Isla del Encanto

For two nights in a row, I’ve gone for a night stroll along the beach behind my hotel. There is something about the sea, something in the way its waves steadily crash into the shore, something in the way it appears to go on forever into the horizon, something about touching the salty water and feeling the ocean breeze on my face, that brings contentment to my soul.

There is a power and a peace in the sea that brings me back to a proper view of myself. I feel so small as I consider the expanse of the ocean, I feel so powerless as I feel the remarkable strength of even a minimal undertow, and yet watching and being close to the ocean brings a wonderful quietude as I ponder its qualities and I reminisce upon previous moments in my life when I was also privileged to sit back and gaze upon these waters. Perhaps in this way the sea is also a great constant in my life, its qualities don’t change, even as I progress and regress through this life.

Alas, but the Caribbean Sea is not the only reason for which I find myself in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Indeed, I am mostly here at the behest of my employer to complete an audit of the local operation. It’s too bad, really. At least I’ll have this Saturday and Sunday to look forward to as my days on the beach!

Going back in Time to Labor Day Weekend
For the fifth late summer/autumn in a row, my cousin and I went to visit our uncle and aunt in San Mateo, California. Also for the fifth year in a row, we brought an adopted cousin, although this year we brought someone new to the tradition: Mark. No worries, though, Devlin (while in India) participated in our kickoff Friday evening dinner via one of the wonders of late 19th century technology … the telephone!

Chris, Mark and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner on Friday night courtesy of our Aunt Christine, who undoubtedly knows what she’s doing in the kitchen. Before, during and after our meal we shared great stories from the past year and plans for the years to come, as well as a good amount of lighthearted balderdash. After breakfast on Saturday, we nephews headed up to San Francisco for a day of shopping on Haight Street, and a night of dining (Left at Albuquerque) and revelry in the Union and Fillmore area of the city.

On Sunday Morning, we woke up relatively early and had breakfast at a place that proudly served the city’s best wheat cakes before we went up to visit our cousin and his boyfriend up in Duncans Mills. Duncans Mills is a charming little town of less than one hundred people. One hundred years ago, the town was full of the lumberjacks that would eventually clear the surrounding mountains of its old-growth redwoods, now it’s home to some of their descendants as well as some well-to-do Bay Area residents who come up to enjoy the area on weekends. We spent the afternoon lunching at our cousin’s place, then we kayaked in the Russian River, and finally, after dinner, we stopped at a bar in Guerneville before bidding farewell to our cousin and friends and heading back to the our uncle and aunt’s house.

On Monday we deservedly slept in a little, bummed around the house, and then spent a lovely afternoon visiting our cousin Justin and his family.

It was good to see everyone again. Unfortunately, I tend to see my west coast family only once or twice a year, but I like to think that we make the most of it! And if it wasn’t for these darn trips to San Juan, Puerto Rico I would certainly try to visit more often!!

Between Trips
Upon my return to the office on Wednesday, I rushed around the office to try to catch up on lagging issues before heading to San Juan. I almost caught up, but the point is that I made it to Puerto Rico. And now that I’m here, I’d like to take the opportunity to share that Puerto Rico might be one of the best places on earth to live. It’s tropical, Spanish is the official language, many people also speak English, Puerto Rican citizens are also U.S. citizens, and the economy is not overly reliant upon tourism as many other Caribbean nations are. The only downside might be that they do not get to vote for their head of state (the U.S. president), nor do they have representation in the legislative body that sets their laws (the U.S. Congress), but in exchange for that, they do not pay any federal income taxes. I don’t know about you, but I’d say that’s a pretty good deal… Hmmm… as I continue working on this audit, I just might have to do a little lobbying for a job!