My First Visit to Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria

Perhaps my most anticipated blog post is finally here! Just about 4 months ago, a horrific natural disaster known as Hurricane Maria fell upon the shores of Puerto Rico. My husband and I are both Puerto Rican, therefore we were deeply affected by this hurricane through our families and friends who remain on the island. One cold night in November, in the parking lot of a Walmart (yes, I remember it that well lol), we both looked at one another and decided that this year, 2017, for Christmas, we would travel to Puerto Rico, we NEEDED to go. With tons of bad news and new findings in the aftermath of this hurricane looming over our heads each day, we knew that visiting the island was the best thing we could do. Visiting the small businesses that were slowly needing to pick themselves up, without the help of the government, to make ends meat for their families. We booked our tickets that night and one month later the wheels of our plane touched down in la isla del encanto, Puerto Rico.

It was extremely difficult to connect with any formal organizations that were on the ground during this period because most told us that they were not in recovery mode yet. They were still dealing with the logistics of how exactly they were even going to begin. I knew that the silver lining here was that I could go about my regular days in Puerto Rico and show the world via video, that Puerto Rico was still worth visiting, still worth patronizing and still worth spending our money on. That farmer, that baker, that grocery store clerk, these people need us to support their businesses, so they can support their families. I had never thought of it like that before!

Many of these places I had been to so many times before, like El Morro, but it was different this time. I was pleasantly surprised to see many tourists still walking the streets of Puerto Rico, enjoying time with their families and loved ones. These people came in spite of the hurricane, in spite of all the damages and lack of power during many days that we experienced, they came, they saw, and I am sure they loved.

I hope that this video can give you a tiny peek into the damages that were endured by the people of Puerto Rico during Hurricane Maria. I also hope, more than ever, that you can see all of the beauty the island still has to offer and that this will encourage you to VISIT PUERTO RICO, patronize their small businesses, and help them restore the liveliness that the island is so well known for. Have a girls weekend, a family spring break, a guys trip, celebrate a birthday or an anniversary, celebrate life….in Puerto Rico, I promise it won’t disappoint!

Please consider contributing to the restoration of Puerto Rico with your time and or money through the following reputable organizations:

1. Unidos Por Puerto Rico: https://www.unidosporpuertorico.com/
2. Habitat for Humanity Puerto Rico: https://www.habitat.org/us-pr/san-juan/puerto-rico-hfh
3. The Sato Project (rescue a wonderful dog in need!): https://www.thesatoproject.org/