Kellie Rechlicz

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to experience the rich Puerto Rican culture first hand. I am also grateful that Dr. Torres decided to treat us with our hotel stay AFTER our stay in the country, and not vice versa. Actually, our stay in Orocovis, “the country,” was rather pleasant and relaxing. It was here that we had more time to appreciate the simplicity of rural life, and thus spent more time getting to know one another along with some of the locals. We were able to engage in a multitude of discussions with Dr. Torres’ family regarding topics such as cultural issues and politics, which allowed us to appreciate their unique experiences. Although I do not attend mass on a regular basis, I particularly enjoyed a service that was held in a church fairly close to our accommodations. It was a small church, but it was packed to the brim. I admired each and every individuals’ undivided attention and enthusiastic participation throughout the mass. I find the singing portion of the Catholic masses I am accustomed to to be particularly monotonous. That was not the case at the Orocovis service. If I had known the words and rhythm of the song, I would have loved to sing (even though my neighbor might not have enjoyed it). The songs were accompanied by culturally inspired percussion played over the speakers. The songs made me want to walk out of the mass a better person. The mass we attended was held on Mother’s Day, and it was really touching to experience the community’s appreciation for these hard working females. The mothers were applauded and led down the center aisle to receive some simple, yet heartfelt gifts.After soaking up the enchanting scenery of Orocovis for a week, we headed 1.5 hours northeast to San Juan. It is so neat to look at a map of Puerto Rico and match our pictures to the various areas we covered. I have come to realize that we covered quite a bit of the island during our brief two week stay. I absolutely adored Old San Juan. I’m a bit of a history buff, so I really enjoyed visiting the San Juan National Historic Site. El Morro, a massive defensive fortress, was built in 1539 to protect the port from enemies. It’s historic beauty was truly breathtaking. There was much to see in this area of the island, including many unique stores. It was difficult not to buy everything!