Although our spring break was only 4 days, I was lucky enough to have the chance to stay in Puerto Rico with a group of 7 friends. We explored city streets, swam in the ocean, and drove through el Yunque National Rainforest. Each moment is vivid in my memory, as vivid as the colors that fill the Puerto Rican streets.
I love the color of this wall! I announce to the group as we walk down the streets of Old San Juan. My friend was kind enough to stop and take a picture of me in front of it.
One of the trademarks that I’ve grown to love about the Caribbean are the colorful buildings. As a self proclaimed architect nerd, I peaked my head down every block, studying the second story terraces, the arched doorways. Every business or restaurant it’s own work of art.
After exploring the historic buildings of Old San Juan, we stayed in the beach town of Luquillo. The little neighborhood had a vibrantly colored surf vibe. Our house was painted a light blue, with white accents. The white cement wall with a square cut out pattern enclosed the front porch. It was my favorite spot to sit, where the cement pole met the cement wall, it held my body in a perfect L shape. From there I could see the ocean, only a short walk away. I could listen to the breeze rattling the palm trees, and the distant sounds of neighbors speaking in Spanish.
As the group walked around Luquillo on a relaxing Sunday morning, we came upon a brightly colored pink and orange mural with this quote,
“Si es gratificante haber nacido, que divino es disfrutarlo la vida”
Roughly translated this means, “It is gratifying to have been born, how divine it is to enjoy life” As I stood on the street corner that day, I knew exactly what the words meant. They sounded even more beautiful in Spanish than they did in English.
Everywhere you look in Puerto Rico you will find life; in the colors, the food, the language. It is rich, something to be enjoyed and appreciated. More than that, the people I have surrounded myself with know how to enjoy life. My opportunity to study at UVI has brought me together with such an unlikely group of people. We are all different, coming from a variety of places and backgrounds. Yet sharing this experience has brought us all closer together.
One night we were all hanging out on the back porch of the house, because the power had gone out. Suddenly one of the guys turned on his music, and “Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting” blasted from the speakers. It was the last song I had expected, but none of us questioned it, we all started to jam out. Ridiculously dancing around on the back porch, in the dark, with the bright stars above us. Some hopped on the cement bar to show off their Kung Fu moves, scream singing along to all the lyrics. By the end of the song, we were all out of breath, from singing and from laughter.
I don’t know if life has one specific color. If I had to describe the color of life it would be white, because it’s all of the colors at once, at full brightness. But colors are expressed on a huge spectrum, the same way life is expressed through each of us. So why not be bright? Each new friend shines with their own color, each one I appreciate and learn from. I know they may not be by my side for a long time, but every joyful moment I share with them is one that will leave a lasting impression on me.