One New Thing #: Going to San Juan, Puerto Rico for WORK

What: doing social media for #FeministPhotoVaycay with Here Now Magic

Where: San Juan, Puerto Rico

Cost: Retreat costs + flight (~900)

Fave thing: Getting to do my favorite thing (Insta stories) in a new country for WORK!

Here’s a short summary of this whole trip:

#feministphotovaycay is a retreat for feminist photographers. It’s been happening for a few years now and each year, the group goes to a really cool location for time to chat business, get away, chill, and photograph. Run by my friend and biz summit schemer Carly Romeo, it’s now a part of her new retreat business, Here Now Magic - using the internet to connect in real life: exploring the magic of being here, now.
We started chatting back in November about how good I am at stories and how it could be a useful tool for business. Carly invited me along to help tell the story of the retreat. Since I have never been to Puerto Rico and saying yes to travel in 2020 is part of my personal pledge, I had to go.

How cool is it that I basically got to do something I really love (Instagram) in a really awesome place while traveling and meeting cool people? Sign me up!

Because of the nature of the trip, I didn’t explore Puerto Rico itself as much as I would on a regular trip (all the more reason to go back!), but what I did see I loved. From how easy it was to get there (no passport or long travel time required), to the ease of language (most people spoke English), to how easy it was to get around and see it all.

And of course, being a big water and sun person, the Caribbean blue water, sound of surf, and numerous palm trees warmed (literally) my heart. It rained nearly every day while we were there, but we took it in stride as just a thing that happens.

Also there were cats - I heard this going in, but was quite surprised (and let’s be real, ecstatic) when on my daily walks through the neighborhood, cats started popping out of houses, courtyards, and the like. They were pretty skittish and some obviously loved a good cat fight, but still, it was VERY hard not to pet them all.

Old San Juan was literally a dream - steep streets, colorful buildings, cobblestones - it just oozed historic beauty.

The retreat itself went so well - we had 20 women in one huge apartment. There was structured time for family meals, shooting, conversations, and creative exploration as well as lots of down time to go to the beach, relax, or explore.

Week 2 of the retreat ended up being cancelled due to COVID-19, but stay tuned for details on the Here Now Magic Arizona artists escape trip - they’re headed to the desert and I can’t think of a more magical place to unwind and reconnect.

One New Thing #10: Puerto Rico for #FeministPhotoVaycay with Here Now Magic