Civic Duty...

I spent the day at jury duty - for the first time in my life. I have been summoned every year for as long as I can remember but I was either a student or working... so I have always gotten out of it. I literally had no idea what to expect... seriously I even called my Mom this morning to consult on what to wear - I know - I am that ridiculous! But the most experience I had with jury duty was watching Carrie Bradshaw serve her civic duty on SATC... when she encountered the man that would bring a different piece if fruit each day in his briefcase - no ordinary fruit but fruits like a coconut and a mango - so I knew I would be in a treat for the people watching aspect... there were some positive things to come out of jury duty... I caught up on every one's blogs (I luckily brought my laptop) and also got a two hour break in which I got to a chance to catch up with my good friend, KO... so the day wasn't a total loss :-)

Spooktacular Recap...

So I got home from Puerto Rico just in time to partake in my favorite holiday... Halloween! In my personal opinion there is nothing better than a holiday that requires everyone to dress up... anyone that knows me knows that I love any party with a theme... also I went to school in Santa Barbara which boosts the largest college Halloween festivities in the country - seriously look it up! Anyways getting home just in time for Saturday's festivities meant I didn't leave much time for figuring out a costume... I made a trip down to the thrift shop to see what I could come up with... I am totally against spending $50 on a costume - not to mention that buying a bagged costume at a Halloween store almost automatically guarantees you that you will run into your twin on the street...

So... I decided I would be a flapper... in my 28 years of dressing up... I surprisingly have never been a flapper... grabbed a black slip at the thrift shop for $2 and made my way to the fabric store... quick stop at Michael's for a boa and then came home and got to work - made my finishing touches just in time for my friend's party!

Time Flies When You Are Having Rum...

Back to reality... boo! I had a blast in Puerto Rico - amazing weather... crystal blue water... all the rum a girl could ever dream of! The boyfriend was mostly busy during the days - his company brought the first major surf competition to Puerto Rican waters - so needless to say he was extremely busy, which was fine by me - I spent my days bronzing in the sun... frolicking in the 85 degree water (seriously heaven!) and catching up on all of my magazines and read a book (The Recessionistas - highly recommend).

We landed in San Juan and spent the first half of my trip there. I seriously fell in love with this city! The downtown area, Old San Juan, is amazing. From it's cobblestone streets to the multiple fortresses that still stand dating back many centuries to the impressive governor's mansion - there is so much rich history in such a small radius. The beaches are picturesque... they seriously look like they are straight off a post card!

The second half of my trip we traveled to Aguadilla. This is where the contest is being held. This area is literally a 180 from San Juan. It is located in the north west of the island. In San Juan you could feel the hustle and bustle of the city... Aguadilla was much quieter... actually an understatement - it was sleepy! The water was also polar opposite from the crystal blue, serene waters of San Juan. Aguadilla's coastlines were much more rough.

I enjoyed numerous yummy meals filled with Puerto Rican eats... like plantain chips, mofongo and churrasco!

Overall, it was a fabulous trip and am already looking forward to my next visit!