If My Baby Sister is 50...

Nearly a year ago, in February 2020, I was surreptitiously sewing and dyeing fabric for beach cover-ups. My baby sister had turned 50 in December, and nine women planned a trip to Puerto Rico to celebrate. Seventeen months prior, Puerto Rico was hit by a category 5 hurricane causing $90 billion dollars in damage which devastated the island. Trump, famously and horrifically, flew to the island 13 days later and was filmed throwing rolls of paper towels out at reporters and people.

It took 11 months for electricity to get restored to the island, and when we arrived six months after that, there was still visible destruction to houses, beaches, and vegetation. We stayed in a different house than originally planned, as the previous one was still not liveable. We were right on a narrow beach. There was an incessant rooster, street dogs roaming around, and not an offspring or responsibility to be found. 

I am not a planner. I am 100% fine with a cup of coffee and a book almost anywhere. If you like to do things, know about the culture, see the sites, "adventure it up", go with my friends. On the refrigerator was a piece of paper per day which included any reservations, important events, and arrival/departure information that was necessary.

We ate mofongo, a local dish made with plantains and no small amount of garlic, and drank our fair share of mojitos. Although we did many things together, we also did many things separately as well.

We did tours of a coffee plantation and a rum distillery. We went on a bioluminescent tour, where we found out that one of our group is afraid of bats. We took a boat trip out to reefs and went snorkeling. We went zip lining. We bought matching platform sandals at a mall. We had a caterer bring dinner to us at the house. We put together a playlist of our favorite girl songs. We had Salsa Dance class given by cute Ricky, and had a massage therapist set up shop on our open-air patio. We sat on the beach, played games, listened to music, and ate. Best of all, we got to spend time together.

Most of these women live locally, although some do not. We have Zoomed, safely socially distanced ourselves in back yards, have used the USPS with fervor, and have recently begun planning 2022 in Costa Rico.