Community living

For those of you who have never lived in a place where at least 20 of you are vying for kitchen space, dorm space, communal space, and, to be completely honest, sometimes personal space....you are missing out.

The mornings here at El Verde are among the most beautiful I have groggily stared at through my half closed lids. The sun doesn't hit above the trees until about 8 or 9, so at 7 when we get up for work, the light is still dim enough to be pleasant and welcoming before turning scorchingly hot and bright. Luckily, for that part of the day we are in the dark forest. Those of us who leave for work at 8 mingle in the kitchen and on the porch at 7ish, and eat our breakfast or make our lunch in the tiniest space possible so as not to impede on the other 100 people around. While it sounds uncomfortable and frustrating, it actually becomes somewhat routine and reliable, and really not uncomfortable at all. You can remember who gets up when, and who you need to dance around to get to the door or the fridge. It's a dance, and as everyone knows, we are all just dancing through life (yeah, I hate myself too).

It is also an interesting blend of people here, to say the least. As an example, I give you last night, which was la Noche de San Juan, a night where Puerto Ricans go to the beach at midnight and jump into the ocean backwards. Of course, we all wanted to go. So the REU students and the census gang (us), along with a couple of other El Verdeans piled into a few cars and drove down into Luquillo to hang out and relax before jumping into the sea. During our waiting room time, we had conversations ranging from the philosophical to the geographical to the emotional and to the down right hilarious. Everyone spins their own web, and it is truly inspiring to see what everyone has to say about things you may have thought common place. Plus, who doesn't like jokes?

As a perfect example of our ingenuity, what did we do on Wednesday night? We made an Apples to Apples: El Verde game. That's right. We made one. And then spent the better part of two hours playing it. This way, we could put in whatever nouns and adjectives we wanted, such as alarm clocks, turtles, Bear Gryllz; elegant, ostentatious, and floppy. I may not have won, but I think that may be the most fun I have ever had playing Apples to Apples. And those of you who know me know I love Apples to Apples. Enough said.

In short, life here is unique. We make our living working in the forest, and then come back to our little jungle oasis to have conversations about work or play (mostly work....we're nerdy). I find myself more drawn to the people here every day, and I hope that the atmosphere that surrounds this place has reached you guys a little. There is something very welcoming about this little remote station, and I hope that I have become a part of that inviting force. Or will soon come to be.