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Puerto
Rico
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Revolving Life around a Wave
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What
do you do when you are bored with
the rat race of Corporate America,
haven't surfed in four months, have
no real restrictions tying you down,
and opportunity knocks at your door?
You move to Puerto Rico. Or at least
I did.
I couldn't decide when was a good
time to start documenting my experience,
as I hadn't started writing from the
beginning of my stay here. But I was
afraid I would forget the tiny details
that get lost along the way sometimes,
that make these journeys in life so
seemingly unforgettable.
Feb. 28, 2001
Stepped foot in PR for the second
time in my life. This time it was
for residence sake. Gave myself a
quick pat on the back for making a
dream become reality, with the help
of wonderful, supportive friends.
Stumble, longboard and clothing in
tow to vehicle. Proceed to immediately
partake in an old Spanish tradition,
'celebracion con cervasas'. (Fiesta!)
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Mar.
28, 2001
After month long participation in
Puerto Rican culture, including partying,
diving, hiking, and catching more
waves already than I had in 5 years
in Florida, I wake up one morning
to realize my friendly mountain neighbors
had "permanently borrowed" my custom
team COS longboard. My baby, that
I had watched being born in the dusty
blue shaping room. Cried hysterically.
Never saw it again, but haven't given
up hope.
April 1, 2001
Entered a new phase of my surfing
career, and did what I said I wouldn't
ever do. Out of desperation, began
riding a funshape. OK, to give myself
more credit, it was more like a nose-riding
7'0" egg. Had so much fun I could
have kicked myself for being such
a longboard snob for so long. |
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May
1, 2001
Have
finally discovered, thanks to the
beautiful warm blue-green waters
of tropical Puerto Rico and the
consistently perfect right hand
point reef breaks, what a joy it
is to experience and thrive on each
aspect of both long and shortboarding.
!Buena Vida... Siempre!
June 1, 2001
Beginning now to understand why
people asked me why I was moving
to PR during the summer. No vehicle
+ no waves in backyard + no tourists
to make money from = stir crazy
Julz, along with the rest of the
open asylum of Rincon, PR. Life
outside of the states is what you
make it. In a poor part of a country
with no waves and no money, one
must look way down deep within to
find meaning in a life that is not
what you thought it would be. Turn
to my semi-long-lost visually creative
side and start making sea glass
art and iguera (gourd-like fruit)
carvings.
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July
4, 2001
My favorite holiday! Alas, a controversial
one in the territory I have chosen
to abide in. A beautiful little
island off the coast was being used
for US Naval bomb testing. There
are several sides to the story,
but it all boiled down to the age-old
issue of Statehood. In PR, the country
is split on the statehood issue.
There are 'indepentistas', and the
pro-statehood activists; self-explanatory
names. Thick tension in towns (even
before this scandal) require some
public gathering places to have
signs reading, "!No hablando de
politica o religion!" (Basically,
don't start fighting over poli-tricks
in here!) Police Security is raised
on Independence Day, hence, it was
the most mellow I've ever experienced.
(Especially coming from the madness
that Jax Beach is on a 4th of July
evening!)
...Today, July 10th, 2001
Well, I finally got a car last week
and I have been going up North,
to Isabella, home of Jobos, Middles,
Secret Spot, Las Dunas, and many
other nameless, thumping reef breaks
that are subject to the summer swells.
Things are definitely looking up.
Got my butt kicked the other day
in a way, way overhead set. It felt
SO good.
So now, I'm just trying to make
it through the long hot summer.
Enjoying the little things that
make it so special to live in a
different country, like the beautiful
red Flamboyan trees, the fresh Avocados,
mangoes, papayas, bananas and coconuts
(along with discovering new fruits
I can't pronounce or spell but taste
like candy) and lush tropical rainforest
waterfalls.
Pros:
- Wearing a bikini and sunglasses
everyday of the year learning
a new language,
- Riding horses on the beach
and forest trails,
- Seeing the mountains cascade
into the ocean,
- Watching beyond-postcard-perfect
sunsets (puesta del sol!) behind
a not so far away Desecheo Island
every night,
- Discovering the joys of diving
and the rest of the aqua culture,
- Late night beach & pool parties,
- Finding beautiful new flowers
you've never seen before.
Cons:
- Wearing a bikini and sunglasses
everyday of the year learning
a new language (those items
can get expensive when you go
through them that fast, and
not understanding that people
are saying can get frustrating!)
- Although a lot of people listen
to reggae (thank jah!) a lot
of young adult Puerto Ricans
listen to an interesting blend
of dance-hall, Latino rap that,
after a while now, has started
to sound to me like someone
banging on a garbage can lid
with a bat.
- Driving is more like Nascar
finales here in Rincon. You
have roads that are barely big
enough to fit one car on, with
wanna-be racecar drivers traveling
opposite directions. And watch
out for the cows and horses
literally tied to the fences
on the side of the road, they
can wreak havoc on any vehicle
if hit.
- Isolation! I miss my buddies!
Even perfect reef breaks can
get boring without your best
friends to share them with!
As my wonderful mother would say,
"You made your bed, now lie in it!"
So I am. I'm reveling in the ups
and downs I deal with, as I know
I would be dealing with the same
roller coaster in the states. I'm
just enjoying the ride more now.
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