What's the first thing you think about when you hear someone's going to Puerto Rico? Sand, surf, and sun of course! We took full advantage of this geographical feature, finding ourselves on the beach sometimes three or four times a day. The guesthouse we stayed at (more on that tomorrow) was steps away from the Ocean Park beach in San Juan and made it easy to hop in and out of the water at our leisure.

Ocean Park was definitely a touristy spot, but we found that hitting the beach before noon afforded us a generous spot on the sand, and fewer bodies to bump into in the water. We didn't take our water time too serious, instead playing with a waterproof camera and bobbing between waves as our bodies slowly turned into prunes. It was bliss. - b.

read puerto rico no. 1

I've been back in Philadelphia for just over a week now and already I feel nostalgic for our trip to Puerto Rico. I had no idea just how much I needed a break from it all, but I really truly did. As I look through the photos it occurs to me just how impossible it is to sum up a trip like this in just a few concise sentences. I suppose the easiest place to start is sometimes the most obvious, so we'll start with our visit to Old San Juan.

San Juan was all at once exactly what we expected, and not at all as it seemed. The pastel buildings and swaying palm trees did the Pinterest photos justice, but the overwhelming number of souvenir shops and touristy restaurants left us wandering the streets a bit perplexed and a little disappointed. We decided to embrace our touristy side and with a camera firmly planted in our hand we made our way from one end of Old San Juan to the other where we looked out over the San Juan Gate into the turquoise waters and realized just how beautiful this little island is.

Before we made the slow trek back to our Puerto Rican abode we stopped into what looked like the only authentic restaurant in the whole old city. I watched in amazement as the young bartender made us the freshest (most delicious) mojitos of our lives and made note to only drink homemade mojitos from now on. It wasn't what I had hoped, but in the end it was exactly what we needed to propel us into the rest of our Puerto Rican vacation. -b.

I've been holding my breath for what feels like ages in anticipation of this announcement, and quite honestly I wasn't convinced it was really going to happen until I started writing this post. After almost 3 years, Ryan and I are headed out on a real vacation next week.

We're flying to San Juan, Puerto Rico for a week of sun, adventure, and a much needed break from normality. Travel is one of my great loves in life, and it's been too long since I last experienced a different culture from my own. I can hardly sleep I'm so excited! 

Neither of us like to plan out our vacations too much; we prefer to let the weather and our moods decide the day's activities. That being said, we do research our destinations before any trip and Puerto Rico is ripe with outdoor activities to be enjoyed. From rain forest hikes, to bioluminescent bays, to sea kayaking, there's no doubt our days will be full of beautiful views and adventurous memories to cherish.

Have any of you ever been to Puerto Rico? We'd love your recommendations! - b.