Josie's questions

My friend and fellow blogger, Josie, has started a feature called "One Question Wednesday." Every Wednesday she will answer questions posed by her readers. For every question you ask Josie, she gets to ask one question in return. This is what she asked me yesterday:

Here's your One Question Wednesday question.... "If you had it to do over again, would you move so far away from home.... if your husband spoke Spanish would you try to talk him into relocating to Puerto Rico?" (I'm awarding myself a related bonus question, feel free to send me another too, if you want. :-) "What things do you miss most about Puerto Rico, what things do you like best about the US?

Below are my answers:

1- If you had to do it over again, would you move so far away from home? Absolutely. No doubt. You gotta go where life takes you. And in the grand scheme of things, Texas and Puerto Rico are not that terribly far from each other.

2- If your husband spoke Spanish would you try to talk him into relocating to Puerto Rico? Yes. But conditions would have to be right for that kind of move. I don't see the situation back home improving any time soon. And not only would Gabe need to learn Spanish, he would need to pass the local bar. On the other hand, right now he could practice locally at the Federal Court level if he wanted to.

3- What things do you miss most about Puerto Rico, what things do you like best about the US? I miss the ocean, I miss the mountains. I miss speaking Spanish every day, everywhere (Texas has a lot of Spanish speakers, but it is not the same). I miss the Caribbean flavor of my culture. I miss the playful sense of humor and the warmth. I miss the song of the coqui frog. I miss the food. More than anything, I miss my family. I don't miss the overcrowded conditions, the traffic, the local politics, the constant fear I lived in, the crappy salaries and lack of good jobs, the inefficient and bureaucratic government, the lack of foresight regarding economic development, and the dependency on the US.

As for what I like about being here, I like the fact that I have a good job with a good salary and benefits. I found my love here, and have a chance at having a family again. I like that I have met people from so many different countries since I have been living here. I like that my daughter can go to public school here and get a decent education. I like the pride of place that Texans have, I can see the similarity with Puerto Ricans' pride and love for our island. I like that most people here have been friendly to me, not rude. I like driving fast on the big, wide roads that just keep going and going. I like doing road trips and visiting beautiful places. What I don't like about here: the extreme individualism to the detriment of others; the rabid religious fanatism; the intolerance towards that which is different or not mainstream; the political direction this country has taken; the ignorance of some people regarding Puerto Rico.