Where do I even begin? So many life updates and changes. The biggest one yet is, of course, Puerto Rico. Never would I have ever thought I’d be living on an island! I’ve only ever lived in California, prior to this. Now that we’ve been here for 3 months, I can wholeheartedly say we moved to the most perfect place. It truly is la isla de encanto. Below I’ve pulled some questions that you guys have asked me about this move and decided to answer them and share some insight about this place. (PSA: thank you so much for submitting these questions. As always, if anyone has any more, please feel free to comment below) You can also DM me if you ever need recommendations or anything @MrsSunBunz.
Why?
My husband and I had been playing with the idea of moving to Puerto Rico during summer of 2020. (The worst year by far, am I right?). My husband presented the idea of relocating his business and us alongside it. I thought it was a little crazy at first, but when we did more research and found out how much more affordable it is to live out in PR (and how much money he could save on taxes), it was a given. We wanted a better quality of life. Somewhere we can enjoy living and eventually raise a family. For those curious, my husband owns an advertising business and can pretty much work from anywhere as long as he has Wi-Fi.
How did we choose what part of PR to live in?
Thankfully, my husband has friends already living here, and they helped us look at places while we were still living in Los Angeles. (Shout out to Christine). We’re in a cute, little suburban town about 20 minutes from San Juan called, Guaynabo. I’ll link a map below just so you guys can get an idea of where we are. I also had a few questions about costs of living in comparison to LA so for reference (and for the curious minds): we bought a 3,000 square foot condo for around $380k. What sold us is that for this price, we get to live in a gated community, with a dog park (plus the pool and gym were nice too). Also, we’re down the street from one of the best veterinary hospitals. Can you guys tell that I’m a crazy dog mom now?
Is it safe?
Very. We had more crime happening while living in Brentwood.
Would you ever consider permanently staying in PR?
So the plan at first was to rent and test it out for a year or so, just to see if we liked it. Funny enough, when we were looking at places to rent, we found it WAY more affordable to buy versus rent. Now that we have a place and actually love living here, we don’t plan on leaving any time soon.
Biggest pro/con to moving to PR?
Biggest con right off the bat is the cost of electricity. Since it’s really hot out here and everything is electrical, a/c units, stoves, etc., the electric bill can really add up. We’ve heard horror stories from friends who live here who say their bill can be up to $600/month in the summer time. For the record (and for my husbands sanity), I don’t use the a/c units *often. Biggest pro, besides the affordable homes, would be the Caribbean water. It’s the bluest, warmest water I’ve ever been in. And it’s just a short drive away.
*often can be used very loosely
How’s the community?
Puerto Rican people, in general, are some of the best people I’ve ever met! They’ve been so welcoming and helpful. All of our neighbors greet us when we walk past each other. People love when my husband makes an effort to speak Spanish, too. I definitely feel a sense of community here in comparison to LA.
Favorite site to see/visit?
So far we’ve only been to Cayo Icacos, which is an awesome island off of Fajardo (and where we took the photo up top). This weekend we’ll be doing a quick little trip to Gilligan’s Island. I’ll have to start writing separate posts about all the sites because there’s just so many! I’ll also be adding all my activities to a highlight on my Instagram, so feel free to check that out.
What you miss most about LA?
Besides my friends and family? I think the variety of foods. I do miss having dim sum for Sunday brunch, or grabbing street tacos on a Tuesday.
Favorite food places so far?
There’s a restaurant we’ve frequented so many times that I’m sure they know us by name. Casita Miramar. It’s located in San Juan and has the best food I’ve had, yet. If you get the chance to visit, please order the marucaya (passion fruit) sangria pitcher and have a glass for me (or call me and I’ll join you).
What’s your favorite mofongo?
I’ve only tried a mofongo a week while living here, so I still have a while to go before I try them all (and believe me, I will), but the best one I’ve had so far is from a food truck in Lote 23 called, El Cuchifrito. They add this amazing garlic aioli sauce on top that’s making my mouth water as I type this. You can also customize your mofongo to your liking.
What are your 3 favorite and 3 least favorite things about PR? (I asked my husband to switch it up a bit)
3 favorite: the beaches, the pace of life, the people
3 least: electricity, humidity, lack of Asian food
Culture shocks?
I’m embarrassed to say this, but I used to be intimidated of Puerto Ricans. They always seemed prideful and just very strong minded to me, but you’d be surprised to know that I’ve talked to more strangers here than I have anywhere else in the world. They really do love their island and I admire that about them. The Spanish dialect is a little different, but I’m learning.
How many other Asians are roaming the streets besides Steve?
(This was asked by an Asian friend, btw). LOL I haven’t really noticed, but you don’t see many. Maybe tourists? Even then, not enough.
Are you still LA based? And how’s the commute to work?
I’ve officially transferred to work out of New York, so the commute will be easier. Just to give you an idea, to get to LAX, you need to take two flights from SJU and to get to JFK you only take one flight.
How is living in PR different from CA?
For starters, the speed limit here is 55 on the freeway, so people drive a lot slower (which I love). I’m still getting used to the lanes merging without warning, but no one honks so that’s nice too. The weather is always pleasant out here. I probably look like a crazy person walking around sandals and a crop top at night when it’s a breezy 73 degrees. The humidity doesn’t bother me either (it’s better for my skin). I hear summers are brutally hot, but I’ll be racking up the electricity bill by then (just don’t tell my husband).
How’s the internet/Wi-Fi service? Is telecommuting for Steve working well?
It’s not bad. Steve had additional routers added throughout the condo so he has good coverage. I think telecommuting is going well for him, especially since he gets homemade meals delivered every day. 😉 For reference, his office is in the upstairs part of our condo.
How’s the married life?
It’s pretty fun, I’ll admit. Imagine having someone to annoy and then they get you back by scaring you in the dark, as you exit the bathroom. Do this all over again until you both die (just kidding). No, in all seriousness, we just try to keep playful and enjoy this island while we’re here. If anything, I think it’s brought us closer together since we only have each other here.
Cost of living? Any additional costs like hurricane home insurance?
Housing can be affordable, but also depends on the area you want to live in. People ask us why we didn’t move to Old San Juan and, quite frankly, those homes run for $2-3 mil and have tourists. All. The. Time. We love being close to the city centers, but far away from the craziness. I probably sound silly mentioning this, but some produce can get pricey out here. I’m still not sure where people get their groceries from. I went into a grocery store and saw two bell peppers (non organic) on sale for $10! Not to mention, I accidentally purchased a spaghetti squash recently for $15. Accidentally how, you ask? Well, I thought it was $4.97, but turns out it was $4.97/lb. Safe to say we do most of our shopping at Costco now. As far as hurricane home insurance, we don’t have, but we’re also located inland so don’t really have to worry about hurricanes.
Where are the best areas to stay? How much should I save or have to move?
Best areas to stay for vacation would be Condado, Old San Juan, Rincon. Now if you’re moving here, I recommend Guaynabo (so we can be neighbors). That last question can vary depending on where you want to live and moving can be pricey. It costs us around $5k just to ship a car here.
Do I love it?
Probably more than I thought I would. Hard to explain, but it just feels very “homey.”
Can I come visit?
Of course! We love having visitors and showing our guests around. It gives us a chance to play tour guide and get to know more places as well.
Thanks again to everyone who dropped these questions on my Instagram poll. It was a lot of fun answering and I hope I was able to give you guys some insight on this amazing island that we now call, home. If anyone decides to move out here, let me know. We always welcome neighbors. 😉
Stew Travels 