I finally did it! I finally took a trip all by myself. It was suppose to be a short trip of self-reflection, to get away from everything I’ve been struggling with (which is, well, EVERYTHING).
I choose to go to my favorite place (besides home), San Juan, Puerto Rico. I first visited Puerto Rico in 2008 and instantly felt a connection with the island. Twelve years and nine visits later it feels like a second home. I decided that my tenth visit would be the perfect spot for my journey of self-reflection.
Every time I travel I get some pre-trip jitters. I’m a pretty neurotic person so naturally I worry about every single thing that can go wrong. Thankfully my flight in and check-in to the AirBnB was pretty seamless. I usually stay at an AirBnB apartment when visiting San Juan. It is more economical and I like giving the business to a local rather than a big business. Plus I love the ‘at home’ feel of an apartment over a hotel room.
This apartment was right on the beach. Although I checked in a bit late in the day I decided to go check out the small patch of beach behind the building. There I met her, the wise local woman who feeds animals (in this case pigeons and feral cats) of EVERY female self discovery movie. We spoke about the island, politics, immigration, and animals. I never saw her again. Not even entirely sure she was real
Then I had to do it, step out of my comfort zone. I had to go out to dinner by myself. I decided the most comfortable place for me was to eat at the bar. I was right. Eating at the bar often leads to conversation with other solo diners and the bartender. When all else fails, there’s always your cell phone.
The thing I was looking forward to the most was probably the only disappointing part of my trip. The beach behind the building was small and private-ish (beaches in Puerto Rico are public), which was nice and peaceful. The weather wasn’t great. It was extremely windy. So windy it felt like I was being beaten by pelts of sand. Then there was some rain. Not just the Caribbean sprinkles, some harder rain. I did not even go into the water.
Old San Juan never disappoints. When I last visited San Juan, many people were protesting for the governor’s resignation. The protests were held in Old San Juan so we (two girl friends) were unable to visit that part of the island. I was anxious to get back and explore the beautiful city.
Since I have been there so many times and have taken so many pictures I decided to have a different type of photo shoot. I decided to take AR shots of Pokemon in the wild. I have been playing Pokemon Go since July 2016 (team Instinct!). I felt this was the perfect opportunity to take some fun and interesting Augmented Reality pictures.
Was my short jaunt to Puerto Rico effective?
EAT: I certainly ate. I tried out new places and had some great food. I felt great despite my dietary restricts (I am lactose and fructose intolerant). I always eat healthier when I’m there, perhaps it’s the lack of stress (and stress eating).
“Pray”: I don’t prayer but I TRIED mediating on the beach. FAIL
Love: I did take the time to reflect on my life, problems (my role in them and how to adjust to the unchangeable), and most importantly, what makes me happy.
And that’s what brings me here. The creative side of me has been stifled with adult responsibilities and exhaustion. I realized that to unwind I sit and look at clothes, hair, nails, and home decor on Pinterest. I sell clothes on line, I love to shop, and I even love doing laundry. I change my home decor with the seasons and entertaining at home. I love taking pictures of nature, animals, landscapes, and architecture. I love style and things that are aesthetically pleasing. And I love hunting Pokemon.
My “Eat Pray Love” journey had led me here. Here is where I will share all that I love.
Anissa Simone 