Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine October 2016 | Page 321

As part of the parades and
celebration, hundreds of horses
were brought into Aguada to
join in the procession. Some
were adorned in colorful
costumes, some donned their
everyday saddles as they trotted
proudly through the streets. The
owner of my hostel walked me
through town, introducing me
to local friends and business
owners. Aguada may be a small
town, but its arms are open
to guests. Beers were passed
in abundance throughout the
afternoon and nobody let my
cup stay empty for long.
With my professional
responsibilities and nine-to-five
routine looming somewhere
on the mainland, Puerto Rico
reminded me how enchanting
life’s simple pleasures really are:
the salty pounding of my heart
while rushing through a new
wave, the stories swapped with
strangers over cold beers, the
sublime feeling of watching the
sun fold into the horizon while
low beats of night music play in
the distance. Whenever I would
become entangled in the pattern
of “work, eat, sleep, repeat”, I
would know what I needed to
come back to.

The smoothie
man was right.
I will remember
him.
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