Dulce Far Niente

A pair of boots I bought for 5 dollars, a water canteen I took from my roommate, and a piece of my soul. These are all the things I left behind. It was the first time I had ever traveled overseas. I can still remember seeing the seemingly endless ocean, as wide as my desire to escape land locked Colorado. A week was all I had, but I knew it would be enough. I knew that the sticky breeze of the ocean surrounding me on all sides would be enough. I knew that floating in the clear salty sea would be enough. And it was. My friend Lauren had somewhat spontaneously decided to join me on what had proved to be a very impromptu adventure to Puerto Rico. We arrived in San Juan around 8pm and after 12 hours of traveling, a lost bag, and 3 beers, sleep called in the sweetest sort of sound. We woke to the heat of the day and quickly made arrangements for a publico to take us to Fajardo where the ferry would take us to a small island, Vieques. After negotiating for nearly 10 minutes in broken Spanish, Lauren and I boarded the publico alongside 5 locals and an interesting outsider, Carl. Carl was a medical student in Arizona traveling for Spring Break, like us, and we quickly became a solid triad of improvised experiences. Carl joined us on the ferry and quickly fell asleep with Lauren not far behind. This was only the beginning of what would become a mostly sleepless trip and had I known, I may have joined them. However, this was what I had been searching for. As the wind vigorously scrubbed my scalp with salt and the sun aggressively pounded my back with color, there came this beautiful moment. A moment that I felt exactly myself. Exactly what I needed to be in that moment, and exactly what I had been searching to be for so long. As we set foot on a different island, Vieques was the epitome of what I expected Puerto Rico to be - colorful old homes, quaint corner stores, and waters so clear you thought you could get lost swimming. We were working at a local organic farm for the week and upon arrival, I quickly fell in love with the green earth, setting forth a plethora of papaya, leafy greens, tomatoes, and sweet peppers. Yet, I quickly found that the best part of Vieques is the locals. The passion and warmth of those that call Vieques home will remain forever ingrained in my soul. Bonfires on the beach, weekly reggae night, hitchhiking, and a love affair. The memories of that week have shaped and stolen my heart, so much so that I don't mind leaving some things behind.