Traveling Differently

By: Heather Ricchi

I am thankful for the opportunity that the University of Oklahoma provided to me to be able to study abroad in Puerto Rico. Getting to learn about tourism and travel writing while experiencing it first hand extended my understanding of these two subjects. From laughing on the bus rides to different destinations to getting to try the authentic Puerto Rican cuisine, I made memories on this trip that I will never forget. This experience allowed me to learn about a culture that at first I had no prior knowledge about.  Over the 10 days that I spent in Puerto Rico I learned so much about this beautiful lush island that I wouldn’t have learned from just reading a book. Along with learning about the culture and tourism in Puerto Rico, I also got to improve my writing skills. Being a business student I don’t spend much time writing so over the course of my study abroad experience my writing has improved tremendously with the help of my encouraging professors.

From getting to visit El Yunque National Forest to going to Caguas and seeing a cigar being made right before our eyes, our days were filled from start to finish with amazing educational activities.

Traveling is something that I do very often. From now on I am going to challenge myself when I go to different destinations to not only spend my time at the beach, but to go out and learn about the culture. I am going to use what I learned in Puerto Rico and apply it to studying tourism offered by other travel destinations around the world.

         A beautiful sunset surrounds the beach in Puerto Rico on our last night. 

                                        The small and quaint town of Caguas, Puerto Rico.

                                               A rushing waterfall in El Yungue National Forest.
Links:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g147319-Activities-Puerto_Rico.html
https://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=museums&find_loc=Caguas%2C+Puerto+Rico
https://www.fs.usda.gov/elyunque

Contact Information:
Email: Heather.a.ricchi10@ou.edu
Phone: 214-551-2715
Twitter: @heatherricchi4
Facebook: @heatherricchi
Instagram: @heatherricchi