My relief began at the boarding gate, when I did a headcount of our group, and everyone had made it to the flight! I immediately found myself feeling confident in my company. We shared a 5-hour flight from snowy Minneapolis to sunny San Juan. For some of us it was sleepy, for others it was productive. I re-read our course assignment on Puerto Rican culture, and one of the many things that struck me as I was reading was in regard to socializing children and the concept of respeto. “Respeto refers to the belief that every person has an intrinsic dignity that must never be transgressed. One must learn to respect others by learning to respect oneself.” This is a beautiful concept, and it is quite different than the way I was raised in a society where a person’s self-worth is often determined by external influences and you “earn” respect by giving it. I thought about how respeto could be a valuable principle for the experiences ahead, and I also I couldn’t help but think: What would this paper say if it was about “my” culture? Would I even identify with the words on the page? What assumptions would be made about me? My curiosities turned to excitement when I looked down out the airplane window and saw the waves crash on the beach and took in the green land we would be visiting for the next three weeks. As we landed in San Juan, all of my remaining anxieties about packing, checklists, and an unfamiliar destination melted away in the heat of the sun. I felt happy.
Once our luggage was collected, we set out for the arranged transportation, and we went from San Juan to Loiza by school bus. I greeted Emanuel, our bus driver, first in English. In hindsight, I wish I would have started in Spanish. As was later explained to us, it is appreciated by locals if you at least make an attempt in Spanish first. The good news is I eventually decided to make conversation in Spanish, and I am so glad I did! I started with a simple “gracias,” and went from there. The conversation wasn’t flawless, but it felt good to make an effort.
As we pulled away from the airport, everyone took in the scene: roaring coast to the left, green palm trees to the right. The traffic was unlike any I had seen. We chatted as we wound through the streets of Pinones and watched the mainstream go by - countless restaurants (kioskos), crowds of people sitting in and on their cars, playing music, eating, drinking, and talking. Cars were in motion, weaving around others in their way, there were people on horseback, and others riding ATVs on the streets. The passengers gasped when one of the ATV riders did a wheelie in the street in front of our bus, and the drivers just laughed; this was obviously nothing new to them. The area is vibrant and buzzing. Upon arrival at Aquatika, Maria, our program leader, welcomed us and wasted no time in showing us our lovely apartments. She also surprised us with a delicious meal! We were tired and hungry, so we were all very grateful. At this time, we were introduced to Maria’s family and our in-country hosts, who were very welcoming and knowledgeable.
Only a few hours after they explained the “dos and don’ts” and said to greet strangers by looking them in the face, my inner-Midwestern-American-female got the best of me, and I may have unintentionally disrespected every patron of Wal-Mart as well as the nice people sitting in the common area when we returned to the apartments. I sensed it, and when I did, it was a learning moment. After all, Nicolas, our in-country host, had also talked about the importance of experiential learning, or learning by doing (or in this case, not doing)! Tomorrow, I will try to do a better job of looking strangers in the eye, even though it can be uncomfortable. It is important that I show my respect for the people, the culture, and the territory, even if it isn’t what’s “normal” for me. First-hand experience is one of the many reasons I decided to come to Puerto Rico, and I am so glad that I did. We have only been on the island for about 4.5 hours, and I already can't stop writing!