I’m back from my study abroad in Puerto Rico! There is so much to this trip that a blog post will only be able to cover the surface of my experience. I’m still trying to process everything I learned during my time abroad, but I’ll go through each day.
I left my dorm at 2:50 PM to meet up with a couple of other group members to Uber to the airport for our 5:30 flight. After a long, exhausting day of travel, we finally arrived in Puerto Rico. We checked into our hotel and then went to Café del Parque, a small restaurant near us, for dinner.
On Sunday morning, we traveled to Old San Juan. We got to explore the streets and do some shopping. As a group, we learned about the architecture. For lunch, we had sandwiches at a local restaurant. Our tour guide, Jaisa, took us to El Morro, the fort in the corner of San Juan overlooking the water. It was stunning, and we took lots of photos. Then my friend and I stumbled upon a shaved ice place, and I got mango-flavored shaved ice, which was so refreshing on a hot day. We also saw many stray cats, but we were told to stay away from them.
On Monday, we visited Caras Con Causa and LabCom. We met with Michael Fernandez, the CEO of Caras, to discuss our plans for the project. His insights were great, and we learned about the challenges and background of Caras. It was so inspiring to hear about all the different things that go into running a nonprofit. The most interesting thing I learned was how he has to align the nonprofit’s actions with the political wants in Puerto Rico. We also learned about the environment from a person at Caras named Juan. It was interesting to hear about the climate and environmental issues in Puerto Rico. He showed us the nursery and gave us a tour of Caras Con Causa’s site. We also walked around the community. Rick, our trip leader from Pitt Business, pointed out a house that he and the group worked on last year. It was nice to see the work from past groups who had gone on the same trip. Adrianna, our tour guide from Caras, pointed out places and parts of the environment that Michael had mentioned during our discussion. This day really deepened my understanding of Caras and how our group would contribute to them through our project.
On Tuesday, we woke up bright and early to drive to a space that needed to be cleared for future projects. We did deforestation by cutting up weeds and invasive plants using large cutters they provided for us. Working together, our group was able to clear a large patch of land. Despite the humid air and rain, we still managed to get it done. After we cleaned up and had lunch, we volunteered in the nursery. We split up compost and dirt and used it to make plants. It turns out we planted 190 buds!! I am so proud of our work. After a nice shower, we went to dinner at the same café we had been going to all week, and I tried plantains for the first time. They were sweet and not what I expected, but I was pleasantly surprised. That night, the group and I went back to Old San Juan to explore again. We looked around, went to some shops, and even heard some live music, which was so relaxing. That night, our group played card games on the deck of the hotel, which brought us closer together.
The next day, we worked in the lab for a bit, and I got to do a science experiment that tested the nitrogen levels in the nearby water. As a business major, doing a science experiment wasn’t exactly my thing, but it definitely brought me back to chemistry class in junior year of high school. There were two environmental studies majors on the trip who taught us how to use the lab equipment, along with Juan and Adrianna. We also dug up a pile of soil into crates. While this work seemed tedious, it was super enjoyable because we were all cracking jokes and dancing to music. For lunch, we had garlic bread, lasagna, and rice. This was honestly so good, but what threw me off was the rice paired with the meal. Adrianna told us that Puerto Ricans eat rice with every meal, which I learned to be true throughout the trip. Afterward, we did a mural tour of a part of Old San Juan, and Yair, another worker at Caras, and Adrianna told us the history of each mural and its relation to Puerto Rico. There was one of a house that had a ton of electronics glued onto it. I thought this one was really cool, and I learned that it represents the glamorized mindset behind solar panels in Puerto Rico. Another mural that stood out to me was one of a woman with a large eye above her, showing how the government is always watching over Puerto Rican women.
