Get Me Out of Here!

​Chronicles of a Solo Vacation in Puerto Rico

In continuing to “get back to me”, I decided to take a breather. My choices were to take a few days off from work and stay home OR take this show on the road with a solo vacation. I have travel buddies, but I’ve always wanted to explore a new place alone. I see it as sort of a challenge and since it was super last minute, I didn’t want the trip to be based on whether or not someone could attend with me. The ironic thing is that stress, work, and COVID messing up my Summer creative plans led me to take this time away, which paid off big time for my mental health.

Throughout my search for deciding where to go, I wanted to visit a place I’d never been to. My choices were Venice Beach, CA; Somewhere else in California, and Puerto Rico. Long story short, Puerto Rico won. Although I was all set for a nice vacay on a beautiful island, there were certain protocols in place to get into the island:

• Fill out a travel declaration form
• Take a COVID test 72hrs before boarding the plane (Results were negative yay!)
• Wear a mask everywhere (Easy, I do it all the time in NYC)
• And adhere to the curfew guidelines 

The usual vacation for me is tourist attractions in the daytime, then at night….out to the streets for partying and dancing until the morning! But this time was different due to the mandatory curfew from the hours of 10 pm - 5 am and certain tourist attractions were not open for business. At first, it was a downer but just as life aligns with what we need, I needed to stay in place. Plus, my Airbnb had the BEST patio, I could stay out there ALL NIGHT and I did!

I was able to venture out into San Juan to explore the city along with patronizing restaurants with good food and drinks. The best part, Ocean Park BEACH! Who needs the nightlife when the beach gives the best vacation experience!?! I brought along my new tripod for pics (b/c it never happens if it doesn’t make it to the gram), drinks, and my music playlist. All ingredients to have regained peace, free me from worries, and throw them all into the ocean. As the sunset came, I headed to a good restaurant for more drinks and good food before retiring each day. 

Now, back to this lovely patio at my Airbnb. I never knew heaven could be on a balcony. Two hammock-style chairs, a dining room table to feel the breeze while I eat, and spacious areas to take good pics. My mornings were spent on the patio enjoying the fresh air and thinking of what I wanted to do that day. I stayed out there until 2 am, listening to music, face-timing friends, and watching one of my fav shows…Paternity Court with Lauren Lake! Everything I would do at home was magnified because of the refreshing atmosphere. 

It was very hard to leave this beautiful place and I’m already making plans to return before the end of the year. I accomplished everything I wanted by clearing my mind, relaxing, and just living in moments with beautiful views. My first solo vacay was a complete success. 

Thank you, Puerto Rico!

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The Blakk Dahlia (E. Alexcina Brown) is a New York City author/blogger from Macon, GA. Recently, she released the book series, the Heartbreak Diaries outlining different perspectives of heartbreak. The Dahlia Diaries is a lifestyle blog penned by The Blakk Dahlia, sharing her story in NYC along with life lessons and tips she's learned in her journey.