For me, a new Puerto Rico

by Ajia I. Meux

My birthday, San Juan 2013
Photo Credit: Ajia Meux

I went to Puerto Rico in 2013, for my thirty-fifth birthday. We rented a villa which sat directly on a beach, rented a car and partied in old San Juan. That was my plan – to drink, beach and eat with friends and my trip went exactly according to plan.

When I returned to PR in January of 2017, having read When I was Puerto Rico by Esmeralda Santiago, I landed with a completely different perspective of the island. Santiago’s descriptive narrative of parts of Puerto Rico that I never even thought to think of resonated the most during this class experience. Her descriptions were so vivid that I had a running account of her life and what it meant to be in Puerto Rico from a native person’s perspective. Her account of standing on the side of the road, in the rain, I imagined what it was like when there were no highways with American signage. I imagined being a teenager in my own country and having an imperialistic experience – being aware that things were changing around me, having no control and no explanation. I imagined the constant power struggle of a person caught between being an adult and a child.

Three Kings Day Festival, Juana Diaz, P.R., 2017

Photo Credit: Ajia Meux

Santiago’s book and the trip back to PR gave me a new perspective of a place known primarily for its food, music and beaches. I have become a tour guide, of sorts – offering suggestions on places outside the norm to visit. Where you can have an “authentic” Puerto Rico experience, like one can get in Caguas or Ponce. Or the enormity of Three Kings Day. I’m excited for my third time back, when I can rent a car and navigate El Yunque by myself.

Contact Information:

Ajia I. Meux

ajiameux@ou.edu

www.tallandloud.com