My brother recently turned 32 and although his birthday fell five months into a global pandemic, he refused to let it ruin his celebration. Popping my COVID-19 bubble, which had limited me to the grocery store and my apartment, I stepped outside of my comfort zone and joined him and a few others for our first trip to Puerto Rico.

With an itinerary full of exciting adventures, unique to the island of U.S. territory, we all packed and prepared for four days of fun and adventure. Due to the pandemic and tropical storm caution, many of the activities we had anticipated were cancelled and there was a 10 p.m. curfew and 7 p.m. deadline for alcohol purchases. None of those circumstances stopped us from enjoying our time together.

THE PROTOCOLS

Before boarding the plane to San Juan, the island’s capital, we all had to to be tested for Coronavirus within 72 hours of arrival and submit negative results, along with a travel declaration. I flew with American Airlines, and most seats were empty, in-flight service was limited and snacks were provided in a pre-packaged ziplock bag upon entrance.

I wasn’t sure how strictly the policy would be enforced upon entry, but I found out quickly. As the first of our party of five to land at the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport, I was greeted by representatives in COVID-19 prevention gear waiting to scan the completed form. For those who failed to complete it prior there was a long line and several representatives at socially-distanced tables waiting to collect the information before providing clearance to exit.

Similar to most states a mask and six-feet social distancing mandate was in order and strictly enforced. There were police officers and guards within every adventure we took ensuring that the rules were being followed. I hadn’t spent as many consecutive hours throughout the five-month course of the pandemic in a mask as I did within a four-day trip to Puerto Rico. Although I was appreciative that the island took the health and safety of visitors and residents seriously, it was very uncomfortable and felt suffocating.

In addition to mask-wearing and social distancing, before entering any business or restaurant on the island each visitor had to sanitize their hands and have their temperature taken.

THE FESTIVITIES

Although the possibilities were limited, we still enjoyed unique experiences. After everyone arrived on Thursday afternoon, we headed to a rented Airbnb, which was nicknamed by the hosts - “The Penthouse,” and kicked off the trip with a House Party. On Day 2 we enjoyed brunch at Donde Olga, visited a nearby beach and roamed the streets of San Juan before returning to “The Penthouse” to get ready for Trent’s Birthday Dinner.

Dressed in all-white per the request of the honoree,” we headed to Fogo De Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse, for a 6 p.m. reservation. We all enjoyed “The Experience,” a buffet including all-you-can eat fruits, vegetables, charcuterie, antipasto and more. From the fire to your plate, chefs serve a variety of meat options on a skewer including steak, chicken, pork, lamb and seafood. We tried everything, and the premium steak, black pepper candied bacon, Costela Beef Ribs and garlic mashed potatoes were all table favorites. We upgraded to the best steak offered for the celebration. Although I’m not a big fan of steak everyone else raved about it and thought it was worth paying triple the price of “The Experience” from $52-$150.

After dinner half of our crew called it a night while the others stayed up into the morning hours spending quality time together in conversation, laughs and more.

The third day we visited Old San Juan, a top recommendation from every website, blog and local we had encountered. It did not disappoint. With every new view and stop the excitement continued to grow.

We ended our time in Old San Juan with another recommended stop at Barrachina, home of the original Piña Colada, and it was amazing. After enjoying our delicious drinks we headed to our next destination, a boat tour including a snorkelling lesson. Although we weren’t able to experience the Caribbean by boat due to Coronavirus, my siblings and I accepted the alternative, private snorkeling lessons in the sea, beautiful sunset views and more quality time together. It was an awesome experience that definitely made me want to spend more time exploring the world under water. Prior to our return to “The Penthouse” for the evening, we picked up a light dinner from “The Food Truck” before another night of music, games, Puerto Rican wine, rum and more.

Before boarding our flights to come back to life on the mainland we enjoyed more beach and more brunch; both were an ideal way to end a great getaway.

THE LESSONS

Traveling during a pandemic is an experience I would’ve never taken on my own, but with a push from my big brother and little stopping me from going, I was reminded of a few lessons along the way.

1. You can be safe and have fun simultaneously. Wearing masks outdoors in humidity and heat was the worst part of the trip, but it was a cheap price to pay for the experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.

2. As long as you’re breathing life goes on, even during a pandemic. Seeing businesses operating, families traveling and life in motion was refreshing. It reminded me that there is more to 2020 than Zoom/Teams calls, grocery store runs and time in the comfort of our homes, if we allow ourselves to see and experience it.

3. Only you can limit your fun. With each cancellation or change of plans everyone in the group kept an open mind and continued to embrace new possibilities.

THE RECOMMENDATIONS

Although many plans were changed and cancelled, this summer trip was one that I don’t regret or take for granted. I’ve marked another destination travelled in my planner, and I hope to return soon for a fuller experience when the pandemic is over. If you’re planning a trip to the island, here are a few things I’d highly recommend.

1. Rent a car. Although there were mixed reviews of whether we should rent a car in my research before the trip, renting was one of the best decisions we made. It gave us flexibility and saved us time and money. We rented a Ford Explorer XLT and loved it. It was the perfect amount of space, and all of the technology features were awesome. My sister was our chauffeur for the entire trip and she repeatedly shared her approval and consideration for buying one of her own. After taxes and fees the rental was $245; that cost also included tolls, which we added to the package. Without it toll fees would run $50 per per toll because there’s no way to pay at the crossing.

2. Don’t forget to pack any of the following items or plan to purchase them upon arrival. They were all recommended and necessary.

   • Insect repellant: This was a recommendation for our visit to El Yunque Park, which was cancelled. Because we weren’t able to visit the park, I didn’t wear any and suffered because of it. I still have bumps from being bitten by insects.

   • Sunglasses & Sunscreen: It was very hot and we spent a lot of time exploring outdoors. Trent forgot to wear it one day and was masked, miserable and sunburned.

   • Rain Gear: Sporadic showers are common. Thankfully we never got caught outdoors when they happened.

   • Cash: All restaurants, food trucks and shops we visited weren’t able to accept credit or debit cards. It’s beneficial to go prepared with small bills.

3. Pick at least three attractions you want to see when visiting Old San Juan (a must) and surrounding islands. The sights of Puerto Rico are beautiful and invigorating and there’s so much to see. The time passed faster than we expected and it worked out perfectly that we were able to choose streets, monuments and attractions that were in one direction and explore additional stops along the way. There were several on our list that we didn’t get to see.

There’s much more I could and want to share. Be sure to subscribe to receive an update when new blogs are posted.

Have you traveled during the pandemic? Do you have any questions about my experience visiting Puerto Rico? Share below. I’d be happy to answer them. I hope you’re enjoying life during the pandemic while staying safe and healthy.

(Virtual) Hugs & Handshakes,

Jasmine C. Tate