Saludos,

 

Thank you for stopping by! I'm so happy to be sharing my knowledge with all of you. I would love to get to know you and your travel adventures throughout the Caribbean. But no worries, I can go first...

 

In the Summer of 2012, at age 24, a year out of college, I quit my two jobs and backpacked the Caribbean alone for almost four months.

 

Coming from Puerto Rican parents but being born in Brooklyn, I always had the desire to get to know more of this enchanting island I would travel to with my parents every year since I could walk. So my last year before graduating Hunter College, I decided I would.

 

How did I end up backpacking all three islands?

 

At this point, I was set on backpacking Puerto Rico but growing up with Dominicans and immediately falling in love with their culture and traditions, and realizing the close proximity, I decided it was time to finally go to the Dominican Republic, a kindred spirit country of mine. Then, came Haiti (now one of the loves of my life). While I knew very little of the nation, I had this curisoity to understand the difference between the two islands that shared the same land. But I can't lie, I was nervous. I called all the embassies, talked to people connected to the islands and was on the U.S. Passports & International Travel website for hours for reassurance...maybe even for a sign that this was the right decision.

 

What finally motivated me to leave? Two things...

 

In the Summer of 2011, I graduated college and started to immerse myself in the Latino alternative music scene in New York. In July, I went to a Rita Indiana concert a Dominican alternative merengue vocalist and one of the most popular artists at the time at the music venue, Sounds of Brazil in New York,  whose fusion of traditional merengue and alternative rock captivated me. As I stood 10 feet away from her in a dimly lit room, amongst the screaming crowd of fans while she sings El Blue de Ping Pong, for a slight moment I felt like I teleported to the Dominican Republic. I couldn't deny the attraction.

 

Then, one day in February of 2012, I was at one of my jobs where I was very unproductive and all I did was research a trip I've been dreaming about for a long time. But then something magical happened, I asked myself: "Are you happy here?" Immediately, the answer was no.

 

A month later, I bought a one-way ticket to Haiti. Two months later I boarded a plane to a new chapter in my life. I had no expectations, I just knew I belonged there. 

 

How did I start BackpackingtheCaribbean.com?

 

During my research, I noticed the lack of resources and information to make this trip happen. 

 

When I returned after traveling on local transportation, getting robbed four times, and discovering off-the-beaten path adventures, I decided to create BackpackingtheCaribbean.com, an online travel guide to help connect travelers to an authentic experience.

 

I hope I am able to help you in your travels. Feel free to share your experiences and photos with us on Facebook!