Things to do in Puerto Rico & other things to ponder
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Puerto Rico
Here’s what nobody tells you about hosting a queer micro-hotel during Pride week: your guests will ask seventeen times if you’re “really sure” about staying sober during the biggest party in the Caribbean. They mean well. They also don’t understand that after eight years of sobriety, I’ve learned the difference between celebration and sedation.
San Juan's shopping scene rewards those who wander off the souvenir conveyor belt. From minimalist jewelry studios to zero-waste refilleries and pop-up designer markets, these are the places where locals actually spend their money — and where your gifts will have actual stories behind them.
After twelve years of hosting travelers during the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián—and spending most of those years navigating the festival with increasing levels of sobriety myself—I've learned something crucial: you don't need a liter of rum to enjoy Puerto Rico's answer to Mardi Gras. You just need better strategy than the tourists (queer, straight, or otherwise undecided) stumbling down Calle San Sebastián at 2 AM looking for a bathroom that isn't being actively cleaned by an attendant who's clearly seen too much.
Where wellness, recovery, and authentic queer connection meet in Puerto Rico's vibrant, inclusive community. After twelve years of hosting conscious travelers in my Miramar home—and many years into my own sobriety—I've learned something crucial: the richest queer community experiences don't happen in clubs at 2am. They happen over morning coffee, at sunset beach walks, in yoga studios, and in those unfiltered late-night kitchen conversations where you realize you're not alone.
