By Kali Carter
On the first day of fall classes, one of my professor's told my magazine class about the trip to Puerto Rico. I took the class with one of my sorority sisters, who I didn't know much about at the time. Immediately, Lauren and I told ourselves we would go on the trip together, and have the winter break of a lifetime. To be honest, I don't think either of us really thought we would follow through, but planning the trip and talking about our adventure brought us closer.
Since I was five years old, I have always been that girl who holds back if I know one other person in a group. For some reason, I always tend to let loose or act on my own when I don't know anyone around. Overall, I am a very outgoing person. I say what I think and I think that quality is often appreciated by others. On one hand, though, I am reserved. On the other, I am wild and free. Around certain groups of people, I'm quiet; Around others, I'm not. I couldn't tell you why I am different around people, because no matter how I act, I stay true to myself and I act the way I feel in each moment. Before studying abroad in South America last summer, I didn't know anyone. From the moment I arrived, I was exactly the person I wanted to be. I talked, I laughed, I made jokes, and most importantly, I didn't hold anything back. My close friends from the trip are still my good friends to this day. It was the experience of a lifetime, and I thought nothing would ever come close to topping it... Until now that is.
The Puerto Rico experience is a different story. This time, I had a friend. I expected a two week vacation filled with laying on the beach and finding the hippest nightspots. I thought having Lauren around might keep me from branching out, and it some ways, that was true. Overall, though, having her around pushed me to try new things and get out of my comfort zone in ways I might not have done otherwise.
From the first time we met at our pre-departure class back in
Norman, it was clear every person in the group was unique and different. We were all different ages, we all had different interests, but we had one thing in common: we were branching out. One thing I know for certain is no matter what your age and no matter your background, trying new things and leaving your comfort zone is always a challenge. At first glance, an outsider would never think this group could become a family. I guess it's a good thing we weren't outsiders.
A few days into our trip, we went to the Puerto Rican rainforest,
El Yunque. After hiking a distance, we approached a magnificent waterfall. Most of the girls were brave enough to swim under the waterfall, which is definitely one of my life's greatest moments thus far. In a weird way, that experience brought us together. That afternoon, we went to our graduate assistant's apartment in
Luquillo Beach. We grilled food on her rooftop, and swam in the water at one of Puerto Rico's most beautiful beaches. Overall, it was one of those absolutely perfect days. Those days only children dream about, before they grow up and realize what a complicated world this is. It was one of those days written about in fairy tales, filled with innocence and magic. Everyone was happy. By this point, we barely knew each other, but there was no one else in the world we would have rather been with in those moments.
Although I can easily recite 50 facts about Puerto Rico thanks to Dr. Subervi's oral exam, I'm not sure how long I'll retain that information. I could easily sit here and tell everyone reading this blog that El Yunque gets roughly 200 inches of rain per year. I could tell everyone that four million people live in Puerto Rico, and that over two million of those people live in the San Juan metropolitan area. I could tell everyone that Ponce is known as the city of lions, but it wouldn't matter to them. Most people who read this do not care about the facts, because that's something they will forget. I, too, will eventually forget the facts, but I will always have my memories.
My memories include New Years Eve, which was by far everyone in the group's best New Year's Eve to date. My memories include El Yunque, and kayaking through the
bioluminescent bay. My memories include Luquillo Beach, and the
three kings day parade in Juana Diaz. My memories include our last night in Puerto Rico, and everyone coming out with me at midnight to celebrate my 21st birthday.
Although the schoolwork took its toll, I definitely came away with a better knowledge of a culture, both similar and different than my own. My friendship with Lauren became stronger, and I formed bonds with everyone else in the group. I am so grateful for all of my experiences over the past two weeks, and the trip turned out better than I ever could have imagined. I enjoyed all the people I was lucky enough to meet, because they truly are what made the experience worthwhile. After all, the journey means nothing if you have no one to share it with.
I have traveled all my life, and as an aspiring travel writer, I can say for certain this trip will not be my last. Each experience is its own, and not at all comparable to any journey that occurs either before or after. I will always have fond memories of my time in Puerto Rico, and I feel so privileged to know everyone who was a part of it. I know we will all go our separate ways from here, but for two weeks, we were a family, and no one can ever take that away from us. I will always care deeply for everyone on the trip, and I look forward being a part of everyone's lives as we look forward to the many adventures that await us.
