sophie + the sea + lionfish hunting

Sophie went to the ocean a couple nights ago. It was time that we re-introduce her again (her first experience resulted in lots of sand intake and an emergency trip to the hospital). She loved it. I was reluctant to let her completely loose, but eventually I removed the leash and she chased driftwood into the ocean, tail wagging. She's always been a very adventurous dog! Bike riding, paddleboarding, air travel, kayaking, wave eating, car riding, chase anything kind of dog!

Our diving experience in Aguadilla was pretty fun! It was a mellow shore dive and we were the only ones out (except a few local Puerto Ricans who were very curious about our mission that day!!). Evan and I went down and immediately spotted a lionfish. He bought me this mini-spear called a "lion tamer" that a guy in Florida invented to easily kill lionfish. So after watching Evan take down the first one, it was my turn to try!! On my first shot, I got a little one! Then for the rest of the dive, I wanted to be the hunter and I let Evan take over the photography!

the lionfish!

Mine is the little one at the bottom

pretty purple piece of coral

Except, I wasn't successful again at capturing any more, but Evan speared a few more big ones. :) When we got back on shore, it attracted a lot of attention. We had several people stopping us on the beach to ask about the lionfish and to ask about diving. We felt like celebrities ! One woman even had her kids pose with us haha

our stash of 4 lionfish. Not bad for our first visit to this site!

cleaning the fish, sorry if this grosses you out!

seasoned and on the grill! And they were delicious!

Today is Friday and I'm ready for the weekend.  I want to relax and just enjoy this beautiful place!

plantiful weekend

I really appreciate everyone's interest in reading about our happenings here in Puerto Rico :) It's so nice to know that our friends and family have us in their thoughts!  You guys are blessings!!

It's been a little of struggle for me the past couple of days because I finally started to look into airline tickets home for Christmas. It is going to be very expensive for me to fly directly from Puerto Rico to Texas... so I've been considering stopping over in Florida briefly to maybe cut down on the cost. Of course, it would be even more ideal if I could then just drive from FL to TX, but that requires a car to be in FL and/or someone to drive from TX to FL to get me haha. Talk about a headache, right? Definitely resulted in some homesickness and anxiety about this coming Christmas.

This is part of a mural that was just painted in town. I'm trying
to figure out how to do panoramic stitching in my photo editing
so I can load the rest of the mural!

We are going to have some company over the next couple months - Evan's mom is coming to visit in late October, his cousin + her girlfriends are coming early November and our friends from Melbourne are coming for Thanksgiving. We will be pretty busy! It will be nice to have some familiar faces and old-time company though!

Pretty big lobster that Evan caught down in La Parguera.
I just wanted to show the comparison with Sophie!

Most of you know how much Evan loves to landscape and garden. I share the desire and the interest, which is a pretty fun hobby for the two of us. Yesterday, we went searching for some local nurseries and came across one off of 115. Owned by this older woman named Sally (except everyone calls her Mother because the nursery name translates to "mother's garden").

Sally's garden - LOTS to choose from!

Sally told us all about her plants and flowers, which ones took sun and which took shade. She also gave us a little Spanish lesson as she named the plants and we exchanged the English names of the flowers with her. We left with a beautiful, large yellow orchid for only $15 and a new friend!

Everyone puts their orchids in the trunks of the
palm trees. They need practically nothing once
they start to grow in the tree!

Tomorrow, Evan and I plan to go do a beach dive in Aguadilla (a little north of Rincon). I need to get underwater, as I haven't dove once since we moved here! I plan to bring my camera and take some photos - I hear there are seahorses and octopi around! I'll be sure to share with you later!

free to be me

One thing that I really love about moving to a new place is the chance to start over. I know that's an interesting mindset, but didn't you feel that way when you went off to college? No one knew you, so you basically got to discover yourself again - and usually truly find your real inner self? (Sorry, getting too hippie there, let me back away haha).

This morning I went for a run down 413 to a surf spot called Domes - it's called this because there is a dome-shaped nuclear building that remains there from the cold war (I believe that's the story, locals please correct me if I'm wrong). It used to house a nuclear missile to send to Russia if need-be. I'm pretty sure haha. Who knows if there is still radiation leaking from it but a lot of people surf there - in fact that's where I went to learn the other day that I paddled out, and then immediately back in.

Our porch with my hammock and make-shift clothesline. Perfect to dry towels during the warm days!

But anyways, while running I passed this old VW bus with the camper top parked in the lot of the Rincon lighthouse - El Faro. The bus is all painted with beautiful ocean landscapes. It was pretty obvious that the owners lived there and just moved from place to place. So then it got me thinking: how neat would it be to live such a carefree life?  Honestly, I wouldn't know what that felt like haha. I have to admit that my lifestyle has changed dramatically for the better since I've moved down here - I rush around less, I feel less stressed out, I can embrace who I am for what I am and I don't necessarily feel this huge amount of pressure to always perform beyond everyone's standards.

