Puerto Rico

My trip was absolutely everything I expected it to be and more!! I really had a great time! My little sister came down Thursday night and got on a plane with me on Friday morning at 8 AM. We arrived in San Juan at 2:30 PM local time (1:30 PM EST). As you can see she is excited to be on this plane!We got a taxi that cost a small fortune took us to our hotel! We were anxious to get there and put away all of our bags so we could go explore!

We were staying in Old San Juan District. You know, cobble stone streets, beautiful architecture, etc. We get to the hotel and the lobby is BEAUTIFUL! It is all decked out for Christmas and the staff was really friendly! We get upstairs to our room and we are greeted by a room that smells like 50 old men were sitting around with brandy and a cigar (in our non smoking room, mind you)! YUCK. (and the smell NEVER got better.) But nevermind that, I looked out the window and what did I see??? PETER PAN! (the marina was right outside our window...it made me laugh...I actually had NO idea what this guy was doing!

So off to exploring we go! We went down to ask the concierge about some things to go see in walking distance on the island. He went through a lot of things, showed us a map, confused the heck out of us, and off we went! So really we just walked. A lot. And ended up nowhere. But we had a lot of fun in the process! We came across this overlook, with about a 50 foot drop into the ocean. Dangerous yes, but beauty comes with a price my friends!




We went into a few stores, walked around the town. Called it a night, but not before we found a Cold Stone! And of course had to get ice cream! We went to our rooms, tired and worn out, and decided the rooftop pool and hot tub was the night cap we needed!

I was so excited I could barely sleep the night before! I had trouble sleeping that night too. And despite the smell, the bed was REALLY comfortable. I loved it! I have a lot of issues going and sleeping in other places because of my back, but there were no problems!

The next morning I got up at 6 AM to get ready! I wanted to take a picture of me before I left to see Mr S, so I could show you the outfit (though it is hard to take a body length picture of yourself, so this is all you get!) and so I could send him a copy this week too!!


The process to getting in to see Mr S was quite the hassle interesting. It is a different experience to be in a place where all the social rules are different (and I mean this is just standing outside with all the women and children waiting to get in) and not being able to communicate at all well with others.

I arrived at 6:50 AM to begin the processing, and finally saw Mr S two hours later. I was watching all these different people walk in and I was so nervous! I kept thinking, oh my gosh, is that him? Am I going to recognize him? Why I was worried about that, I have no idea.

The minute he walked out, my heart leapt into my throat. He walked over to me and wrapped me up in the biggest hug. I cried my little heart out. (it makes me cry just remembering it) I have to tell you, even if some of you think it's sappy or mush or what have you...in that moment, everything was righted again. Literally I felt whole again.

We sat down, he was crying, I was still crying. Let me tell you, it was so odd, for the first few minutes to look at Mr S while he talked to me. When you talk to someone for nine months on the phone....well I just don't know how to explain it except to say that I sat there thinking, there he is. I knew he was there all along, this is how it's supposed to be. My God, I have missed that face.

I got to stay with Mr S for six hours. We talked, we laughed, we cried, laughed some more. The one thing I can tell you is everything else melted away. The other people, the noise, the guards, and for those few hours (despite the fact I had to sit across the table from him) everything was right. I was SO happy. Except there was to be minimal kissing (at the beginning and at the end), which does not suit me well at all, but I got a few in here and there. HA.

Leaving was terrible. It was so hard. I just wanted to stay with him, to be with him. It is so hard to walk away from someone you love, and leave them in such a terrible place, knowing that you are going back to your family, to safety, to life. I tried to be strong. I didn't cry a lot in front of him while leaving. I bawled the entire way home in the taxi (well except every other minute that I feared for my life--crazy drivers) and in the hotel. Mr S called me later and of course he could tell I had been crying. But he had good news! They had more visitation tomorrow from 12-3! I was so excited! My plane didn't leave until 4:45! I would have to leave early, but I'd be able to come!

I didn't actually get to see Mr S until almost 1, and I had to leave at 2:30, but I was so happy to have that little bit of extra time with him! It was like a little bonus! We really had a wonderful time together. We talked a lot about the future, our lives together. It is my deepest hope that we are going through this now and are able to find our happily ever after. That we continue to have the kind of love that they talk about in stories.

I know this has been a long post, but thank you all for being our cheerleaders and following along! I hope that I am back next month and that I can finally bring him home and start our lives!

Lastly, let me say this: I love my husband. He is by far, the best thing that has happened to me. I love him more than I day I married him, more than I did yesterday, and I will love him more tomorrow than today. I always feel a little guilty, but he is my strength. He guides me, he lifts me up, he tells me to be strong, to pray, to continue because it will all be over soon. He makes me want to be a better person every day so that I can be the kind of wife and mother he knows me to be. Whatever challenges we face, I know that we will always conquer them together, and that he will always be there for me, no matter what it might be. If I walk to the ends of the earth, he will always walk right beside me. He is my heart, my best friend, my eternal companion.