On Thursday, we had a super exciting day. Because of the later wakeup time, a few other group members and I decided to try a nearby coffee shop called 787 Coffee. I got a Dulce de Leche iced latte, and it came in a bag, similar to a Capri Sun. It was honestly one of the best coffees I’ve ever had, and I’m not just saying that because of the cool bag it came in. After grabbing breakfast, we ventured out to the rainforest, El Yunque National Park, in our large white van, driven by Adrianna, of course. Despite the tiny, twisty roads, Adrianna was able to maneuver them flawlessly. We finally got to the waterfall, but we were told that we weren’t allowed in that area at the time. Adrianna brought us to a different section of the rainforest. This displayed our group’s ability to be adaptable to any situation. We took some photos by the trees and saw a wall with graffiti. After the rainforest, we went to a small town with cute shops where I purchased some souvenirs for my family and jewelry for myself. I got a pair of super cool pink earrings made out of sea glass! We then drove to Carolina Public Beach in Cangrejo Arriba, a nice beach with a lot of space. I’ve never seen water so clear! I spent at least 2 hours floating in the beautiful ocean. I honestly could have stayed there all day. That night, we had some time to immerse ourselves in Puerto Rican culture and walk around the city together.
The next day, we woke up to do community service and paint the walls of a house of a resident with schizophrenia. Our plans were deterred when Adrianna told us that the patient was too tired to have people working. We had to change our plans and were told we’d be painting another house nearby. Doing this service with the group was fun because we were all talking and listening to music. Once we were finished painting all the colors on the outside of the house, it was so rewarding to see the joyous look on the resident’s face. That afternoon, we traveled by van to a park. When we parked, I didn’t realize how big it would be. We had to take a lift to go up the incline to enter the park. This was so breathtaking because we were able to get an overhead view of Puerto Rico. In the park, we saw a variety of birds, including parrots and flamingos. That night, we went back to Old San Juan, and a few of us tried out an amazing gelato place called Anita. It was a great way to end the trip.
Before the trip, I expected Puerto Rico to be a beautiful place with a rich culture, and it definitely lived up to that expectation. I had imagined vibrant streets, historical sites, and a strong sense of community, and I got all of that. I also expected to learn a lot about Puerto Rican environmental and social challenges, which I did, especially through our work with Caras Con Causa. One thing I didn’t fully expect was the sense of adaptability we’d need as a group. There were a few times when plans changed unexpectedly, like when we couldn’t access the waterfall in El Yunque, and we had to adjust and go to a different part of the park. But overall, the experience was even more enriching than I anticipated, particularly in how quickly we all came together to tackle unexpected situations.
A challenge was the weather and the physical labor involved in some of our projects, especially with the deforestation work and clearing the space for future projects. It was hot, humid, and rainy at times, but our group stayed positive and worked together to get the job done. I wasn’t used to the humidity at all, so I had a little bit of trouble adjusting at first. Adrianna was very adaptable and let us have some time to work indoors as well. We found ways to make the work more enjoyable by joking around and playing music while we worked. I also learned to be more flexible when things didn’t go according to plan, like when we had to change our service work plans when the resident with schizophrenia didn’t need us to come help that day. In those moments, we adapted quickly and still had a great time exploring alternative areas.
One in-class reading that was most relevant to my time in the country was “Points of Discomfort: Reflections on Power and Partnerships in International Service-Learning.” This reading highlighted the complexities and discomforts experienced in an international service-learning course done by students, critiquing notions of reciprocity and power dynamics. It pointed out how lack of communication could create discomfort. It was useful to keep this in mind when I was in country. For example, when I felt like the humidity was too much for me to work in, I told Adrianna, and she let me sit in the van with air conditioning for a bit. Although, all of the readings done in class helped me prepare for my time in country, and I am glad we all prepared in advance and learned about service learning so I knew what to expect going to Puerto Rico.
This trip was both fun and educational! I enjoyed trying new foods, meeting new people, and immersing myself in the culture of Puerto Rico. Visiting the island has truly deepened my understanding of Caras Con Causa and the unique challenges faced by the community. It was also amazing to connect with locals, learning from their perspectives and experiences. I’m excited to continue working on our final deliverable and can’t wait to present it!