while studying abroad were some of the most helpful and lovely people I’ve ever encountered in my life. They are very proud of their culture and at the same they would never call themselves American but Puerto Rican and that was something I admired. Sometimes when I’m walking to my class at SMC, I think about Sagrado Corazon, and the conservation (mostly jokes) that I had with my new Puerto Rican Friends.
My experience in Puerto Rico cannot be contained in these pages. Even write now as I write abut my experience, I smile, laugh and even cry about how a few months ago, I had one of the best experiences in my life. No words could truly describe how happy I was in Puerto Rico and how I will keep those memories close in my heart forever. When I came back home, the first thought I had was “Ugh, why am I back here?” Even though I was happy to see my family and friends, a part of left behind in Puerto Rico. I will never forget walking down the beach, sharing jokes with my classmates and friends, hiking the forest of El Yunque, walking the vibrant streets of San Juan, and the beautiful blue sea.