That one time I moved to Puerto Rico
I moved to Puerto Rico!
And then I promptly fell of the face of the earth, blog wise.
I apologize, but becoming a (pseudo) expat in Puerto Rico was WAY more stressful than I had anticipated. I figured that after moving to Argentina completely on my own, moving to Puerto Rico (which is still a part of the US and thus does not require nearly as much paperwork) alongside Pedro, a Puerto Rican native, would be super easy.
Wrong. So wrong
Things that totally complicated this entire crazy move:
1. This is a freaking island.
Ok, obviously, I knew that before moving here (though I am very sad to say more than one person asked me if I planned on driving here…) but I didn’t think about some of the complications this would cause. I knew we couldn’t move our furniture here, but I didn’t account for the fact that a lot of furniture and appliances are pricer because (duh) people have to ship them to this island. Do you know how expensive refrigerators are guys? DO YOU?!
When Pedro and I first moved here we went to Sears to look at fridges. We laughed at the high prices. Then we cried.
Then we seriously considered just buying 3 coolers and filling them with ice everyday.
The good news is, we found a reasonably priced fridge and we have a mostly furnished house now, hooray!
2. These people take Social Security Cards seriously.
Before moving to Puerto Rico, I had been asked for my Social Security card literally one time, and that was to get my passport. Here in PR, you need your Social Security card for everything from turning on your electricity to opening a bank account. I stupidly left this important document at home in Missouri with my mother, which meant my first couple of months in Puerto Rico I was tied to Pedro in every task because I had to hide behind his Social Security card.
3. I work from home and have exactly zero friends.
Working from home is great and it was the freedom of remote work that allowed me to just pick up and move to Puerto Rico in the first place, but when it comes to making friends, leaving the house is pretty essential. Pedro is from here, so he has his entire family as well as friends from his entire life. I basically spend my time begging Pedro to look closely at his friends’ wives’ hair to see if they could maybe recommend where to get a good haircut. Or maybe see if any wives of his friends are also interested in binge watching Netflix or getting drunk on the beach. I’m so lonely guys.
I’ve been trying to find people to hang out with via meetup.com and CouchSurfing, but I have not had much luck. This did not help me deal with my stress levels from the big move.
Me and my BFF in Puerto Rico, aka Pedro’s 3 year old nephew, Noah. PS We were playing with fake snow. We do not have severe dandruff or lice.
But things are looking up
Slowly, this place is feeling more like home. I think the biggest difference between my move to Argentina and my move to Puerto Rico was I did not get a honeymoon phase. When I moved to Argentina, I was so in love with the place and just amazed by the new-ness of it all, plus I had planned every single detail months in advance like the insane workaholic I once was. My arrival to Puerto Rico was a lot more algarete, as the locals would say – basically, a total unorganized shitshow.
I’m about to celebrate Christmas in Puerto Rico for the first time, and it feels weird and yet somehow it also feels like it is solidifying my life here. I plan to be here for the next couple of years, so it’s time I start settling in and getting into a better routine. I’m not quite to the point where I can go back on a regular blogging schedule, but you can expect to here more from me from now on. I also suggest following me on on Twitter and Instagram, as I am always active there!