Delicious potato masala and coconut rice that we made one night

I was watching human planet last night. Talk about a show that makes you feel like you take everything in life for granted? haha. It's amazing what some people and cultures are capable of. I would love to visit these regions and truly learn from them. I know that many of you know that my biggest goal in life is to travel. I just want to experience the world from other people's perspectives. That's another reason why I like living here in Puerto Rico :) It's different enough to be a big change for me, but manageable in my neophyte stage of cultural understanding.

herb garden: tomatoes, basil, culantro, oregano, rosemary. Herbs grow great in pots here!

So as much as Puerto Rico provides new beginnings for myself and Evan alike, it's mostly just a chance for me to really hone in on some of the values that I put aside when I was hurriedly finishing my Masters thesis. For instance, my parents always called me the flower child. I was always the one concerned about  the baby rabbits living in the hole near the barn, or the trash that I would see on the side of the road... now I can work my hardest to live more sustainably and embrace the life around me. So hippie, I know! But it's great to actually see the results of that hard work :)

gaining momentum

My days here in Rincon are getting increasingly more busy.
I have now acquired a job working as a bartender at El Bohio (yes, believe it. I know it's not quite what I was ready for, but when you are still waiting on school loans and promised grant money... you make decisions that = income. let me rephrase that.. you make decisions that = income - anything sexual. there). I'm learning how to mix drinks that I don't even drink. Well, I don't drink much, period. I'm a weird bartender I guess haha. But I'm fun and upbeat!!

a little necklace I made for my shop! Found the driftwood at our beach!

I had my first interview in Spanish this week. Entrevista = interview. Las preguntas = questions. I applied for an internship position with SeaGrant for a job as a Guide & Coordinator of the new conservation teaching program: Amigos de Tres Palmas.
(Tres Palmas is the marine reserve that is right down from my house)

It was interesting. I went in and said, "Gracias para este opportunidad. Por favor, hable mas lento conmigo porque necessito un momento para comprender las prequentas. Mi espanol es limitado, pero estoy aprendiendo". Which means, "Thank you for this opportunity. Please speak slowly with me because I need a moment to understand the questions. My Spanish is limited, but I am learning". They smiled and said I could answer the questions in English.

Excellent. Except, I first had to understand the questions. Which I didn't. So the interview pretty much turned into an interview in English.They said I had everything they wanted... except I wasn't fluent in Spanish. Problemo. So I'm still waiting to hear the outcome of that entrevista.

a huge lobster that Evan caught!
Our first seafood catch since we've been here!

I certainly have been missing certain things about the states and sometimes this can be depressing... for instance, I miss:

• my church community in Palm Bay, FL. I haven't been able to really find a church here yet. It's mostly because I'm not quite as brave to venture out and look for one like I was in Melbourne. Will the service all be in Spanish?
• FOODS. I miss Indian food, Mediterranean food and really good pizza. I was able to find all these so close to me in Indialantic.
• My folks. They are currently in Africa on safari and I know they are having a blast, but I miss them. I usually converse with my mom every day and it's always odd when they go on vacations because I don't get that once-a-day unloading talk haha. 
• Chocolate pies from Trinity Lutheran in my hometown of Tyler, Texas.  I know I already mentioned that I miss food, but these chocolate pies are in a category of their own = heavenly.

But I've also experienced some really fun things this past week:

• Beginning to get over my fear of swimming in shorebreak. I went out with my new friend, Shannon, who convinced me to come swim over the shallow rock and reef with her, dipping under waves and letting them roll over me. She's training me, because the next step is adding a surfboard to the mix.
• Yoga with Evan on Monday. It was his first time to do it in a classroom setting, so I was stoked that I talked him into joining me.
• Mastering the headstand!!!! I know can finally do an inversion in my yoga practice!

Sophie is loving this nice outdoor weather! I woke her from a nap ~

It's hard to believe that we are nearing the end of September. Time has really flown past. I guess that means I've been having fun? haha. So what do you guys think? Anyone else made a huge move? How did you transition?

learning the hard way + new friends!

Evan and I have been in classes now for 3 weeks. We really enjoy two of our classes - but one is just a massive headache (mostly due to the professor). We don't enjoy waking up for his class (it's at 7:30am...); we don't enjoy sitting through the endless amount of bumper-to-bumper-every-morning traffic on PR-2 just to drive about 10 miles to the main campus. But most importantly, we don't enjoy being treated like mindless idiots. I have never - in my entire career in science - experienced a more condescending tone from a professor. I'm a Ph.D. student - this is completely unacceptable at this level of education. Something must be done. It will be written on his end-of-the-year evaluations.


