In February 2023 we took a trip to Colorado for my brother’s wedding. We normally wouldn’t choose to go back to Colorado and especially wouldn’t choose the coldest month of the year, but it was for a very happy reason.
Aeden enjoyed the air travel and seeing snow for the first time. He also liked being with his family who has missed him and us quite a bit. We were happy to catch up with all our friends as well. We tried to do fun inside things like visit the Denver Aquarium, the Greeley Train Museum, the science museum in Fort Collins, the mall and of course lots of restaurants that we had missed (I think we actually gained weight in that month’s time!!).
The wedding in Breckenridge was beautiful and we really liked the gorgeous cabin we stayed in. Congratulations to Justin and Aundrea!
Of course it was quite the shock to the system to go from the tropical warm days to bitter cold so we were very happy and grateful to return once again to our now beloved home!
Now that we have settled back into our life and routine and mowed all the property after the summer rains and sun caused everything to grow like crazy, I have some time to collect my thoughts on my first trip back to Colorado since we moved here. I can’t believe it had been nearly 6 years since I had been back. In some ways it was very easy to step back in to our way of life, and in other ways I feel I have been profoundly changed by my experience and life here in Puerto Rico. Here are some things I noticed about the differences. Of course everything that has a “pro” also comes with a “con” -that’s just the way life is.
Mofongo in Puerto Rico
Food
One of the most obvious differences from Colorado to Puerto Rico is the food. In Puerto Rico there aren’t a whole lot of choices especially on “la isla” outside of the metro area. Most people eat at home and if you go out, it’s for “picadero” or just light meals. There are of course some restaurants around, it’s just not such a big deal as it is in Colorado. The main meat choice is almost always chicken with pork coming in 2nd and then beef 3rd. The main starch is usually plantain.
Mexican Food -Chicken Chimichanga!
In Colorado there are a lot of choices, and in our area of Northern Colorado, it’s mostly Mexican food and beef. I hadn’t had a real steak if you don’t count the occasional churrasco in nearly these 6 years! Every time I went out to eat I found myself wanting to say “Buen Provecho” to other people eating and had to bite my tongue. I was also amazed at the restaurant service and how often they would fill up our water glasses and rarely if ever asked if we wanted bottle water like they do so often in Puerto Rico. Also, I liked how the Mexican food restaurants always kept bringing back more and more free chips and salsa as we waited for the entrees to arrive. No wonder we got so chubby in Colorado!
Free unlimited water refills and chips and salsa at all Mexican restaurants in Colorado!
We ate sooo much food on this trip. I had forgotten how much food we don’t get in Puerto Rico. I enjoyed Pho, snow/king crab legs, peaches, a huge variety of hot peppers, sweet corn, Arbys, Dairy Queen, pizza with toppings like artichoke hearts, Colorado craft beers, spicy Mexican food, salad bars and more that I hadn’t eaten in a LOOONG time. I had forgotten how much going out to eat is such a part of the culture in Colorado. It’s just something to do! And there is so much to eat! Serving sizes are too big in Puerto Rico (maybe double what they should be), but in Colorado, they are about 3 times too big! Part of the trip was to eat as many foods as we could that we haven’t had in a long time…and in the course of the trip I think we achieved that!
Pho and Fajitas
Hot peppers and sweet corn!
Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake and Peanut Buster Parfait!! Mmm
Arby’s and Waffles!
Soo much food everywhere! Tons of produce and varieties of things like Trisquits!
I haven’t had cinnamon bears forever! And Roma pizza -our old hangout!
Steakhouses and Brunch
Colorado Rockies
Climate/Landscape
The next most striking thing was the climate. I had forgotten how dry, dry, dry it is. And everyone was talking about how unusually humid it was. We had to buy eye drops and skin lotion. My hair went from soft waves to super flat and staticky just like that. We also had a bit of altitude adjustments. The roads are SO flat and straight and well maintained it was crazy. Where are the potholes?? There are so few trees in Colorado. Even in the summer when it is beautiful and green it is still such a muted color compared to the vibrancy of Puerto Rico. And COLD! I haven’t truly been cold in nearly 6 years and yet I actually woke up shivering one night while we were there.I noticed that chips/crackers would go stale in Colorado if you leave a package out whereas in Puerto Rico they get moist and weird. There was also an odd scarcity of bugs and sounds everywhere. It was cool to see some different wildlife like squirrels and deer, but overall, it was so QUIET compared with the loudness of nature and the party-vibe of the island. It was also weird seeing so many old things in such great condition. Things that if they were on the island would rust out, break down and become dust in 2 years were still like brand new after 20-50 years in storage. No rust, no mold, no corrosion. It was amazing!
Colorado Flag
Language/Culture
It took me a minute to reset my brain to English as the default language. When we needed something in a store for instance I had the tendency to want to ask in Spanish. If someone sneezed I wanted to say “Salud” instead of “Bless You.” Flags were Colorado and American instead of Puerto Rican. Even when I talked with my Spanish-speaking friends, it was different to hear the Mexican Spanish again and I had to change back some of my vocabulary. People in both Colorado and Puerto Rico are super friendly, but it’s different. In Colorado there is an assumption of everyone following the rules and therefore everyone will get along. In Puerto Rico, there is an assumption that there are some rules that just don’t make sense, so we will all break them together and get along (waving people into traffic for instance when the roads are congested). In lines in Colorado hardly anyone spoke to each other, whereas in a fila in Puerto Rico you stand there so long, you know the other person’s life history! Hardly anyone commented on Aeden, whereas in Puerto Rico babies are so loved. Everywhere we go we hear “AY QUE LINDO” “QUE COLORA’O!” and “Dios Lo Bendiga/Cuide.” Also I have forgotten how many HUGE trucks and SUVs there are in Colorado. There is no way these vehicles could maneuver the tiny roads of the island. People in Colorado also dress much differently. We saw a lot of cowboy hats and boots!
