Family - Where is HOME to you?

For the past two weeks I have been in Puerto Rico. Not only was this a vacation, but also a moment to visit the family I have there. My mom, my grandparents, my aunt, my Godmother, my grand-aunt, my cousins. Going back to the place I grew up in, where I played as a child, where I met my husband, where we got married. Eating my favorite ice cream, Guánabana, from the Chinese Ice Cream Store and being able to share this with my girls.


We went to the beach, ate surullitos and cheese balls, and empanadillas de pizza over and over and over. I didn't seem to get sick of them.

I walked through the town that saw me grow up, and all the memories flooded my heart. I saw my grandparents almost in their 90's and I couldn't help myself from hugging them each day and be so grateful to have them still in my life.

I was able to newly appreciate my cousins, some which I had not seen in many years, and I was touched at how nice they were with me and how I was able to relate to them at a very different level now as an adult and how familiar everything felt.

I loved being able to see my friend Ingrid, and speak on the phone with Ricardo who was my great friend since kindergarten. 

Puerto Rico to me is my family, it is part of who I am, it is in my blood. It's where everything began. It was strange to see face to face the places that appear on my recurring dreams and at times it felt as if I was indeed walking through very vivid dreams.


But in Puerto Rico, Juaco, a friend of the family asked me: "Where is HOME to you? Brooklyn or Puerto Rico?" and I answered: "Where my husband and my children are." Because even though my beginnings are in Puerto Rico, my heart lies with my husband and my girls, and with out them, it wouldn't be home.

Where is HOME to you?

I leave you with a picture of the Calle Luna the main street of the town of San German with a beautiful sky