On the 19th of November 2021, I embarked on a very exciting journey *drumroll*.... to Puerto Rico for the Miss World 2021 competition! Learn about my first day in the land of enchantment.
It was approximately 12 AM in Sri Lanka and I was sitting on a plane bound to one of the many transits I had to take to reach my final destination; Puerto Rico. Here I was, the moment I had a been waiting for, I was taking the first steps to one of the most exciting chapters of my life.
(Now let's fast forward one and a half days worth of travel time and Sade sleeping her way through the flights...)
To the moment, I took my first steps off the plane at 2 AM and into the land of enchantment. Filled with unbridled excitement and slight nervousness, I found my way to the baggage claim where I was greeted by local staff who welcomed me warmly and treated me with the utmost kindness and patience. Gone was the nervousness and instead it was replaced with a feeling of familiarity. In that moment, I remember thinking to myself that Puerto Rico felt like 'home away from home'. The warmth of the people was almost tangible and I couldn't hold back the cheshire grin that erupted on my face, it had dawned on me that Puerto Rico certainly lived upto being 'the land of enchantment'.
Despite, it being 2 AM the drive to the hotel was filled with excitement. I had met my first sisters in the transport, Miss Luxembourg and Miss Uganda. The three of us shared our excitement about the journey we were about to embark on, knowing it would certaintly be a time we would never forget.
Later on in the day, I was introduced to my roomate; Miss Norway and by dinnertime I had met most of my sisters. I was falling more and more in love with the culture and beauty of Puerto Rico. Whenever, I think back to my first day I remember walking towards the first meeting point for my team and seeing a young gentleman dancing passionately to Salsa in an ethereal veranda at the hotel. In that moment, my adoration for Salsa was born and later on I would come to realize that this wasn't the first time I would be witnessing something so incredible.
Music and dance almost always filled the streets of Puerto Rico. At first I tended to be someone that would clap along in the side, staring on in adoration. It had only taken me a couple of days before I too joined in on the Salsa and took every opportunity to immerse myself in the beauty of Puerto Rico.
To end, here's a quote that reminds me of my first day in Puerto Rico;
"We don't remember days, we remember moments" - Cesare Pavese
Lots of Love and Hugs,
Sade
