Life in Puerto Rico

Hello from the jungle!

Hello from the jungle!

Living in the tropics takes some adjustment! Those of us who grew up with the sharply changing seasons probably experience the greatest impact from the loss of dramatic weather change. (Where did Spring Fever go? It used to give me so much energy.) When I first considered moving to Puerto Rico, I wondered how I would get anything done in such heat. It's so hot and humid most of the time, you just want to go to the beach or dash into an air conditioned mall.

~~~~

In 1995, my family and I moved to this Latin spiced land and started working, learning the language, and educating our children. What an uphill climb it has been! Now, it is an uphill drive as we moved from the beach side to the country. We live in the central mountains of Puerto Rico and much of the culture shock of this stressful climb has generally subsided. We still battle dense traffic jams in the morning and equally dense bureaucracy, but for the most part have come to accept the chaos of daily Caribbean life.

Capturing a view!

Our house is surrounded with multiple shades of green in all directions. Lately, we have had a foggy mist covering the steep mountains. That's me trying to capture the mist before going to work in the morning. It is difficult to reveal our view without some kind of technological skill, though I try, my skill with the phone camera is limited. (Where's the flash? No focus?) My husband took this shot of me. I'm caught in a concentrated attempt to attain a fantastic capture. :-)

~~~~~~~~

Tangled vines and branches threaten to overtake the yard.

Our house is often swelling with nature; the green climbs up over the fence and tries to pull it down!

~~~~

The unofficial symbol of Puerto Rico.

 Another favorite view, is found in the nearby city, Old San Juan. I love spending time looking at the old fort, El Moro. The old Spanish architecture instantly transports me to another time and another life. 

The famous flame tree.

My favorite tree is the Flamboyant. It's bright red summer presence always brings a smile to my face as does Puerto Rico. If you ever come to Puerto Rico bring plenty of patience so that nothing interferes with your appreciation of this enchanted island's stunning beauty.
(Much of this blog post was first published at  Bloglandlane)