I moved from New Jersey to Puerto Rico for a whirlwind romance. I felt a lot of culture shock, but I miss the island now that I'm gone.

12.09.2024 - 18:49 / insider.com

At age 21, my frigid home state of New Jersey was pretty much all I knew. That is, until I downloaded Tinder.

My swipe right on a dating app turned into a whirlwind romance with a guy from Peru. A year and a half into our relationship, he accepted a job requiring relocation to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and I accepted his invitation to join him.

So, I packed my bags and headed out to experience a new way of living. Here are the biggest differences and culture shocks I experienced while living in Puerto Rico.

As many New Jersey residents know, blunt and brusque interactions are the norm in the Tristate area. We keep our interactions efficient and to the point.

In some places, like Manhattan, keeping to myself as much as possible served me well. But these old habits made me feel like a fish out of water in Puerto Rico.

One of the first things I noticed when I moved was how friendly the people I met inSan Juan were. Whether heading to the grocery store or out for a stroll, I was greeted by a hearty "Buen día" or "Buenas tardes" and a smile.

Soon enough, I became comfortable greeting others on the street and more open to interactions with strangers.

My mealtimes in northern New Jersey were often hasty endeavors, filled with clipped conversation overshadowed by looming to-do list dread. This urgency was reflected in many of my grab-and-go food choices, such as pizza slices and Taylor ham, egg, and cheese bagel sandwiches.

But in Puerto Rico, many people I ate with encouraged diners to sit down and actually enjoy their food. Though long mealtimes aren't unheard of in New Jersey, it had been a while since I'd been present for a full meal.

During my stay, I enjoyed foods like mofongo con camarones (crispy plantains and shrimp served alongside vegetables, rice, and beans) and tembleque (a coconut pudding).

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Every dish was delectable, with different savory, rich, and vibrant notes coming to life with each bite. But most of all, I appreciated my ability to let go of my preference for rushed mealtimes.

With just a few beginner's Spanish lessons under my belt, diving headfirst into an atmosphere where nearly 95% of the population speaks Spanish felt disorienting.

I purchased a premium Duolingo subscription and ritualized my morning sessions, taking meticulous notes on my ever-growing Spanish vocabulary. Then, I started using it — my first big achievement was ordering un café con leche at my local coffee shop.

Though it was initially petrifying, stepping out of my comfort zone helped me learn the new language. Much to my surprise, many people encouraged my efforts to speak in their native tongue, excusing my grammatical errors with kindness and understanding.

I was used to blunt, to-the-point