My First Trip to Puerto Rico!

Building with the Puerto Rican flag painted on it

Some of my favorite trips always involve going to places I had never really considered visiting. When I was invited to leave the States for the first time ever, I would have never guessed in a hundred years that it would be to Denmark or Sweden and I somehow luckily got both. Surely, I expected my first international trip to be to somewhere like Paris to visit Versailles, or to hit every saved ramen spot on my Google Maps in Japan.

So when my sister mentioned on the phone back in January that she was thinking she might want to go to Puerto Rico in April—on somewhat of a whim—I half responded while watching TikTok videos in the background that if she went, I would meet them. Excitedly, she ran with that idea, while I figured we were just spit-firing the same kind of bullshit we usually do—like how I keep saying I'm absolutely going to Guatemala to visit Lake Atitlán ASAP because I just need to, or how she goes on and on about visiting Honduras. (Not that we won't do these things—we just talk like we plan on conquering these goals immediately after the call ends.)

It wasn't until I got an invite as a guest to a booked Airbnb in March that I realized this girl was serious.

Once I finally booked my flight, it felt surreal—the idea of taking this kind of family vacation when we are not the type of family that even remotely sits in that type of tax bracket—was exciting.

We ended up staying at an Airbnb in Gurabo. The town was quaint and quiet. We had a pool that looked out over this colorful neighborhood across the way, a cute little store across the street, and a pizza joint at the end of the street that we could walk to.

Our view every night during sunsetThe first day, we spent settling in and trying to figure out how we wanted to spend our time—and how to make the most of it, which was harder than expected.

It was fun just watching her kids enjoy the pool, fully convinced they magically knew how to swim—so Aunt Olive had to jump in every two minutes to quite literally save them.

Our Infinity Pool!

The second day, I looked up coffee spots nearby and found Peacock Coffee Bar, about 10 minutes from where we were staying. They had a great strawberry matcha.

Peacock's Strawberry Matcha in Gurabo

On our second day there, we planned a trip to El Yunque National Forest, where my brother in law mentioned we could check out a waterfall.

My sister and I both felt like we were exactly where we were supposed to be as we drove through the winding roads of the park—every turn was only meeting us with another view of some form of beauty.

There was so much green, and I fell in love instantly. Standing there, overlooking mountains and seeing the ocean meet the land, felt like exactly the kind of break I needed.

My sight limits my movements, so I watched my family climb up the side of the waterfall while I walked back to the car on my own, taking a few photos along the way. When I felt rain start, I sat in the car with the window down and closed my eyes, just taking in the forest—wondering if I would ever be there again.

I think about that often when I travel—wondering if I'll ever be somewhere again. It's funny, because I've had that thought multiple times and ended up returning. Now those thoughts have shifted into hoping I do end up there again, in that exact spot.

The next day, I went back to Peacock where I grabbed another strawberry matcha, this time with farina—which was not only beautiful but out of this world amazing.

Each morning, someone in my family would head to Morales Bakery, where we stocked up on bread, sandwiches, and coffee.

El Yunque National Forest

Not long after, we all piled into our rentals for our first beach day and headed to the Luquillo Kiosks. It was my nieces and nephews' first time ever seeing the beach and watching their reactions was the cutest thing.

The beach was perfect for us and the kids—there were food spots and little shops along a strip and it was easy to grab whatever we wanted. My sister and I were on a mission to find piña coladas served in a pineapple, and it didn't take long to find.

Pineapple piña colada

I also ran into a man selling mango with Tajín and chili powder—something I always grab when I visit LA—so, of course I bought as much as I could, as if I'd never be able to find a mango again back home. My brother in law introduced all of us to his favorite ice cream, which ended up being incredible. It was just a really beautiful day together.

Coconut Pineapple Ice CreamFor Easter and my niece's 5th birthday, we stayed in and spend the day by the pool. It was quieter, especially since the beach and forest were both about an hour away from our Airbnb, but it felt nice to slow down and just be together.

On our last day, we went back to Luquillo—and every single one of us got completely sunburned. I mean painful, head to toe sunburn, despite all the sunscreen in the world. We ignored it as best we could and spent the day drinking more non-alcoholic piña coladas, eating pinchos, and sipping coconuts. We built sandcastles and collected seashells together.

Growing up, my siblings and I weren't that fond of each other—or maybe I wasn't that fond of them, honestly lmao. Either way, I think this trip healed something for me. Despite arguments we still had, it specifically healed something between my sister and me.

Or maybe Puerto Rico just has some kind of magic that brings people together—which, honestly, I'm pretty sure it does.

Now I fall asleep to the sound of the coquí because I already miss falling asleep to it.

I adored Puerto Rico. Even with a Puerto Rican brother in law, I never really imagined I'd find myself there—but now I can't wait to go back. And I'm so grateful I got to experience it with my family.

And I can't help but wonder—is it the places we travel to that change us, or is it who we're with when we finally get there?