But on a different note, we discovered that there is a much closer parking lot to our building then the one that we have been forced to park in the last couple days of class.... all the way out in Egypt. Takes 15 minutes to walk to class. Hah. Live and learn, I guess!

On a more happy note, we do see some of the most beautiful sunsets here. This is the first time that I've ever lived on a west coast. The sunsets are breathtaking. This is just a little lomo photo that I snapped quickly. It doesn't express the full intensity - the sky literally looks like someone painted it. Remember the Indian Paintbrush folklore? It reminded me of that :)

my collection of beachcombed items

We met new local friends last week! Evan met them through the Surfrider conservation work he did the other day. They invited us over for Tofu Tacos - new experience, but definitely tasty! It was there that I met Shannon, a local yoga instructor at La Paz (the yoga place that I've been wanting to try!). Not a bad deal - $8 for a local drop-in session. And she was great!!! I felt so relaxed and stretched out after a session with her! She also offered to teach me to surf - because you realize that I'm the only chick in Rincon that doesn't surf haha

the coolest Mercedes ever - a deep turquoise color. Gotta make it mine!

I'm going to go look for a job today - well, I'm going to go ask Banana Dang if they are hiring (our local coffee shop). I have two delicious recipes - one for scone and one for a dessert bar - that would be awesome on their menu. Need to see if they would hire a baker :)

Have a great weekend, friends!

the biggest move: part 3

Well I'm finally recouping from a horrible allergic reaction that unveiled itself on Wednesday and proceeded to worsen up through Friday morning. Horrible rash on my face (and talk about instantaneous - it keep getting worse in a matter of 15 minutes!) and horrible stomach pains and chest pains (those occured Wednesday and just didn't disappear). I had no idea what really caused it, although now I do have my speculations..

So Evan rushed me to the ER here in Rincon (which I didn't even know really existed, until we passed it on our way out of town to find a different ER... it's overgrown in the front and there aren't many lights outside.. this was 7:30 in the morning). The doctors and nurses were friendly and spoke decent English, so I was able to tell them over and over again that I was allergic to different strains of penicillin.. and actually, just don't give me any types of penicillin. So they hooked me up to an IV bag and pumped with benedryl. I've never had a faster recovery. In a matter of about 45 minutes, my rash was disappearing from my face and  I felt alot better on the inside too. They sent me home with some meds and I'm feeling much better now :)



Our transition has gotten much easier now; we are starting to pick up on some of the local dialect and we are getting exceptionally more confident about speaking in Spanish. Our house is coming together and we're both starting to get more active around the community! Today, Evan joined Surfrider down in Cayo Ron to do some coral transplanting and debris removal. He made me stay here to recoup more haha but I really want to be out on the water!! Jealous.

Finally got the car registered. Officially a Puerto Rican jeep now :)

We found a recycling center here in town and we deposited all our recyclables yesterday. Had to do all the sorting. Reminded me of the Flight of the Conchords skit, Business Time. Hah.
Hurray for sustainable living! We are also going to plant our own garden soon. AND we found a lime tree in our yard! There is also a banana or plantain tree too - we aren't sure which it is yet!

found this huge toad when Evan cut the grass. What's hiding in your yard?

We had our first experience with a hurricane here - Irene. Although, it wasn't too bad on the west coast where we are. We had some rain and wind, but nothing horrible. Some parts of the east coast of PR are actually still without power - they were also hit with lots of flooding and mudslides. Of course, once the storm passed, Evan and I made our way down to our beach to do some beachcombing. We were really successful in finding a huge piece of driftwood to make our driftwood headboard.

Flooded road after Irene.. and yes we had to drive through it..

It's great living so close to the beach, but still being somewhat protected in our little hill/valley. We go down to the beach and snorkel on our Elkhorn reefs a lot. Beautiful, fun, free.. what more could you ask for? I'm adjusting to this island life.

yeah, I'm a marine scientist but this urchin was biting me haha

I finally did find a thrift store in Aguadilla, but I haven't been in yet. There is also a Marshalls in Mayaguez - best store ever. Has definitely supplied most of our house so far. No IKEAs or Pottery Barns..  but it's not so bad. You learn how to make things yourself, or to utilize objects for another purpose - we are getting pretty good at that. It's nice to see what you can really live without.

Not everything is a necessity, especially material things. It's certainly more about the people around you :) And I'm certainly happy with that.

Well, this is going to be the last segment of my "biggest move" series. I've been here about a month now, so I'm done with "the move" more or less. I know I mentioned in the last post that I was going to tell you about school registration - but I think that would bore you haha. I'll start posting more about everyday life and places to visit/see/things to do and a multitude of others! For instance, the Proyecto Rincon Brilla (Beautiful Rincon Project). I'm excited to go visit this little piece of lush land and learn more about what their organization is doing in the community, and how I can get involved!

Thanks for reading! Let me know your comments or advice!!!