I lay on the sand of Luquillo Beach, warmed by the sun and lulled by the whoosh of incoming waves — just as I'd done here before, in my carefree, pre-parenthood days. Puerto Rico was 80 degrees warmer than blizzarding Minnesota. And here I was, basking like an iguana.
Between the winter and spring breaks of last year, my kids, now 4 and 7, spent nearly as much time out of school as in it (COVID closure, teachers' strike, various holidays). That made the work/child-care juggle especially stressful. I vowed that this winter would be different: We'd build in a break by taking our first real vacation as a family of four.
A decade ago, when I lacked an entourage, I'd visited Puerto Rico with friends. Our activities — ocean swims, kayak paddles, rainforest hikes, ferry rides, food-stall meals — seemed more kid-friendly than big-city art museums and elegant bistros.
