Escaped.

I've escaped from the blog world this month. Not out of any specific desire, simply because I have not had time. You can never get enough time. But I've said that before, so no need to be redundant. I've also escaped the country this month. I visited my friend, Gina, in Scotland. Well, last month I also escaped to Puerto Rico with my mom. This whole trip-a-month thing is working quite well and makes my job that much more wonderful. I truly have an amazing life right now and am so grateful for everything that is happening.

And now I feel as though to catch up on my life is a bit of a challenge. At least in posts, words, and pictures. Too much happens. I suppose I would rather have too much than too little. I do believe a picture is worth a thousand words. With that being said, I'll try to upload pictures to capture my most recent journeys.

 PUERTO RICO

March 12 - 16, 2012

This is the view from the beach at the first resort we stayed at. We drove south to the town of Patillas (about an hour drive) and stayed at Cariba Playa. A resort that has an address of a kilometer marker and two buildings of rooms and one building to check in at and enjoy the restaurant. Our room had no air conditioning, no alarm clock, no tv, no radio. The simplicity of the waves lulled us to sleep and wondering roosters woke us up in the morning.

Watching the sunrise come up over the Caribbean Sea. As we sat in our lounge chairs, still in our pajamas, we enjoyed this view, with the palm leaves swaying overhead. The true island escape.

The island sees mostly sunny days, but rain is also frequent. Or so I would say. One minute it's sunny and hot, sun rays beaming down on you, the next, your skin is sprinkled with water droplets. This was the result. A rainbow over the sea. I had no idea my camera would actually be able to capture this sight, but so glad I tried. I try not to look at my pictures until at least the night after sight seeing or if I can resist until the trip is over to be surprised and relive every experience again. This picture wasn't seen until coming home, and do I ever love it.

Yes. I am sunburnt. I was a lobster on this trip. Why I thought I was resistant to sunburn I have no idea. But then again laying in the sun for four plus hours makes me think I don't need sunscreen at all! This was a picture from the restaurant at the resort. My first dinner was here that consisted of smashed plantains, rice and beans, and garlic butter shrimp. The amount of food was so massive that I'm not sure if I can ever eat plantains again. BUT it was an experience I wouldn't exchange anything for.
  

My mom and I spent all afternoon hiking through the El Yunque Rain Forest. The views were GORGEOUS. This was from a look out tower, after walking up a spiraling staircase, you were awarded with this mystified scene.

 

Another photo from the rain forest. Which for those visiting Puerto Rico sometime in your life, this place is free to visit. FREE. What a steal. We parked our rental car on the side of the winding paved road and headed down the path to see the waterfall. The sounds of 'co-qui' radiates from all corners of the forest, the little frogs are quite loud! Lush, bright green plants are endless reminding me of a very large, outdoor conservatory. With minimal animals due to being on an island, we soaked in the humidity, the downpouring rain, and the earthy smells.



We reached the waterfall! A chilly day for swimming, with less than ideal water temperature, who would have thought we'd be cool in the rain forest? Definitely not me. My mom and I soaked our feet in the water before being downpoured on and briskly walking back to the car. What an amazing find once we finally reached our hiking destination.



We stayed in San Juan on our last night to avoid such a long drive to the airport the next morning. We explored the town a bit before the sun went down and before dinner. Good thing we did because we found this boardwalk.



My mom and I ran into another mother/daughter duo on their Spring Break so we took pictures for one another. Yes, I am wearing jeans and a cardigan. Like I said, the weather was surprisingly not as warm as I thought for an island that is always sunny. The cool breeze from the choppy waves cool you down instantly. And my sunburn wasn't helping my  body temperature either. Nevertheless, a great island escape in March.

 01 02 03

04 Pin It 05 06

07 08 17 18