Choices

We chose to be here.

We picked Puerto Rico over going to a boat out of Washington or Toledo, Ohio.  The boat meant that I would have to be gone for six months out of the year for that tour. Ohio meant being at a tiny and terrible unit for four years. Puerto Rico meant being on a tropical island for three years.

We chose to be here.

In my mind coming here was like I was going to Hawaii or Tahiti for three years. That it would be all sunshine and blue water. We would be in paradise.

I never thought that I could be so wrong about a place. So clueless to the reality of it all.

Within the first two days of being on island I came to find out about the dangers that come with living here.  I was told of a woman being tied up at gun point and robbed in government housing, where we were going to be living. I was told of the Auxiliarist that was trying to fight off muggers and protect his girlfriend when they were both stabbed, him fatally. He was 17 and planned to join the CG once he graduated high school. And then there was all of the random acts of violence, including a friend that was walking down the street and got her IPod stolen at knife point just to hear that the kid was selling it for $20 a few hours later.

Within TWO days of being here I only learned a fraction of what Puerto Rico was capable of.

Again, we chose to be here.

I could go on and on telling you stories of friends getting robbed or jumped or hit and runs or drive by shootings but we might be here all day. So let’s move on.

Driving. There was a point in time where every day I would cry out of frustration and anger on my way to or from work. I have never seen so many people break so many traffic laws and the cops do nothing. I have been hit twice since being here and have had more close calls than days I have been on island. I have seen people STOPPED on the freeway, not pulled over but STOPPED. I have seen people who miss their exit and simply just throw it in reverse and go back to the exit. I have seen people turn a one lane exit into a three lane exit that merges and unmerges three times. That’s just the beginning.

Wait, we chose to be here!?!

Let’s just say,

I CAN’T FREAKING WAIT TO GET OUT OF HERE.

The place that we CHOSE to go to. The place that has hardened my heart. The place that I never want to return to.

Looking back there are so many other places that I would have rather gone but it is too late for that. All we have now is the future to look to and the beginning of our life back where we belong. The place we choose to be.