In between my dance performance, my internship with the Laundromat Project, and all the summer excitement, I was able to sneak away for a bit to journey to the Caribbean. A close friend of mines spent this past semester studying at University of Puerto Rico. Towards the end of the semester she got a internship and spent a few more months on the island.
If you haven’t ever been, let me just tell you, Puerto Rico is beautiful. The nature is majestic, the people are unbelievably kind and open, and the culture is vibrant. While I was there I went night kayaking to the Bioluminescent Bay, met a local who showed me this secret beach cave, danced salsa until 3 am, played Dominos until 1, ate lots of fresh picked fruit and monfongo *popular food in the Caribbean*, and felt to calm and rejuvenated upon my return home.
Apart of this calmness was being by the water, though another part was because I had gotten used to operating on island time. In Puerto Rico the transpiration is slow, and I mean really slow. There’s no real set schedule for buses, and some would only come once hourly, if you were lucky.
The slow pace took time getting used to, but once I released my need for everything to happen immediately, I began enjoying the pace. I was present and aware in a way that’s hard for me to find while in the city. Since my trip I’ve been reflecting on how to bring this same awareness to my daily life.
What about you? What have you experience this summer that you want to bring into your fall?
All Things Color, Love & Fashion,
Ayanna Lane