This spring break, I traveled with my family to Puerto Rico—a place that’s been on my list for a long time. Being there felt surprisingly familiar. Some things reminded me of Spain, like the architecture of Old San Juan and the Mallorca bread (also known as ensaimadas). But there were also strong connections to my time living in New York and the many Puerto Ricans I met there.

We started the trip in Old San Juan, visiting Castillo El Morro and Castillo San Cristóbal, both recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Most of our time was spent walking around the streets and admiring the colorful houses. Many of these buildings feature pastel façades, wrought-iron balconies, and traditional wooden doors—classic elements of Spanish colonial architecture adapted to the Caribbean climate. I took lots of pictures, and I plan to create some prints inspired by these streets.

Despite the heat and the logistics of traveling with kids, I managed to do a few quick sketches. I focused mostly on colorful houses and beaches with turquoise water. I often do quick sketches on location and finish them later at home, but we experienced a two-day power outage during our trip, so I haven’t been able to complete them just yet.

There’s also a personal connection to Puerto Rico. My grandfather was born in San Juan in 1919 by chance—his father was a writer touring South America with his theater company. While my grandfather never returned to the island, he kept the Puerto Rican flag in his room from when he was born. A couple of weeks before our trip, my father found his birth certificate. It mentioned Santurce, the neighborhood where he was born, but no hospital, which likely means he was born at home. Coincidentally, the apartment we rented was in Santurce too. It was interesting to know we had both been in the same place, almost a hundred years apart.

After San Juan, we stayed in Las Croabas, near Fajardo, and made day trips from there. Some highlights of the trip included:

Mosquito Bay on Vieques, one of the bioluminescent bays on the island.
Flamenco Beach on Culebra Island.
Caracas Beach in Vieques, with calm water and beautiful scenery.
El Yunque Forest, where we did some hiking and saw waterfalls. We also did a scavenger hunt available on the forest’s website, which was a fun activity for the kids. We looked for mushrooms, tree hollows, birds, and other things hidden in the lush vegetation.