Glad I Went

Going to Puerto Rico was one of the most eye-opening experiences I have had in my life. I had the pleasure to work with peers who have gone through the same program I have and being able to see how much we have all grown. I got the chance to bring the charisma and energy that the people of Puerto Rico showed me back to New Jersey and into my service. Not only did I get to see locals smile and see how appreciative they were, I got to be appreciative to them for all they have given me. I learned how to be resilient in times of adversity, I learned you have to help others just as you would help yourself, and I learned how important a community is. There are countless other things that I learned and I am so grateful for it all.

Hope is alive...

        In order to do service you have to have hope in you. You can’t have a cynical bone in your body because if you did it would reflect in your work. This resilience has been a constant theme I have noticed in the locals of Puerto Rico. From our amazing tour guide Nani, to working with Titi in Yabucoa, to Francisco and Noel working with us at El Yunque, and to working with Manuel and Rafael at the Roosevelt Road Naval Base we have seen everyone full of hope and ready to continue to make change. 
         From the stories we have heard, the people of this island care about their home with everything in their being. They care so much that when Hurricane Maria hit they ensured they looked out for one another.  People were getting goods from the outskirts of the island and bringing it inland to those who needed it. In El Yunque we talked about how young volunteers were not common, but not because they didn’t care, they were just busy making changes in not public ways. They are different from us in that aspect. They will not do good work for the publicity that follows, the good work that gets done is because it NEEDS to get done. When I think about that I wonder if this is a direct relation to how the mainland treats Puerto Rico. There appears to be a bunch of redtape to stop Puerto Rico from growing such as the Jones Act, the Gag Law, or ensuring that foreign countries cannot supply direct aid, and the people who restricted them was the mainland. So in order to get around it the locals dedicate their lives and passions to restoring their home. I have loved the experience so far and I am beyond grateful I had the chance to be here and live this experience.

Pre-Reflection

1. What is your personal connection to Puerto Rico and how does their struggle relate to you personally and connect to your service? My personal connection to Puerto Rico is relatively close. As being someone who is not of Puerto Rican descent but have close family and friends who are, I felt the impact of Hurricane Maria. My close friend told me stories about how his family had to preserve through the aftermath of the storm but were very optimistic. In terms of my connection to PR and service is I want to go to an area that was affected by a natural disaster and help out in anyway I can.
2. Based on your reading of the Battle For Paradise, what were 1 or 2 key issues or policies that resonate with you and why? The one issue that resonated with me had to do with renewable energy in the country. I was fascinated to learn that PR was so dependent on fossil fuels. As I continued to read about Hurricane Maria and the damage it did to the city of Adjuntas, I could not believe only one building had power and that one building was the only one relying on renewable energy. A beautiful thing that came from this disaster was the country’s decision to push for renewable energy. I was happy to see that happen because fossil fuels are ruining our planet and everyone should be advocating for sustainable energy, just as PR is doing.
3. This trip to Puerto Rico has been inspired to help the island recover after the disaster of Hurricane Maria. Puerto Rico is an American Territory making its residents American Citizens like us, but they do not have the same rights and privileges. What do you hope to learn from this trip? I hope to hear from the people of PR. I want to hear about the ideas that they have to improve their country. At the end of the day, the people of PR should be allowed to decide on how their country is run and treated.

Can't wait to immerse myself!!

-Jason Miles