Hey everyone! I've been home for almost a week and I could not be happier to be writing this post while sitting by the Christmas tree and listening to "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" Pandora. I thought I'd do a little looking back on my semester in San Juan, Puerto Rico to wrap up this blog.
First of all, I want to say that I did in fact have an awesome time. I know a lot of my blog posts and tweets made it sound like I was miserable down there, but I have a tendency to vocalize the negatives more than the positives. Living in a "city" without a car was more than frustrating at times, but it taught me to have patience. It taught me to also appreciate my car, which is currently on its way to my mechanic. Figures that as soon as I get home, the check engine light goes on! Haha... well at least I know how to survive without a car now. Relying on trains, buses, and overly expensive cabs was something I don't miss, but not ever having to worry about a sober driver was awesome. We sure met some interesting people while using public transportation. Oh PR!
The beaches were by far my favorite part of the experience. They were absolutely beautiful. We mostly went to Isla Verde. There was a great beach bar there and every time we went, the bar tender was surprised to see that we were still on the island! My parents and Paul stayed in Isla Verde when they came. I also liked Pinones, a beach where the locals went. I liked it there because there weren't any hotels and it was pretty and quiet. We went to Ocean Park on one of our last days. I wish we had gone there before, mostly because you can get there by taking a train then walking for about 20 minutes. I'd take walking two miles over waiting for the bus.
Old San Juan was also awesome. We went out there most of the time at night. There are tons of shops and restaurants there. The streets are cobblestone and the buildings were painted bright colors. So pretty! There are also two really cool Spanish forts there that were fun to explore. Most of the cruise ships dock in OSJ, so if anyone ever goes on a cruise, there's a good chance that you'll get to walk around there. I was disappointed in the Bacardi factory. Sure you get two free drinks, but the tour was all mock production, so we didn't get to see anything actually being made. I did get 2L of rum for $20 though! I can't complain about that.
One thing I wish was different about the experience was that we didn't get to interact with the students at the university that much. UPR was only a short walk or train ride away from our apartment, yet we only went there once as a group. We had class in the hospital or apartment with our own professor from UConn, so we were not affiliated with the university at all. I think that in the future, they may change this. I was initially nervous about studying abroad because I knew I would be with the same 13 people every day, but lucky it worked out.
Speaking of which, our group could not have been any better. I have never been good at keeping friends, and I feel like I have 13 new sisters after this semester. I really wasn't that close with anyone in the beginning of the semester, but friendships grew quickly. A bunch of us had been in the same orientation group when we were seniors in high school and I knew a few others from class, but I had never hung out with any of them on a regular basis. My apartment was crazy and so much fun. As my family knows, I can get manic and loud and maybe even annoying, but my roommates not only put up with me, but even joined in. We would play off of each other and laugh at things that probably no one else would find funny. ([{inside joke}]) - just to name a few of our highlights throughout the semester: sprinkle cheese, fourteen sisters, throw it on the ground, YOUR F****ING FAT!, Maria JUST came!, and of course, the wheelchair. I miss them already. I know that I will be friends with these people for along time, if not forever. A bunch of us even met for drinks two days after getting home- that's how much we missed each other! We all come from such different backgrounds and it was a great life experience to live in such close proximity with each and every one of them.
So, here I sit, finishing up my last blog entry. I am looking forward to going back to work at the hospital and my capstone semester at Uconn Health Center in OB. I have spent a lot of time with my family and Paulie and have eaten wings, pizza, Chinese food, and of course I've had my share of GOOD beer. It's been real, Medalla, but I don't ever need to drink you again.
Happy Holidays to everyone! It's been real!
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