Puerto Rico time

This past week I flew to Puerto Rico to attend a literature seminar at the Universidad del Turabo, where my mom works as coordinator for the reading room created in her and my dad's honor. The lovely room contains many of the books my dad read and owned, and many of my mom's, too, and it's an ideal place to gather to think about and to enjoy literature. I decided to go because the person who gave the seminar, Mercedes López Baralt, is one of the most renowned scholars on the island and I just couldn't miss the chance to take a two-day class with her! And I wasn't disappointed. It was a great experience and I feel so privileged to be part of such an amazing group, led by my mom, of Puerto Rican professors at the UT.

Not only was the seminar terrific but the campus of the UT is a lovely place, including this glorious ceiba, native to the island, one of the few that remains.

My mom gave out certificates of participation and I got one, too!

My mom and I went to Bebo's for dinner, in Santurce, a place that specializes in Puerto Rican food. I was able to order a scrumptious salmorejo de jueyes with tostones de pana, my favorites! And we capped it all with the best flan de coco I've ever had. Bebo's has definitely become a "must eat there" kind of place when we go to the island.

This is the time of year when the flamboyanes and the trinitarias are at their most glorious and they were a delight to the eyes.

This is a short video I took of the Puerto Rican night, serenaded by our tiny coquíes, the tree frogs that make island nights so different from anywhere else in the world.

It was a short trip, only four days, two of which I spent at the seminar. Saturday I got to reconnect with an old college friend I hadn't seen in 14 years. That was rather bittersweet because while he was very important to me during my college years and was a true and supportive friend, he didn't remember any of the stories I told him of what a good friend he was to me. It's one of those lessons in life when you realize that someone may mean a lot to you but you may not even register in their (long term) radar. 

And that's perfectly alright. 

Then on Sunday, I was up before dawn to catch a flight back home. No matter how much I enjoy being away, returning to Ohio, to my beloved husband and furry children, is always the best part of leaving.