Puerto Rico 1

Over a year ago during the spring of 2003 on my first co-op, I met a fellow co-op who is from the University of Mayaguez in Puerto Rico. During that time, we became good friends. Before we departed ways after the spring semester, he invited me, and another coworker and his fiancée, to his wedding that would be the weekend of July 4th 2004 in Puerto Rico. I thought that it was a nice offer and was definitely interested in visiting a Hispanic area. So I accepted the invitation. All of the planning was still in the air and I'm not even sure if he expected me to follow through with the plans of going.

A year passed with minimal contact between him and me. I still wanted to go to Puerto Rico. So, I gave him a call and asked suggestions for good airlines. He suggested American Airlines or Transmerridian. I chose Transmerridian and in February of 2004 I bought my ticket from Orlando to San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was up to me to coordinate with the other guy that was going to determine hotels, rental cars, and destinations to visit. I tried giving him a few calls and e-mails but no housing or rental car plans seemed to be solidifying. I was somewhat concerned on what would happen when we arrived in PR.

Two weeks before the trip, I still didn't have plans for hotels or transportation or where we would be going. Now I was becoming increasingly concerned. It was then that I got a message from my friend in Puerto Rico telling me that my coworker was now unable to go because of family medical problems. He told me in the voice message that if I had already made plans with the other guy that was going and was now unable to go that he would understand. When he left me this message, I guess that he didn't know that 1) I had already bought my plane ticket and 2) I had made no plans whatsoever. I gave him a call back and he sounded somewhat disappointed that the other guy and his fiancée were unable to go and was waiting to hear what my thoughts were. I told him, "David, I've already bought my ticket. I'm coming to Puerto Rico whether you want me to or not!"

He was happy to hear that and asked what plans I had made with my coworker. I told him that I didn't have any plans and that I had no idea what I was going to do. He laughed for a while and then said "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of everything. We'll just have a good time!" I couldn't believe how this all worked out. If I would have made hotel reservations and rental car reservations with my coworker, I would have been spending money in the first place, but now that he and his fiancée were unable to go, I'd be spending even more because it would just be me paying instead of the three of us splitting the cost. Now David says that he's going to provide all the transportation, housing, and food. It was a huge relief to know that everything will be taken care of going to this foreign place. I was definitely stoked about the trip!

...to be continued...