New Expat Experiences

I moved here about a year and half ago. Before moving I had never visited the island, but was very excited. My husband is military and when we married he was already slated to come here, so I had no choice in moving. Anyway, in my mind I was thinking of a relaxing tropical island with many beautiful places and a slow pace of life. We were coming from Pensacola, FL which is a very relaxed place.

We arrived in San Juan and I was excited to see the growth and all the things to do. We do, however, live on the west side of the island, which I also like. It is more of a slower pace, but still busier and more crowed than I imagined. I was a bit shocked about all of the buildings in disrepair and the way people always seem to be in a hurry when driving, I guess I was expecting it to be a bit calmer. I was also disappointed in the trash and littering that occurs here. That is pretty easy to fix if people would just start taking care of their island. It was also amazing to me that when we went into the government offices to get our car registered (in San Juan) that the workers said they didn't speak English, but the random gas station worker in Aguadilla does! UMMMM...not sure about that! It was a huge hassle getting our car paperwork processed, and we are military, so we didn't have to pay the tax. Thought it would be easier.

So, it was not what I expected, but there is good and bad everywhere. The good: beaches, weather, the experience of living somewhere that has a different culture and language, cool things to do outdoors, and there are some beautiful things to see. The bad: the driving, how hard it is to get the simplest thing done (car repairs, groceries, etc.), the food is not my favorite, the trash on the beaches, stray dogs, crime.

Ok..all that being said, there are areas here that are better than others, just like anywhere. Rincon, for example, is very laid-back. That is more like what I imagined the rest of the island to be like. I do, however, recognize that I am living here as a American and I can't expect it to be like the States. So I do try to appreciate it for it is and enjoy all the good things the island has to offer. If you are thinking of moving here just don't expect it to be too much like the States just because it is a U.S. territory. PR is unique and has it's own way of doing things, which is fine if you keep that in mind. The people, the driving, the food, the way business is conducted is all very different. I would totally recommend you come stay awhile in the area you are considering before moving here. I see so many people on this site that are thinking of moving here without really checking it out first. Please do your research! It can be a fun place to live if you have the resources and do your homework. Hope this helps!

sunkissedbliss,

Thanks for your feedback. It was very well put. Happy belated birthday.

Any others out there?

Gregg

It would be great to hear more stories from other people and their experiences!

I just moved to Aguada 3 days ago, but have visited Puerto Rico several times over the passed 5 years before deciding to do so.  I have also traveled a lot to other countries before deciding on PR. I suppose the jump from North East USA to Costa Rica just seemed too daunting because of the total language barrier.  I do a know a little Spanish, but not enough to hold a full conversation.  As sunkissedbliss said, it's strange that in the larger cities very little English is spoken, but here on the west coast,it seems almost everyone speaks SOME english. 

The move itself was quite stressful, but we expected it to be so I would just suggest that anyone considering such a move to be prepared for the unexpected.  We sold out home in NJ, both of our cars and most of our belongings.  We did have some stuff shipped via a company called Sea & Air.  We are still waiting for our things to arrive, but we are happy to have free storage for a month, as we are currently waiting for our permanent home to be finished being built.  In the meantime, we are in another rental property just across the street from our final home which is directly on the beach in Aguada.  It's breath taking and worth the wait.  The stress of the move is gone however, PR has a way of making you live in the moment, good or bad.  We just try to laugh a lot at all of the things we are not used to and look forward to the day that those things seem ordinary.

Yesterday (Sunday) I noticed for the first time that Sunday's are HUGE travel days here on the west coast and the beaches are packed with families just having fun and kicking back. That being said, it is a nightmare just trying to run to the store. Lesson learned; stay home on Sundays if at all possible lol.  The stray dogs also baffle me.  We have our dog and cat with us here and had to go through a HUGE process of shots and certificates in order to bring them with us, only to find a dozen or so strays in and out of our property here in Aguada.  The reason being is that the neighborhood sort of adopts theses dogs; feeding them, giving them water, and even putting out dog beds on the street.  I couldn't even imagine with scenario in the states.  But in the big picture I suppose it's a minor inconvenience shooing them away.

Our next task is buying a used SUV and scooter and getting established with some sort of work (for me).  I am not ready to live on permanent vacation, but I suppose it would be fine for some people, I'm just not one of them.  Networking will be huge in this area so I will be reaching out to as many of you as possible!  Please look for my messages and feel free to email me here or on my personal email.  [email protected]