For sake of comparison and a spot on the floor

4724 – March 28, 2024

Our current unit at night with the veranda and broken awning visible on the upper level.

Far be it from me to complain about being invited to stay with family in Puerto Rico.

This is the third year we have had the lovely opportunity of being with family on the northwestern coast of the island of Puerto Rico. We are staying in the same complex as before, but this year, unlike the previous two, we are in a townhouse that is easily compared with the one in which we spent the first two times of this experience. It is in a beautiful, gated community in which all of the buildings have four units. I believe that each one has its own particular characteristics. The current one has one bedroom less and its open veranda on the upper level does not openly view the sea. It is much smaller in size. The TV/sitting room in the previous seems smaller than the one we had in the other house and it is the home to a queen sized bed, the one in which we are sleeping. Despite being pretty comfortable, this one has two beds that are clearly less comfortable than in the previous stays. Our kitchen here has fewer amenities, for example there is no dishwasher, something I find hard to believe, and when we went to open up the cream of coconut can and the pineapple juice for a Piña Colada, we found that luckily one of us had brought a Leatherman to open it up in a very old school way. I am glad my son brought it. The previous abode had music readily available via a tablet and so many chairs and beach items, we could not believe it. We are equally thankful that we brought our collapsible Helinox chairs for beach time.

I need to reiterate that I am not complaining. It is just clear that our previous ‘townhouse’ was so much more inviting and I haven’t even gone into the whole situation. I suppose the biggest disappointment is that the upstairs, open air veranda did not have a dining table like the previous rental. We really enjoyed going up the steps to eat outside, see and hear the surf.

Apparently, the unit of the first two years has been tentatively rented for next year and, would you believe, it costs less than this one.

This all proves that family is the most meaningful and important part of this vacation mix.

Now for a little aside on my OCD status. This has to do with the current rental. We have a powder room on the ground level that had, when you are seated, a spot near the door where the hinges are. There was a very dark spot on the floor that unfortunately caught my eye. Today I got down on all fours and managed to remove what seemed to be a spot of varnish from the floor tile. It made me happy. There must be something wrong with me.

Mourning doves are calling as we sit outside. The grandgirls are still sleeping, or at least moving very slowly in the unit. Their parents are down at the beach. I will miss this vacation break and the ‘buenas vibras’ or good vibes of this island.