So I think I’m gonna start this new thing because you know once you get away, you kinda get an itch to plan another trip or at least try more new things in this one short life. So it’ll be my top five reasons to go wherever. Short and sweet so I don’t ramble.

For my first Top Five installment, Puerto Rico gets the spotlight:

1. The Beach Being from southern California and frequenting its local beaches, it is refreshing to see clearer water and much less garbage on the beach. Plus you can stay there all night without beach patrol regulating on you.
   

   

   
2. El Yunque My crew and I lucked up on a sweet deal to not only get an educational tour of PR’s sacred rain forest, but the company had a shuttle to pick us up and drop us off at our b+b in San Juan. [Ask for Alex; he’s very knowledgable, took us off the beaten path and is just the best!] If you plan to visit and enjoy the beautiful outdoors, I encourage you to venture out and see El Yunque. The experience was priceless.
   

   

   

   

   
3. The Fooood! I am a foodie and being on an island, of course seafood-mainly grouper-was their specialty. Waffle-era, Bagua and Kamoli were my favorite spots. I also enjoyed some of the best mojitos of my life.
   

   Waffle-era

   

   Bagua

   

   Kamoli
4. The Aesthetics The area we stayed in was very pedestrian-friendly, so we walked and took the bus most of the time, only taking a taxi to and from the airport. I found myself stopping several times during our treks to photograph the interesting plant life, street art, gates and edifices.
   

   Old San Juan

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Old San Juan

   

   

   
5. The Weather/Island Vibe As I mentioned, we walked most of time. It does rain a lot [hence the rainforest on the island], but we lucked up and missed any storms. There really are no seasons in Puerto Rico, so any time of year is a good time to go.

And it seems as though everyone is kind of on island time. Even the cops seemed kind of lax. There was no such thing as hustle and bustle. On some of our crowded city bus excursions, people appeared worry-free. It might have something to do with the amazing weather, all the good eats and beautiful views.

❤