Huge trucks in Colorado
Versus a tiny truck with a goat in the front seat in Puerto Rico, no really we just saw this -haha!
Order/Rules
Everything was just so orderly. If there were more than 2 people in a line at a store, another register opened up! If the roads had a little damage, they were being repaired. There are so many sidewalks and bike lanes! Once I sat down on a wall waiting for Britton to get something from concessions at a concert and was told to get off the wall -this would never happen in Puerto Rico! People obeyed all the traffic lights. I saw no one get into their car with an open beer. And the bathrooms. Let me tell you…they were impeccable even in the seediest of places. Every bathroom in Colorado had HOT running water, lights that worked, toilet seats, emptied trashcans, and there was toilet paper. There was always hand soap and often a sign reminding you to wash. Paper towels AND hand driers in case you wanted both! AMAZING bathrooms! haha I also did not see anyone peeing outside and I have gotten quite used to peeing in some of the most random places! It is so orderly there, that even at a parade was hardly any noise! It was like a parade on mute! People playing charade parade! No noise, no disruptions! Not even if you’re having a party. Where was the music, speakers and blaring sounds? After living on party island so long, this was very, very strange.
Alcohol was also strictly monitored and they even gave limits at the bar so as to not over-serve. Over-serving in Puerto Rico would mean spilling a drink! haha AND in Colorado there is pay-at-the-pump! Oh how I had forgotten about that! And the police in Colorado were like strict authority figures whereas in Puerto Rico, they are just like you and me and will even stop and have a chat with you and ask about your day. Overall, I was just taken aback at how obedient, fear-based and orderly everything was. I missed the fun chaos and randomness of life while I was there. It all seemed very planned, correct and straight in comparison to la isla.
I had forgotten how into guns people are in Colorado/America
Puerto Rico “sample” of a drink was a full-sized super strong mixed drink as we waited in line to check out
In PR I won a chance on the roulette wheel after buying some stuff and was told to just basically choose my prize (that would never happen in CO)
Buses full of people “chinchorreando” going bar to bar to party in Puerto Rico
Random thing to see on a roof of a house driving around in PR
And of course hammocks are everywhere instead of porch swings!
We saw so many friends and family!
What I was reminded the most about our trip back to Colorado was how much I miss my friends and family. We have met so many beautiful souls in Puerto Rico, but there is nothing like family and friendships that you’ve had since you were a kid. I also know that even though everyone is very friendly to us I will always be an outsider here in Puerto Rico and that makes life a little harder. Overall, I am so grateful for the experiences I have been given in both places that are so near and dear to me no matter how far I roam.
Colorado and Puerto Rico. We can make comparisons but they are both two places that will always hold pieces of my heart!
We are visiting Colorado for the first time in nearly 6 years! We have a lot of things we wanted to do while we were here including visiting our properties, family (some hadn’t yet met Aeden) and Colorado. So many memories have come up and it is strange to see if from Puerto Rico eyes. I have definitely changed, or been changed by my time in Puerto Rico. I will get into more about our comparisons/contrasts later, but for now, here’s a little of what we’ve been up to. It’s the 4th of July in Colorado, a more “American” style vacation there couldn’t be. BBQs, ice cream, flags and fireworks, big trucks and overly polite people calling me a “gal” abound. It’s funny how easily we stepped back in. Some things have changed, but more have stayed the same.
Hasta Pronto, Puerto Rico! Taking a Cape Air Flight. Aeden’s first!
Rincon from the air
Colorado weather is so nice this time of year!
Aeden travels well even though he is teething and developed his first cold. A baby certainly complicates things!
Greeley Stampede is as fun as ever. We walked around the carnival a bit and saw REO Speedwagon!
Fun spending time with old friends like Lorena and Kelly
REO Speedwagon was fun even if I only knew 3 songs haha
S Family and Farmer’s Inn, it’s a tradition!
I had forgotten about squirrels! They’re so cute! (Puerto Rican “ardillas” are really mongoose!)
My 90+ year old grandma met her first GREAT grandbaby for the first time! 4 generations in this picture!
My brother met his only nephew too!
We went to Target!! haha
We visited the old houses we called home for a long time
So much food! I haven’t eaten steak in years! But we’re in cow country and not “lechon” anymore!
And there is just so much food in general it’s amazing!
Saw some bigfeet at the Dam Store
Pose like a tourist in Estes Park!
The mountains and drive were gorgeous! I do miss the mountains of CO!
Family in Estes Park
Fun at the Stanley Hotel -The inspiration for the movie The Shining
Today marked my last day as a Health Educator with the County. I’ve worked there nearly 8 years and made many friends and memories along the way. It was always a changing field and I did a variety of different jobs in my position. From tobacco education to H1N1 to healthy eating/active living to translations and interpretation and decreasing health disparities.
I helped to put on countless events,write articles, give speeches and presentations, host community forums, write grants, balance budgets, do inspections, promote best practices and policies, go to conferences and trainings and so much more. As I look back on all the projects we did, I am surprised by how much we really do!
It is hard to encapsulate what 8 years of doing anything is like, but my time doing it there has come to a close and a new chapter is just around the corner.
Some of the great co-workers in my division
I will miss many of my co-workers and friends and wish them well on their journey as Britton and I commence our new one together.
